THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, SEpTEmbEr 22, 2023 Page 17 THE SOUNDS | FROM PAGE 16 resident: “I’d like to give a special ‘shout out’ to those associated with the Saugus Little League program. They need to be recognized for their dedication, time and effort. The Stocker Field/ Playground looks beautiful. They are currently running a Fall ball program. (I believe it’s a first of its kind for Saugus Little League) It’s heartwarming to see the children and their families using Stocker Field/Playground as it should be. Thank you, Saugus Little League, for efforts in building back this program to what it used to be.” Debbie Faust, Building Manager, American Legion Post 210: “American Legion Post 210 would like to ‘shout out’ all those whose hard work makes each new Founder’s Day such a success, in good weather or not-so-good weather. We also appreciate the townspeople’s support both in bidding on our American flag afghan, and of our annual raffle of scratch cards, which this year were won by Peter Manoogian.” Neil Farren, of 43 School St.: “A ‘Shout Out’ for Town Manager Scott Crabtree! I reported a tree fell across the brook behind my property, The Town Manager not only viewed the property, but it was all cleaned up within a few days. A serious flood issue was avoided!” Corinne Riley: “The Saugus War Monument Committee would like to thank all that purchased bricks to help with the upkeep and future improvements to the monument. Installation and dedication of the bricks will be held during the Veterans Day Ceremony at Veterans Park on November 11th. Although the window has closed on orders this year, information for next year’s orders will be available again in the Spring of 2024.” Want to “Shout Out” a fellow Saugonian? This is an opportunity for our paper’s readers to single out – in a brief mention – remarkable acts or achievements by Saugus residents or an act of kindness or a nice gesture. Just send an email (mvoge@comcast. net) with a mention in the subject line of “An Extra Shout Out.” No more than a paragraph; anything longer might lend itself to a story and/or a photo. Town Election Watch The countdown is on for the biennial town election – set for Nov. 7. There are only six more editions after today until the election. I’m making comprehensive coverage of the candidates and the issues my top priority for the next six editions after today. At the moment, I am in talks with Saugus TV, in hopes of arranging several candidate debates or forums to better educate the voters about the major issues being debated in the context of this year’s political campaign. Like the previous three town election campaigns I have covered since taking over as editor of The Saugus Advocate in March 2016, we will be dedicating “The Advocate Asks” column to questioning the Board of Selectmen and School Committee candidates about important issues which concern them. We will also take a closer look at the Charter Commission and the Housing Authority races as well as the 10 Town Meeting races. One thing I discovered from doing the “Saugus Over Coffee” forums is that a lot of folks don’t even know or have never met their town meeting members in the precinct where they live. It seems to be a name recognition thing where an incumbent candidate has a decided advantage over a challenger. There are 21 challengers this year seeking election to Town Meeting. If I were a challenger, I would check out the “Saugus Over Coffee” forum for the precinct I want to represent and I would make note of who showed and who didn’t and also take an inventory of the issues discussed as relevant in my precinct. Then, I would type a onepage letter introducing myself to folks, highlighting my education and family background and summing up why I want to represent my neighbors at Town Meeting. I would buy a street list from the Town Clerk’s Office at Town Hall, study it to get familiar with the main streets in my precinct and then go for a few walks in my neighborhood, knocking on doors and handing out the one-page flier and letting folks know why I am serious about winning their vote. It seems to me that would be the formula to get an enthusiastic challenger elected. Town Meeting is really the bedrock of Saugus Town government. In an ideal world, the five members who represent each precinct would be collaborating on issues as they arise in their neighborhood and make a point of briefing the Board of Selectmen on those important neighborhood issues. A citizen who seeks help from town government on a problem or neighborhood issue should start out by contacting his or her Town Meeting members. They are listed on the Town of Saugus Website under the Town Clerk section. If a selectman fields phone calls from several Town Meeting members about a neighborhood problem, he or she is definitely going to listen. And more effective would be for a group of Town Meeting members showing up to speak