New Haven Independent

The two friends bumped into each other on Church Street pursuing the same idea on a day off — paying their city taxes. Click on the play arrow to watch what happened.

Smith-Bogan and Stewart were among a stream of citizens who showed up Friday morning, a federal holiday, to find the big wooden front doors locked shut.

The city has made an effort to open those doors more this year so that, amid an aggressive policy of chasing deadbeats, citizens who want to pay get the chance. Read about that here.

Annual tax bills came due July 1. Even when doors are shut, citizens have the option to pay by mail or credit card. A grace period, with no late fees, extends until Aug. 3. After that, those who don’t pay risk having their cars “booted” or towed, with penalties piling up fast.

Smith-Bogan said she’s going to come back when City Hall’s open, instead. She wants that receipt. (Given stories like this and this, that’s understandable.) As she told Stewart, if he’s not careful, he might see his car “driving itself” around New Haven.