Two Norwich GOP legislative candidates have delinquent property taxes
Two Norwich Republican legislative candidates have delinquent property taxes locally and elsewhere in the state, and one has a series of delinquent bills, including a mortgage foreclosure filing in Norwich.
The Day checked the property tax payment status of 21 state House candidates and eight state Senate candidates with local districts. Only 46th District House GOP candidate Andrew Lockwood and 139th District Republican candidate Nick DeLucia are delinquent in property taxes.
DeLucia and his wife, Maryn, also face civil action for delinquent bills in Norwich and Branford, their former hometown.
Norwich Tax Collector Karlene Deal said Lockwood has delinquent real estate taxes totaling $3,867 on his house at 480 E. Main St. over the past two years. Deal said Lockwood is not on a formal payment plan but made partial payments in February and June of this year.
Branford Tax Collector Roberta Gill-Brooks said DeLucia failed to pay town motor vehicle taxes in three years: in 2015, $262.06 for a 2002 Cadillac Escalade, and in 2016 and 2017, a combined $905.91 on a 2015 Ford Fusion.
In Norwich, DeLucia’s wife, Maryn, has not paid a total of $1,027 in vehicle taxes on a Dodge Ram pickup truck. Maryn DeLucia also failed to pay $324.28 on a 2001 BMW in 2013 in Branford. In total, the couple has not paid a combined $2,519.25 in motor vehicle taxes to Norwich and Branford.
Lockwood said he bought the house in 2017 and does not have a mortgage escrow plan to pay the property taxes. He said he makes monthly payments and disputed the tax collector’s record that showed only payments in February and June. He said he will make a $1,000 payment within a week.
Lockwood said he is on disability and fell behind on the tax payments when he started taking care of his 91-year-old mother, who moved in with him. He said he fought state red tape to get her enrolled in Title 19 to receive benefits.
“Unfortunately, I live on disability income,” Lockwood said. “It’s tight everywhere, and it’s a long process getting someone on Title 19 in this state. We didn’t want to her to go to a nursing home, so she’s living with me. Hopefully when I get to Hartford, we’ll do something to make it easier for people to get on Title 19.”
DeLucia said he was unaware he owed vehicle taxes in Branford and was unsure if the 2015 Ford Focus, which he said is in his wife’s name, is still registered in Branford.
“I have to look into that, because I’m not sure if we’ve gotten anything from them,” Nick DeLucia said. “I’m not sure if we’ve seen anything. This is the first time I’m hearing it for 2017. I thought in 2015 and 2016 that it was paid.”
In response to his wife’s unpaid taxes, DeLucia said: “As far as what she owes, that would be a question for my wife. We pay things separately.”
DeLucia and his wife were sued in New London Superior Court this year by Ally Bank of Utah for neglecting to pay a $22,663 car loan for the 2015 Ford Fusion. In August, the judge ruled in the bank’s favor but the bank withdrew the action on Oct. 17.
DeLucia said he was “not sure” about the lawsuit and that the Ford Fusion is his wife’s vehicle and the couple still has it. He said both a truck and the Fusion are in his wife’s name and he uses a professional vehicle for work.
Last November, CT PROPERTY, LLC sued the couple for failing to pay an outstanding balance of $2,192.19. DeLucia signed a document last December agreeing to pay $35 a week until that balance was paid off. DeLucia said the condominium property manager claimed the couple had accrued fees for property improvements. DeLucia said he disputed the fees but agreed to pay.
According to court documents, Mortgage Research Center LLC/Veterans United Home Loans filed foreclosure action Sept. 19 on DeLucia’s Norwich home at 11 Caulkins Road for alleged default on a 2016 $190,000 loan. DeLucia denied that, saying he and his wife recently modified the loan to allow for more manageable payments. The foreclosure action has not been withdrawn but a docket notation on Sept. 24 said the case is eligible for foreclosure mediation.
“This is why I’m running,” DeLucia said Tuesday. “We have a tight budget. My wife and I pay taxes, which are very high in Norwich and are very high in Connecticut. That’s always been something from day one why I decided to run. Connecticut needs to be affordable to everyone, not just a certain class."
“I’m not rich. I’m in sales,” he continued. “Commission is taxed very high in this state. So I feel it. We pay a lot in taxes and fees here and I feel it with my paycheck. ... I always felt that I can’t complain that taxes are too high if I’m not willing to roll up my sleeves and try to do something about it. That’s what I’m doing right now by running for state rep.”
Comment threads are monitored for 48 hours after publication and then closed.
