'Tis the season to pay property taxes
Dec. 7—It's the hap-happiest season of all, when sleigh bells jingle, families mingle, and kids are waiting for a visit from ol' Kris Kringle.
Meanwhile, friends at the Cleveland County Treasurer's Office are opening up envelopes of their own, which contain checks from property taxes, which are due at the drop of the New Year's ball.
Jim Reynolds, Cleveland County treasurer, is recommending that people who have not paid their property taxes should hop on it as soon as they can so they do not become delinquent.
Those who pay a mortgage do not need to worry about paying property taxes, as they are taken from each month's bill and placed into an escrow account, which is paid by the mortgage company at the end of the year.
A handful of people will write a check to pay their property taxes, and that money takes a few months to return.
"Never once has a mortgage company not paid, and if they didn't, they would still be obligated to pay it," Reynolds said.
In Cleveland County, about 30% of homeowners — or about 40,000 people — have paid off their homes but need to remember to pay their taxes.
"The biggest priority is to make sure that they make sure the check is right. People don't write checks much anymore. They get a little careless, and they'll have different numbers that don't match up," Reynolds said.
Homeowners should have received a notice last month indicating the amount that is due, along with a pre-addressed envelope.
Every year, some people wait until after Christmas to send in a check, and if it is incorrect, payment will be returned, and the homeowner will be deficient on his or her taxes.
"If they send it in early enough, we can catch it and send it back to them to give them enough time to respond," Reynolds said.
He also said that homeowners need to show some patience. This time of year with Christmas cards and packages being sent out, mail tends to run a day or two later than usual.
After envelopes are received, they are sorted, and it takes four to five days to go through the system, and then it takes another few days to be processed by the bank.
"We do all of our own mail. As long as the post office sends it to us, we can't lose it," he said.
It isn't uncommon for a handful of people to call the treasury a few days after they mailed in a check, wondering why it hadn't yet been processed. The best way for homeowners to keep their peace of mind is to get their checks in early.
The treasurer's office will also be closed on Dec. 26-27 for the Christmas break.
Those wanting to drop it off in person can come inside the building or drop off their envelopes on the north side of the building, which has a designated parking spot.
People who mail in their envelopes or do not come in the building will not receive a receipt unless they provide a pre-addressed and pre-stamped envelope.
Foot traffic has slowed down since the pandemic. Although it has increased in the last year, it is still down 25% since pre-COVID conditions.
"After COVID, a lot of people recognized you can do it through the mail," Reynolds said.
Those who cannot pay their bill in full can pay half of it before the new year without a penalty and will have until March 31 to pay the other half.
"If they owe $1,001 and they write us a check for $500, we can't accept it. It has to be at least half, otherwise we have to send it back," the treasurer said.
By mid-February, those who partially pay their taxes will receive a notice reminding them to pay off the balance. Those who do not pay their taxes will start to accrue interest by Jan. 15, which is 1.5% per month, or 18% per year.
His best advice is that residents pay their bills so that next year all their troubles will be out of sight.
