Property tax now due

Voice Staff Report

(The Voice needs to clarify and correct a recent article concerning the collection of property taxes.) 

McCreary Sheriff Randy Waters urges citizens who have not paid their property taxes to come into the Sheriff’s Office and pay their tax bills before the close of business on April 15, 2022. After April 15th the unpaid tax bills are transferred to the County Clerk’s office where they are known as certificates of delinquency and a lien is recorded against the property represented by the delinquency. Property tax bills paid at the Sheriff’s Office before April 15th will be assessed a penalty of 21% of the tax due.

After April 15, 2022 delinquent taxpayers can go to the County Attorney’s Office and set-up a payment plan. Each additional month the property tax bill is delinquent additional interest/penalties are added to the bill. The County Attorney is responsible for sending out 30 day notices to the delinquent taxpayers and if necessary another notice within 60 days.

After the County Clerk receives the delinquent tax bills from the Sheriff’s Office, there is a period of at least 90 days before the County Clerk will set the date and conduct the tax sale, usually between the dates of July 14 through August 28. The County Clerk will process all payments made by delinquent taxpayer prior to the tax sale. 

If the certificate of delinquency is not paid prior to the date of the tax sale, the delinquent tax bill is likely to be purchased by a third party and the lien on your property is assigned to the third party purchaser.