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Final notices sent to delinquent taxpayers
By Anthony Tosie, atosie@starlocalnews.com
Final warning letters were sent on Wednesday, July 25, to 795 Collin County property owners who have a combined total of $1,041,858 in delinquent property taxes. Of those property owners, 311 were from Frisco.
The letters were sent by the Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson law firm on behalf of nine Collin County governments -- the cities of Fairview, Frisco, Lucas, Prosper, Richardson, Sachse and Wylie as well as Lovejoy ISD and the Seis Lagos Utility District.
Edward Lopez, a senior partner at Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, said the amount of delinquent tax payers for Collin County is actually rather miniscule.
Property owners had from Oct. 1, 2011, to Jan. 31, 2012, to pay their property taxes without delinquency. On Feb. 1, 2012, unpaid taxes became delinquent and had a 6 percent penalty added, as well as a 1 percent interest penalty. An additional 1 percent interest penalty was added for each subsequent month property taxes were not paid. After July 1, an additional collection fee was added to pay attorneys responsible for handling unpaid property tax cases.
Lopez said that property owners who received letters have until Saturday, Aug. 4, to contact the law firm and discuss payment options. Property owners who fail to pay their outstanding taxes could be subject to a lawsuit or seizure, although Lopez hopes to avoid that route.
"If we don't hear back by Saturday, we'll look at the option of filing lawsuits, but that's something we want to avoid," he said. "Some people may only owe $285, for instance. So those people would be better candidates for additional letters or phone calls. Call and let us know what your situation is, we'll try to work it out -- we could be able to extend you additional days [to pay your balance] or see if there's a payment plan that could be an option."
Property tax owners who are 65 years of age or older or are classified as disabled by the Social Security Administration and owe outstanding taxes can secure themselves against a lawsuit and protect their property by filing a deferral affidavit.
The deferral affidavit must be obtained and filed at the appropriate appraisal district office of the individuals who meet these criteria. Even with an approved deferral, the outstanding taxes owed will still continue to accrue and must be paid before property is sold or transferred.
"What the deferral affidavit says 'I'd like to have the option to defer my payments to a later date,'" Lopez said. "That could be in, for instance, two years, because maybe you don't have the resources at the moment. When you file the affidavit with Collin County that interest rate stays flat at 8 percent. It won't result in any lawsuits or additional calls. This will minimize exposure to penalties and interest."
In a statement, Ken Maun, Collin County tax assessor and collector, encouraged those with outstanding taxes to pay their balance immediately.
"The payment of taxes is necessary," Maun said. "Serious collection actions are being undertaken to ensure that all citizens pay their fair share of taxes. My office will continue to work hard to ensure that citizens pay their delinquent taxes, which provide for vital public services, such as police, fire and schools."
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