WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC-38,000 Mecklenburg County residents haven't paid their taxes

38,000 Mecklenburg County residents haven't paid their taxes

(The following information is from the office of the Mecklenburg County Tax Collector.)

CHARLOTTE, NC - More than 38,000 Mecklenburg County property owners who have not paid their 2008 real or personal property tax bills will have their names and the amount they owe published in The Charlotte Observer if payment is not received by Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

The list of delinquent taxpayers whose payment is not received by March 31 will be published in the Observer in April. 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. Any 2008 real estate and personal property tax bill paid after January 5, 2009, is charged 2 percent interest for the month of January and 0.75 percent interest for each month thereafter until the bill is paid.

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. This program 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 E. Stonewall St.
  - 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 bills, 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.