back property taxes

[Todd W]

Hello,
Looking for the best way to approach a "back property taxes" issue with a property. Has anyone had any luck talking to property tax departments and trying to negotiate it down? Giving them the "instead of letting it sit vacant for years and accumulate public complaints because of the vacancy, and accumulate taxes, which won't get paid, and having to go through an auction, I'm interested in buying the property, rehabbing it and getting it back on the tax rolls, but the numbers don't work if we can't negotiate these back tax numbers down, let's talk" type of conversation? If so I'm open to any success tips you may have, or if there is another way to make it happen. The numbers are close with the back tax numbers, but why pay the full amount, we're doing them a favor, we'll fix it up now and get it on the tax rolls now, vice them having to wait a few more years and let things deteriorate more in the mean time, public complaints pile up, and end up with no more cash to show for it.