Monday, February 15, 2010

FEBRUARY 19: DEADLINE TO PAY COUNTY TAXES BEFORE PUBLICATION IN THE NEWSPAPER

About 54,000 Mecklenburg County property owners who have not yet paid
their 2009 real and personal property tax bills will soon have their
names and the amount they owe published, as required by state law, in
The Charlotte Observer if payment is not received by Friday, Feb. 19,
2010.

Each tax bill published will be charged an additional fee for the cost
of the advertisement. That fee is in addition to interest charged for
late payment. Taxpayers are urged to pay their delinquent taxes as
soon as possible.

Delinquent taxpayers run the risk of having their North Carolina state
income tax refund seized to pay off their County property taxes.
Mecklenburg County participates in the N.C. Debt Setoff Program, which
authorizes the Tax Collector to submit the delinquent tax amounts of
taxpayers to the State. The State distributes income tax refund money
to the County to satisfy the tax debt. The Tax Collector is also
empowered to garnish funds, levy (seize and sell) personal property,
and foreclose on real property to satisfy unpaid taxes. These actions
are taken after the delinquent date and are not contingent on the
advertisement of delinquent taxes.

There are several ways to pay your tax bill:

Online: Visit http://paytax.charmeck.org and use your credit card,
debit card or eCheck.*
By phone: Call 1-877-533-0072 and use your credit/debit card.*
By mail: Mail your check using the return envelope in your tax bill.*
In person: Pay in person between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.:
● Robert L. "Bob" Walton Plaza, 700 East Stonewall Street.
● West Service Center, 4150 Wilkinson Blvd.

* Make checks payable to the Mecklenburg County Tax Collector. A
convenience fee is assessed when using the credit/debit/eCheck option.
Credit/debit/eCheck payments are not accepted when paying in person.

Taxpayers with questions about their bill, property listings or real
estate valuations can call CharMeck 311. Taxpayers calling from
outside Mecklenburg County should dial 704-336-4600. More information
is also available at http://tax.charmeck.org.