Natick going after property tax scofflaws

Beware, Natick tax scofflaws, the town is owed nearly $1 million in back property tax payments and interest and officials are coming after it.

Selectmen last week voted to hire the law firm Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane to represent the town in land court as it pursues the back taxes. Finance Director Bob Palmer said the town is owed nearly $500,000, but that interest and penalties raise the total amount owed to more than double that.

Some of the money is likely to be unrecoverable, said Palmer, who noted that some of the debts stretch back into the 1930s. The law firm, which has offices in Boston, Springfield, and Quincy, already serves as Natick’s town counsel.

-- Calvin Hennick