County property tax bills are in the mail, representing $77 million if the county sees 100 percent collection. Bills are due May 12 and Nov. 10 for 2013 property taxes payable in 2014, Kosciusko County Treasurer Sue Ann Mitchell said in a release. She also observed that this is the earliest her office has had them out. She broke them down by category for county council during their meeting this month, including $64 million in real property, $11.8 in personal property and $322,000 for mobile homes. But she noted delinquencies typically take a 30 percent chunk out of mobile homes, 18 percent from real property and somewhere in between for personal property. One bill is sent a year for both spring and fall installments, and taxpayers are asked to keep the fall portion of their bill for the November payment. There are several ways payments can be made, and she said partial payments are accepted at any time. Bills may be paid in the treasurer’s office in the county courthouse, dropped in the collection box at the courthouse west side entrance, or paid by mail to Kosciusko County Treasurer, PO Box 1764, Warsaw, 46581. Spring payments must be postmarked by May 12; late payments are subject to a 5 or 10 percent penalty. “If mailing on May 12 it is important to have the post office hand-cancel the envelope with the postmark date to avoid late penalties,” Mitchell said in the release. “The drop box at the west entrance to the courthouse can be a great alternative to mailing the tax bill, especially on the final payment day.” Bills can be paid by credit or debit over the phone by calling 800-809-5849 or online at www.kosciuskotax.net There is a 3.95 percent fee for payments made by card over the phone and 2.95 percent in the office and online, retained by the card vendor. Payments can also be made at several area banks, though policies differ on when they can be made. Real estate that is three payments behind as of July 1 will be certified for tax sale in fall, she cautioned. Personal property that is delinquent from 2013 will be certified to the clerk of the court and turned over to a collection agency after the May 12 due date. Mobile homes with property tax delinquent from 2013 may be offered for sale if the property tax for 2013 and all prior years are not paid current by May 12. “We’re getting ready to get the big stick out” in collecting overdue mobile home bills, she remarked to council. Along with the bill, taxpayers will receive a TS1 form with information on the property’s assessed value, ditches, exemptions and deductions, as well as a comparison to the prior year’s property tax obligation. “It is a great source of information that can be used to evaluate and compare property tax status from year to year. The form will allow you to verify that you have the appropriate exemptions/deductions,” she said. Taxpayers are entitled to one Homestead Credit in Indiana as evidenced by location of voting, income tax filing and vehicle registration. Homestead credit forms do not need to be refiled annually. If taxpayers are currently receiving a Homestead Credit on their property but should not be, she said they must contact the auditor’s office to avoid penalties. Taxpayers who need to file for the Homestead Credit or any other exemption can contact the office at 100 W. Center St., RM 220, Warsaw, IN 46580 or 574-372-2316. Tax information is available at www.kcgov.com by selecting “Beacon Online Mapping” in the left margin. Taxpayers may view real property, personal property and mobile home property tax information, real property record cards and maps, and other information related to the property. “Personal Property” must be selected from the drop-down box in the upper right corner to view mobile homes and personal property information. “Parcels” must be selected from the drop-down box in the upper right corner to view real property information. Taxpayers with questions on their tax bills may contact the treasurer’s office at 574-372-2370.
