State seizes two Dodge City residents' assets

    The personal assets of two Dodge City residents who owed more than $90,000 in back taxes were seized Tuesday after other collection efforts had failed, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue.
    Starting at 10 a.m., officers with the Department of Revenue, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Ford County Sheriff's Office seized items belonging to Florentino and Bertha Vazquez at their home, 2400 Fourth Circle. The seizure was still under way late Tuesday afternoon.
    The Vazquezes owed $90,725.07 in state income taxes for the period from 1999 through 2007, Revenue spokeswoman Freda Warfield said in a phone interview.
    Warfield said she could not comment on the specific steps that the Department of Revenue had previously taken to collect the Vazquezes' back taxes, citing privacy concerns. But she said in general, the department makes repeated efforts to collect the debt, including numerous letters, phone calls and even on-site visits to the taxpayer.
    "We try to encourage the taxpayer to set up a repayment plan," she said. "And when we are ignored, then we have to go to this type of action and this type of seizure."
    Warfield said the Department of Revenue seizes assets only as a last resort.
    The Vazquezes' property will be listed for sale on the Purple Wave auction Web site, www.purplewave.com. They will still owe the state whatever money is not recovered from selling the items.
    Warfield said the Vazquezes could still redeem their debt by paying their back taxes to the state.
    The Vazquezes' phone number had been disconnected, and they apparently were not at home late Tuesday afternoon.

Reach Eric Swanson at (620) 408-9917 or e-mail him at eric.swanson@dodgeglobe.com.