during one of the two public comment sessions at each Board of Selectmen meeting. The visit, of course, should be a follow-up to a letter signed by several Town Meeting members asking the board to address a neighborhood concern. In addition to approving the town budget, passing zoning regulations, approving various articles and being a part of studies of town-wide issues – like a West Side Fire Station – a conscientious Town Meeting member should be accessible to their constituents, the people who voted for him or her. So, if any one of those 21 challengers – some of them former Town Meeting members – wants to get elected, they can be successful if they do their homework. And part of that involves networking in the neighborhoods they represent and letting the voters know they are going to be there for them if they need help at Town Hall. “Saugus Over Coffee” accomplished its goal It looks like the “Saugus Over Coffee” forum has achieved its primary goal: elevating the citizen interest and candidate participation in the upcoming Town Meeting races. During the forums, I have made a point of letting folks know that in the town election two years ago Town Meeting candidates got elected without opposition in half of the town’s 10 precincts (1, 2, 3, 6 and 7). If the Town Clerk’s Office certifies the signatures on the nomination papers submitted by Town Meeting candidates this week, nobody will get elected to the Town Meeting without facing some opposition in their respective races. In fact, three of the precincts (1, 2, 3) are among the most competitive after having zero competition two years ago. The four incumbents running in Precinct 2 face opposition from four challengers. The five incumbents running in 1 and 2 face two challengers in their respective races. Meanwhi le, there are three precincts which have a lone challenger (5, 6 and 7) against the five incumbents. More would be better. But at least, voters have a choice on who they want to represent them. It’s too bad that there are only six candidates running in Precinct 7 because no Town Meeting members appeared for that “Saugus Over Coffee” forum. And that angered residents who showed up to meet their Town Meeting members. The final “Saugus Over Coffee” forum is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23, in the Community Room of the Saugus Public Library and will feature Precinct 10. For those Saugus residents who are unfamiliar with the “Saugus Over Coffee” forums, they are cosponsored by The Saugus Advocate and the Saugus Public LiTHE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 18 Notice Of Federal Tax Liens A federal tax lien represents the U.S. government’s legal claim against your property in the event a substantial federal income tax is unpaid. Such a lien is good against all of your property, even after-acquired property. If a Notice of Federal Tax Lien (NFTL) is filed at the registry of deeds where the taxpayer owns real estate, it will serve as a lien against the real estate which would result in you not being able to borrow money from a bank or to sell the real estate to a third party unless the lien is paid off with bank financing or if the lien is reflected as a liability on the disclosure statement at the closing on a sale transaction and deducted from the seller’s sales proceeds. IRS Form 668, Notice of Federal Tax Lien, will include the name of the taxpayer, the serial number of the NFTL, the type of tax, the tax period(s), last four digits of the taxpayer’s social security number, the date of assessment, the date of refiling, the amount of unpaid taxes, the book and page number as well as the date of recording at the applicable registry of deeds where the taxpayer owns real estate, the date of the NFTL, and the name of the IRS Revenue Officer. If the IRS does not refile the NFTL within 10 years and 30 days of the date of assessment, the lien will expire as a matter of law. In these situations, often the debt per the IRS records would be automatically wiped clean. I have seen on many occasions where the taxpayer waits out the 10 year, 30 day period, and the debt no longer appears within the IRS system. If the IRS does not believe collection is probable, the debt collection activities most likely will not pursued. However, if the IRS has a lien against known real estate, it may very well refile the NFTL. The IRS generally has 10 years from the date of assessment to collect a federal income tax. The IRS does not need to obtain a judgment against you in a court of law in order to file the NFTL. This is unlike a judgment lien which is filed pursuant to a court rendering an opinion against a debtor or defendant in a lawsuit. Joseph D. Cataldo is an estate planning/elder law attorney, Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial Planner, AICPA Personal Financial Specialist and holds a masters degree in taxation.
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