April 2011
Helping Pennsylvania Taxing Districts Hit By Unpaid Property Taxes Generate New Revenue For Their Budgets Since 2003
PA School Districts Successfully
Convert Non-Performing Assets
Into Revenues At No Additional
Cost To Taxpayers
We all know the old adage “If it sounds too good to be true, then
it probably is.” What then would you call an instance where you
were pitched an idea that was so good it even had actual
success stories and solid client references, yet you still chose to
disbelieve it? Given proven fact beyond question, this is known
as denial…and a missed opportunity. In recent years, 25
Pennsylvania school districts avoided the pitfalls of unyielding
skepticism and denial when they participated in a statewide
program that converted non-performing assets into revenues at
no additional cost to taxpayers.
Using a unique service developed by Municipal Revenue Service
(MRS) Pennsylvania school districts became the proving ground
for a new process that bridges the gap between unpaid real
estate taxes by providing immediate revenue to school districts.
“Now that it’s a proven, legal process, it’s much easier to present a concept with the backing of over 160 transactions in 25 school
districts. But even given that,” says Chuck Herron, MRS Founder, “I still get people telling me and my staff ‘It can’t be done.’ ‘But it
has been done’, I tell them, ‘We’ve done it, dozens upon dozens of times. It is a legal process supported by Pennsylvania legislation.’
Given the facts, it is not something ‘too good to be true.’ It simply, truthfully, exists as a proven way for school districts to generate
revenue when hit hard by unpaid real estate taxes.”
Many school districts in Pennsylvania are experiencing increases of 10% or more in delinquent taxpayers and collections can take 3-4
years. MRS helps school districts immediately while the County or local tax collector continues to collect. “It’s a win-win situation for
the taxpayers who pay on time, and the ones who are late, with new revenues to keep taxes down and provide distressed taxpayers
the time they need to get caught up on their delinquent tax bills”, Chuck explains. “Once you take all that in, there is a temptation to
say upfront, ‘Hey that’s too good to be true!’, until you pick up the phone and call one of the school district business managers we’ve
worked with.”
MRS has helped school districts across Pennsylvania acquire revenues in excess of $300,000,000. School districts that have not yet
participated and would like to learn more should contact MRS at 814-476-0400 to arrange a presentation.
Working with local re-development authorities and other non-profit
agencies, delinquent real estate taxes and liens are recognized as a
revenue source using state legislative guidelines and the MRS system,
developed over two decades by Chuck Herron, CPA and MRS Founder.
School Money Matters
Online Newsletter From Municipal Revenue Service
MRS Exhibits Fun at 56th Annual PASBO Conference & Thanks
Everyone Who Stopped By & Helped Make The Show A Success
presented by Jeff Spaulding, MRS Associate
Probably the most striking observation I came away with after exhibiting at this year’s
annual PASBO Conference held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh
was that of other vendors in attendance with blank purchase orders and no resources to fill
them. In talking with School District Facilities Managers, Pennsylvania’s desperate budget
situation will leave many needed school improvement projects in dire need of funding. With
no one betting on an easy answer to makeup for state budget cuts on their way, my job was
to get the word out about Municipal Revenue Services, now more than ever a part of the
solution that makes funds available even when school tax payments are not.
Kudos to MRS Founder Chuck Herron for coming up with a way to draw attention to our
unique services while letting attendees have some fun at the same time. Our theme of “A
Winner Every Time” in reference to converting a district's nonperforming assets into
immediate revenue was reinforced by Chuck’s vision of MRS slot machines that release
hundreds of custom designed and stamped MRS coins. Through a snail-mail and email
campaign before the show, attendees were invited to stop by our booth to learn how
a district’s delinquent real-estate tax receivables can only be treated as revenue to the
district when it is converted to cash, something our I-Portal program has done for dozens of
school districts around the state.
Having spent over 28 years in City and County government searching for resources to make community improvements, I am constantly
amazed that more districts do not see the simple and immediate advantage of using a tool at their disposal to bring resources to bear.
Grant application, regulations, uncertainties, staff time...all are eliminated by passage of a simple resolution that brings a financial
transaction to close for their District within 30-45 days...and nothing to pay back as it is already their money.
As for those that did stop by and learn more, I thank you on behalf of Municipal Revenue Services and look forward to helping you and
your school districts make use of revenues from delinquent taxes to help solve some of your budget shortfalls in the coming year. If
you didn’t get a chance to stop by, or couldn’t attend this year’s PASBO Conference, look for us this October at the PASA-PSBA
School Leadership Conference in Hershey, PA. Go to http://www.psba.org/workshops/school-leadership-conference for more info.
Please remember, you don’t have to wait to see us at conference to find out how MRS can help your school district. If you would like to
learn more contact MRS at 814-476-0400 to arrange a presentation.
MRS Way of
Doing Business
Makes Its Way
Into PASBO’s
500 Cost
Reduction
Strategies for
Local Education
Agencies
After providing dozens of
Pennsylvania school districts with
over $300,000,000 in instant
revenue over the last seven years
using our MRS-only way of
generating revenue from the sale
of tax liens, it was gratifying to see
bundling tax liens to sell finally
recognized in the recent revision
of PASBO’s “500 Cost Reduction
Strategies for Local Education
Agencies” which was originally
drafted in 2003, a time when MRS
was in its infancy.
©2013 Municipal Revenue Service. Municipal Revenue Service is a Patented Tax Lien Management Program. All Rights Reserved.