By ERIC MEYER

Staff writer

Resolution of Hillsboro’s hospital bankruptcy helped spur a 42% reduction in unpaid taxes this year — the first decline in property tax delinquencies in four years.

Even with Hillsboro Community Hospital excluded, delinquencies declined 15.6% in what would have been clear evidence of an improving economy before COVID-19 hit.

Peabody once again had a disproportionately large share of delinquencies, according to the delinquent list from the county treasurer’s office, published among this week’s public notices.

Despite accounting for just 9.5% of the county’s population, Peabody accounts for 16.2% of unpaid tax bills and 17.9% of total taxes not paid.

Florence’s situation may be more dire. With just 3.7% of the county’s population, it accounts for 15.5% of unpaid bills, though only 8.3% of the unpaid total.

Without Hillsboro Community Hospital’s delinquencies, Hillsboro, with 24.2% of the county’s population, has just 6.8% of delinquencies and 14.8% of the total due.

Marion, with 15.4% of the county’s population, has 15.3% of past-due bills and 17.6% of past-due amounts.

DELINQUENT BILLS

CITIES

01. Peabody 86

02. Florence 82

03. Marion 81

04. Hillsboro 36

05. Burns 35

06. Ramona 27

07. Lehigh 18

08. Lincolnville 17

09. Lost Springs 15

10. Goessel 8

11. Tampa 7

12. Durham 2

TOWNSHIPS

01. Fairplay 12

02. Clear Creek 11

03. West Branch 11

04. Wilson 11

05. Peabody 9

06. Centre 7

07. Logan 7

08. Summit 6

09. Grant 6

10. Menno 5

11. Milton 5

12. Lost Springs 5

13. Catlin 5

14. Liberty 3

15. East Branch 3

16. Gale 3

17. Doyle 2

18. Clark 1

19. Colfax 1

20. Durham Park 1

21. Moore 1

22. Risley 1

DELINQUENT AMOUNTS

CITIES

01. Peabody $70,973.04

02. Marion 69,835.32

03. Hillsboro 58,674.40

04. Florence 32,798.10

05. Burns 16,536.74

06. Ramona 14,276.99

07. Goessel 13,283.05

08. Lincolnville 10,447.89

09. Lehigh 8,436.81

10. Lost Springs 4,371.13

11. Tampa 2,683.69

12. Durham 181.62

TOWNSHIPS

01. West Branch $17,126.99

02. Ramona 14,276.99

03. Fairplay 9,617.97

04. Wilson 9,502.19

05. Peabody 8,049.25

06. Centre 6,941.38

07. Clear Creek 6,711.68

08. Menno 6,418.08

09. Logan 4,721.16

10. Milton 3,880.11

11. Lost Springs Twp 3,605.33

12. Catlin 3,084.71

13. Liberty 3,080.33

14. East Branch 3,052.95

15. Gale 2,572.31

16. Summit 2,215.63

17. Grant 1,884.56

18. Durham Park 409.82

19. Clark 296.62

20. Colfax 233.63

Individual properties

As with last year, individual properties in Hillsboro top the list of delinquencies this year.

Oakwood Manor at 401 N. Ash St. and Birchwood Apartments at 906 E. D St. rank No. 1 and No. 3 in terms of the largest amounts owed, $8,688.36 and $7,130.43.

Both are owned and managed by companies linked to James K. Maddox of Malden, Missouri. Via a series of interrelated interests, Maddox is associated with hundreds of businesses, mainly providing housing for senior citizens and people with low income.

No. 2 on the list is former Lumberyard property at 121 N. Ash St., which owes $7,627.08.

Ronald K. and Patricia N. Dirksen are fourth on the list, owing $5,286.70 on a 2,397-square-foot 1999 farm home on 73.29 acres at 377 130th Rd. in West Branch township.

Fifth is the first of several restaurants, El Lorito at 117 S. Main St. in Hillsboro. Owner Juan Gomez owes $4,700.88 in taxes on the property.

Other restaurants on the list include:

• Wagon Wheel Express, 202 W. Main St., Marion, where owners Keith and Sherry Hess owe $2,380.10.
• Cazadores, 214 E. Main St., Marion, owned under the name El Tiguere Inc. by Juan Martin Ramirez of Eureka. It owes $2,304.73.

Dirksen Construction, 202 W. Main St. in Goessel, is No. 6 on the list, with owners William Russell and Sharlee Faye Francis owing $4,657.01.

The former Food Mart at 102 W. 9th St. in Peabody is seventh, with owner O&J of Kansas owing $4,406.07. O&J forfeited its business registration in Kansas after failing to file annual documents in 2014. Its last known owner was Hisham Mubaidin of Land O’ Lakes, Florida.

Rexana Jo Siebert is No. 8 on the list, owing $4,421.14 for a 155.07-acre farm and 1,930-square-foot 1970 farm house at 1667 190th Rd. in Wilson Township. She also owes $1,628.07 on a separate property in Wilson Township.

Ralph D. and Christine M. Bestvater are in ninth place, owing $3,846.49 for a 2,284-square-foot 1916 farm home and outbuildings on 14.1 acres at 788 Chisholm Trail Rd. in West Branch Township.

Rounding out the top 10 are Bret James and Pamela Sue Soyez, who owe $3,557.39 on a 2,729-square-foot 1922 farmhouse on 26.86 acres at 158 130th Rd. in Menno Township.

Businesses on the list include:

• Goessel Station, 220 E. Main St., Goessel, on which Joe Base owes $3,522.09. Base also owes $1,582.36 for his house at 1330 Alamo Rd. in Menno Township.
• The former Miles by Design location at 906 E. Main St., Marion, for which Sylvia Renee Magallanes owes $2,936.94.
• Svitak Machine and Mechanic, 2246 290th Rd. in Clear Creek Township, on which the Randy Svitak Trust owes $2,682.55.
• A later Miles by Design location, now known as Silk, 1240 Commercial Dr., Marion, where owners Sheldon and Karen Miles owe $2,035.00.
• Tatge Manufacturing, 607 N. D St., Ramona, $1,644.64.
• Peabody Farm Service, 203 S. Maple St., Peabody, $1,541.16.
• Fay Family Chiropractic, 410 E. Main St., Marion, $1,012.17 owned by Bruce and Belinda Skiles.

Taxpayers with multiple larger delinquencies include:

• Lyle and Anne Leppke, owing $6,776.19 on four properties in Peabody Township, six in Fairplay, and three in Wilson.
• Terri L. Tucker, owing $3,674.98 on seven Peabody properties.
• James R. and Jodi K. Watkins, owing $3,333.44 on four properties in Burns and two in Milton Township.
• Benjamin S. Calvert, owing $3,255.52 on eight Ramona properties.