April 14, 2006
SUNDAY, APRIL 16:
DELINQUENT TAXPAYERS NAMES TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
Charlotte, NC - Mecklenburg County property owners who haven't paid their 2005 real and personal property tax bills will have their names published in the Charlotte Observer on Sunday, April 16. About 27,000 Mecklenburg County property owners have not yet paid their 2005 real and personal property tax bills. Huntersville and Cornelius delinquencies will be published in the Huntersville Herald.
Each bill is charged a fee for the cost of the newspaper advertisement, in addition to interest owed. Any 2005 tax bill paid after January 5, 2006, is charged 2 percent interest for the month of January and 0.75 percent interest for each month thereafter until the bill is paid.
CALL SYSTEM: Also this month, Mecklenburg County began using an automated call system to contact delinquent taxpayers - in addition to collection letters, the newspaper advertisement, and other methods of collection. The new automated call system will phone taxpayers who owe real estate, personal property or registered motor vehicle taxes. A prerecorded message will ask the taxpayer to contact the City-County 311 call center regarding their unpaid taxes. The system can place 120 calls per hour and will operate between 9 a.m. - 7 p.m each weekday. The system will initially contact taxpayers who owe $5,000 or less so staff can focus on taxpayers who owe more than $5,000.
TAX REFUNDS: Delinquent taxpayers run the risk of having their North Carolina state income tax refund seized to pay off their County property taxes. Mecklenburg County is participating in the N.C. Setoff Debt Program. This program authorizes the Tax Collector to submit the delinquent tax amounts of taxpayers to the State and the State distributes income tax refund money to the County to satisfy the tax debt.
There are several ways to pay your tax bill:
• By Internet: Log on to
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.