Taxes Paid, Working on the Building

Published: May 24th, 2010


    For some time now, I have been paying Beaufort County taxes for myself and the heirs of Robert Earle Deatherage since his passing in 2005. Oddly, the same folks that have held me back from completing the construction of my office on the property on the former John H. Small School have had their taxes paid by me, with no repayment as of yet.

    For 5 years, I have paid for my 2/3 interest and their 1/3 interest in time enough so that our names did not appear in the Washington Daily News. This year I was unsuccessful in getting that payment in to the Beaufort County Tax Collector so that our names would not appear for nonpayment - missed it by 4 days. But as I mentioned in my "Letter to the Editor," these taxes have been paid in full to the satisfaction of the Beaufort County Tax Collector. That payment made by me on April 30, 2010 was paid before that infamous listing of names. Of course, I do wish that I had gotten this payment in 4 days earlier, but the mistake is mine that I am sometimes just too busy. I take full credit for the untimeliness of that payment.

    The aforementioned building on John H. Small will hopefully see its placement on a foundation and construction initiated soon. My father's heirs do now appear willing to move forward in settling the estate's properties. I am most hopefull that I will soon be able to complete what I initiated to complete, in a timely manner, 5 years ago.

    Below, within this article, is that submitted "Letter to the Editor," and as promised within that submission, I am providing the image files of my payment and the associated receipts. As an elected official, I have always been transparent in my actions. In some other areas of my private life, such as paying my property taxes, I will continue that practice.

To the Editor,

    Even though I do not take the Washington Daily News, I have been made aware that I have been eviscerated by some of your loyal readers on two issues important to them: My late payment of property taxes for myself and others, and my building on John Small Avenue. First, I will address the late payment of the property taxes.

    For well over twenty-five years, I have traditionally paid the property taxes owed to Beaufort County for property that I have had a full or partial interest in. At that time, I paid for me and my father, Robert Earle Deatherage, and since 2005 after his passing, I have paid for me and his heirs, without any remuneration from them as of yet. This year, for a variety of reasons, I found it difficult to pay the property taxes until April 30, 2010. On that date, they were paid in full, with penalties and interest, including the cost to advertise in your publication stating that I, like many others, did not pay by the deadline. I am providing documentation for that payment, in a number of image files, on my personal website - standeatherage.com.

    The second issue: My building on John Small Avenue. I moved my building to John Small Avenue in 2005 to make way for the development of the property, where the structure once stood, on a city block bordered by Highway 17 and West Third Street. I also intended to use my former office as the core asset to construct around it a new and better office there on John Small Avenue. My intention was to begin construction immediately, but I mistakenly trusted others at their word to sign the deed to convey an 1.06 acre purchased parcel, within that track, to me. On the advice of their counsel, or for other personal purposes, some of these heirs would not honor their commitment. Construction did not begin.

    Currently, there is a plan afoot to divide all of the property owned by me and my father - the property I have long paid the property taxes on - amongst the heirs so these properties may soon be used, or sold. As this plan proceeds accordingly, I will finally be able to complete this project as originally intended, and return to some sense of normalcy in my personal and business affairs.

    I pray these explanations will suffice for your readers, who have such great concerns about what goes on in my personal life. As a public official, I understand that these areas are blurred by some concerned individuals, who feel that they should have access to comment on my personal affairs; however, I do wish they would stick to the public issues at hand if they have a problem with my vision for governing as an elected official.

    On those public issues, I have made it my supreme point to be most direct. I am sure there is much they could disagree with.

Stan Deatherage