ELKHART -- Noon today is the deadline for property owners to pay delinquent taxes or risk losing their property during an auction on Monday.
In October, Elkhart County gave legal public notice that more than 3,200 homeowners and businesses had failed to pay their 2007 property taxes or special assessments. The properties were to be auctioned off at a real estate property tax sale scheduled for Monday. The list, published in The Elkhart Truth, was almost triple the usual number of homes, businesses and churches up for bid at the annual auction, with unpaid tax bills ranging from just over $100 to thousands of dollars.
However, in recent weeks, that number has dramatically decreased. More than half the delinquent taxes or special assessments on the properties on the list have been paid, said Elkhart County Treasurer Larry Ernest.
"My guess is we'll be down to about 1,400 by the end of the day," said Ernest on Tuesday. "I know people are really struggling to get this paid and out of the sale."
He reminded residents that, because of the Thanksgiving holiday, county offices will be closed Thursday and Friday. The bills need to be paid by noon today.
If property owners did not pay all the taxes due from 2007, to have been paid in 2008, or did not pay prior taxes, their property was eligible for the real estate property tax sale. Ernest said his office notified property owners that they were delinquent in their taxes, first through certified letter and then by first-class mail.
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How does the auction work?
If a property owner fails to pay delinquent taxes, the county government can auction a "Tax Certificate" on the property, which represents the taxes owed. Property owners have another 12 months to pay the holder of the certificate (and possibly some additional expenses) to retain the property. In that way, the county is able to receive the property taxes it needs to pay for necessary county government and services, such as roads, law enforcement, schools and the courts system.
Registration for the auction starts at 8 a.m. Monday in Room 103, 117 N. Second St. Bidding starts at 9 a.m. For more information about the list and the property sale, go to http://www.etruth.com/Know/Print.aspx?ID=496480, where a searchable list is available.
If the properties do not sell or the taxes not paid, they may be listed in next year's auction.