Tuesday, May 6
Charles R. "Rusty" Ransford is by all accounts a good-natured, easy-going man. Many of his tenants believe he is a good landlord -- he certainly has the experience, having been in the business more than 40 years. In his numerous dealings with the city -- mostly having to do with building inspections and tax-takings these days -- he has generally been acknowledged by local officials to be polite and courteous.

The problem is, Mr. Ransford hasn't been paying his property taxes. He is now easily the biggest tax scofflaw in the city, with bills totaling about $216,000 -- roughly $174,000 of that amount is more than a year overdue.

While some may sympathize with any landlord's struggles -- the ever-mounting cost of utilities, the constant battle to maintain aging properties and the damage caused by less than perfect tenants, to name a few -- Mr. Ransford really has no excuse for not paying -- a fact he cheerfully acknowledged in an interview for the Page 1 story about him on Monday ("City cracks down on taxes: Ransford is first to get heat").

So we must applaud the city's hardball approach to getting him -- and potentially other scofflaws out there -- to pay back taxes.

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As outlined in the story, the city's latest plan is simple: If you don't pay all taxes that are more than a year overdue, you can't have a building permit for any property, and you can't get certificates of compliance for apartment rentals.

It's strict, but it's fair, and it's the way the Massachusetts state law is written. If Mr. Ransford does not pay his rightful share, he will end up getting hit in the wallet, as over time, fewer and fewer of his apartments will stay on the market.

It's unfortunate that the city has to resort to this tactic, but Mr. Ransford left officials little choice. A brief tour of his apartment buildings would reveal to anyone that many of them are in rough shape. Some have been condemned. Many need paint and structural repairs. To be fair, many of his apartments are quite pleasant, reasonably appointed and attractive, affordable places for young families with low incomes.

But Mr. Ransford should not be crying poor. Given his monthly rental income from the 200 or so apartments he owns, he certainly has the means to pay his taxes -- likely more means than most property owners.

He says he's going to take his case to the city's Blue Ribbon Housing Commission. We doubt he will find a sympathetic ear. However, we hope a compromise can be reached. If Mr. Ransford offers a reasonable payment plan, the city has nothing to lose -- and at least $174,000 to gain -- by accepting it.

True, this landlord has not stuck to such plans in the past. But this time should be different; this time the city has a hammer with considerable clout. In similar fashion to the old story about the farmer and the mule, local officials have used that hammer to get Mr. Ransford's attention. Now may be the time to soften the blow and guide him to do the right thing. If he doesn't follow through this time, he knows the consequences.