Jet owned by ex-airport developer Scot Spencer's company to be auctioned

In an effort to recoup $8.9 million in unpaid property taxes from a former San Bernardino International Airport developer now accused of defrauding taxpayers, the county Tax Collector's Office is auctioning off a Boeing 727 jet belonging to one of his companies. In an effort to recoup $8.9 million in unpaid property taxes from a former San Bernardino International Airport developer now accused of defrauding taxpayers, the county Tax Collector's Office is auctioning off a Boeing 727 jet belonging to one of his companies. Since 2009, Scot Spencer has racked up a total of $8.9 million in unpaid property taxes, penalties, collection fees and interest on four of his businesses, SBD Aircraft Services Inc., SBD Services LLC, SBD Properties Inc. and Norton Aircraft Maintenance Services, according to the Tax Collector's Office. The auctioning off of the Boeing 727 is one of the rare occasions in which an asset other than real estate is being auctioned off to pay unsecured property taxes, said County Tax Collector Larry Walker. "I can't tell you when the last time this was done in the county," Walker said, adding that the auction could pave the way for similar auctions in the future. "We're going to continue to examine all the unsecured property taxes in the county and we're going to try and decide if there are other taxpayers who have assets that we can seize and sell to collect those unsecured property taxes. " The appraised value of the unpainted jet that formerly belonged to American Airlines Advertisement is $598,125. While the opening bid amount has not yet been set, it is estimated to be around $54,382.92, Assistant Tax Collector Matt Brown said. Spencer's SBD Aircraft Services is listed as the owner of the jet. The unpaid property tax bill the company owes the county is $51,105.80. Proceeds from the sale of the jet can only be used to pay off the tax debt for SBD Aircraft Services, Walker said. "So far this is the only asset that we found that merits sale due to its value in relationship to the tax obligation, so we're starting here," Walker said. "And we're going to go through all the legal procedures to sell this property. " A firm date has yet to be set for the auction, but Walker said it will likely be in late May. In 2006, the San Bernardino International Airport Authority hired Spencer, a convicted felon who served more than four years in federal prison for bankruptcy fraud and who was subsequently banned from the aviation industry by the Federal Aviation Administration, to redevelop the airport. Two of Spencer's companies, Norton Development Co. LLC and SBD Properties LLC., were awarded contracts worth $43 million to renovate the airport's terminal and build a fixed-base operator hangar and office building, The project cost soared to roughly $125 million, receiving criticism from the county Grand Jury in 2011. Spencer, 48, and his business associate, Felice Luciano, 69, of Tempe, Ariz., now stand accused of conspiring to defraud airport officials and taxpayers out of $1.2 million in what prosecutors say was a fraudulent claim Spencer filed against the Airport Authority in 2008. Spencer and Luciano face felony charges of criminal conspiracy. Spencer faces additional charges of perjury and preparing false documentary evidence. The pair next appear in San Bernardino Superior Court on May 29 for a pretrial hearing. Read more: http://findapropertytaxlawyer.com/