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Philadelphia Now Pursues Debtors Across the Country with New Tax Judgment Enforcement Plan

Official:Amending Chapter 19-3100 by requiring the filing and enforcement of judgments for delinquent taxes in any jurisdiction in the United States where the judgment debtor has assets and requiring the submission of an annual report, all under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Council President Clarke

Introduced: October 18, 2012

: Committee on Law and Government

finance taxation

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2012–2015 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill requires the City of Philadelphia to file and enforce judgments for delinquent taxes in any US jurisdiction where a debtor has assets, and submit an annual report detailing these efforts.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Requires the Law Department to file and enforce judgments for delinquent taxes in any US jurisdiction where the judgment debtor has assets, real or personal, that can be attached in satisfaction of the City's delinquent taxes or claims.
Allows the Law Department to retain private attorneys or collection agencies on a contingent fee or hourly rate basis, with contracts made for such term and containing such conditions as the City Solicitor deems necessary or desirable.
Requires the Law Department to submit an annual report detailing their efforts to file and enforce judgments for delinquent taxes.
Amends Chapter 19-3100 of The Philadelphia Code to include a new section (§ 19-3102) that outlines the obligation to file and enforce judgments and the requirement for annual reports.