The Madison County Treasurer’s Office has released a list of people and businesses delinquent in paying their property taxes due in 2013.
The list is accessible through the following link and on the main page of the Madison County Treasurer’s website (madcotreasurer.org), by clicking on “Delinquent Taxes.” The list is updated daily and is searchable.
The fourth installment of property taxes was due Dec. 10, 2013. The Treasurer’s Office sent certified letters to delinquent taxpayers in mid-January, Madison County Treasurer Kurt Prenzler said.
Taxpayers who have their payment stub may pay at participating collector banks through Jan. 31. Between Feb. 1 and Feb. 11, taxpayers must pay in the Treasurer’s office with money order, certified bank check or cash. The final due date is Feb. 11.
Taxes not paid in full will be part of the annual tax sale on Feb. 13. Taxes are sold to the tax buyer who bids the lowest penalty interest rate. The bidding starts at 18 percent, the maximum rate allowed by law.
When taxes are sold on the property, the owner does not automatically lose that property. However, if the taxes are not redeemed within two and one-half to three years from the date of the sale, the real estate owner can lose the property, Prenzler said.
Anyone interested in participating in the tax sale as a tax buyer must register no later than Jan. 29 with the Treasurer’s office. For more information, visit the Madison County Treasurer’s website or call 618-692-6260.
Property owners can verify their payment status by calling the office at 618-692-6260. “We would also encourage anyone to check on an elderly family member or friend to make sure their taxes are paid,” Prenzler said in a statement.
The three tax sales that Prenzler has managed have all resulted in average penalty interest rates of less than 4 percent. The average was 18 percent during the 2007 and 2008 tax sales. Former Madison County Treasurer Fred Bathon presided over those tax sales. He has since pleaded guilty to federal bid-rigging charges in relation to Madison County tax sales.
“About $4.5 million of extra penalty interest was paid in exchange for $150,000 of political contributions,” Prenzler said.
