Tax Liens, Water Bills and a Halted Auction: A Harlem Church Building Narrowly Avoids Foreclosure

• Atlah Worldwide Church in Harlem faced more than $1 million in unpaid bills and fines
• Nine federal tax liens totalling more than $355,000 dated back to 2002
• An LGBT youth shelter charity raised $315,000 hoping to buy the building
• A temporary restraining order stopped a February 2016 auction

A Harlem church known for its anti-gay messages came close to losing its building to creditors in early 2016, Nonprofit Quarterly reported.

Atlah Worldwide Church, led by the Rev James Manning, owned a Harlem building that also contained apartments. It had run up more than $1 million in unpaid bills and fines, including nine federal tax liens worth more than $355,000 dating back to 2002, more than $28,000 owed to New York State and more than $30,000 owed to other creditors. A foreclosure auction was scheduled for February 24, 2016.

The Ali Forney Center, a shelter for homeless LGBT young people, raised $315,000 through a #HarlemNoHate campaign in the hope of buying the property. A temporary restraining order then halted the auction, with a hearing set for April 21, 2016.

Manning disputed the debts. “I assure you, it’s about a water bill and a tax that can’t be levied against this church. I think it’s a land grab,” he said. Carl Siciliano of the Ali Forney Center said: “While we urgently desire to see Atlah church cease their messages of hatred…we welcomed the delay.”

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the church’s message, the property story is about arrears. Utility bills, fines and liens can build up for years on a church building, and once they are large enough a creditor can force a sale regardless of the congregation’s history on the site. Buildings with rental apartments also bring landlord obligations that churches may not be equipped to manage.

Jamaican churches that own buildings, especially those with rented rooms or shops, should treat water, electricity and property tax bills as priority debts. A small arrears allowed to grow for years can become a legal claim against the property itself. Keeping accounts current, and understanding which exemptions really apply, protects the building for the next generation.

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