by Andy Sevilla
Almost a year after the Hays County government filed a civil suit against Kyle Council Member Becky Selbera and her family for delinquent property taxes on two Kyle properties, a trial date has yet to be set; meanwhile, the elected official’s legal residence, which belongs to her late father, too, is delinquent, according to Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector records.
On Aug. 31, 2012, Hays County filed a lawsuit for the collection of delinquent property taxes for itself, Kyle, Austin Community College (ACC), Hays County Emergency Services District No.5, Plum Creek Water Conservation District and Plum Creek Groundwater District on a property at 501 W. Thiele, valued at $67,380, and a second property at M E Moore, Block 1, Lot 2,3,4 and 5, valued at $14,000.
As an elected official, Selbera may “not be delinquent on any indebtedness to the city,” according to the charter, and “If any member of the council ceases to possess any of the qualifications of office… his/her office shall, upon such fact being determined by the council, immediately become vacant…”
Selbera and the codefendants in the county lawsuit – Mary S. Martinez, Reynaldo Selbera III, Hope Selbera, Olga S. Flores, Silvia Selbera and Alicia S. Reyna – owe Kyle $805.51 in delinquent property taxes on both properties for 2011 and 2012, according to county records.
All in all, the defendants owe $4,265.60 in back property taxes on the two properties, if paid by the end of June; that figure would jump up to $4,732.41 if it’s paid by July 31.
Selbera said Tuesday she did not know any of the specifics surrounding the lawsuit as she had relinquished ownership on the two real estate possessions to her father before he died in March.
“I signed paperwork over to my dad, so he can handle that,” Selbera said, adding that she does not have a copy of the document nor is she aware of where her late father may have left the piece of paper.
“All of that was being handled by my dad. My dad was basically the caretaker of all that land,” Selbera said. “Right now, my sister is handling my dad’s estate. It’s an estate matter and a personal matter.”
This is not the first time Hays County has had to file suit against the same defendants in efforts to collect delinquent property taxes. The county filed a lawsuit against Selbera and her family in the 207th District Court in Jan. 2002, before the matter was disposed in 2004 after the county received a $567 payment, records show.
Selbera does not live in neither of the properties named in the 2012 Hays County lawsuit against her and her family, but the property listed as her legal residence on Kyle’s municipal website – 301 W. Thiele – also is in property tax delinquency.
County records show that $2,584.34 are owed in back taxes on the property listed as Selbera’s residence, which identifies her late-father as the owner.
“I don’t know” any details surrounding these cases, Selbera said. “We’re just trying to rectify what’s going on. I will be getting a lawyer.”
The Hays Free Press submitted an open records request looking into all Kyle and Buda council members’ property tax records from the Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office. Aside from Selbera, those documents showed that no other elected official on either council was delinquent..
