Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When is the next due date?
A. The next due date is Tuesday November 10th, 2009.
The first installment was due Friday July 17th, 2009.
Q. When will I receive a statement for my property taxes?
A.
2009 Tax Statements were mailed June 25th, 2009.
Both the Spring and Fall installments were mailed on June 25th, 2009. You will not receive a separate bill for the fall installment.
Q. How long will I have once the bills are mailed before they are due?
A. Indiana Code requires the county treasurer to mail the tax statement at least fifteen (15) days
before the due date of the first installment. We make every effort to mail the tax statements at
least thirty (30) days before the due date but due to circumstances that are out of our control that
may not always be possible.
Q. May I make a payment toward my taxes even though a due date has not been determined?
A. YES, any amount, at any time. Payments will be reflected on the bill, once the bill is calculated.
Q. May I make partial payments towards my property tax bill?
A. YES. Please keep in mind that acceptance of partial payments does not change the due dates.
The spring and fall tax bill amounts must be paid in full by the due dates. Otherwise, penalties
will be assessed on any unpaid amount.
Q. I never received my tax bill, what do I do?
A. You can come into the office for a reprint bill or you can call our office at 260-925-2712
and request a tax bill. We will verify your mailing address and mail a new bill out. You may also
e-mail us at treasuer@co.dekalb.in.us and request a tax bill via e-mail
Q. If I pay my taxes after the due date, what happens?
A. A penalty will be added to the unpaid portion of the amount due. The penalty will be in
the amount of 5% of the unpaid tax IF the installment is completely paid on or before thirty (30) days
after the due date AND you are not liable for delinquent property taxes first due and payable
in a previous installment for the same parcel. Otherwise, the amount of penalty will be in the
amount of 10% of the unpaid tax.
Q. Why didn’t I get a notice that my taxes were delinquent?
A. We send out one billing each year. The bill has two remittance coupons; each coupon lists the due date.
Q. My taxes are escrowed. Why did I get a tax statement?
A. Beginning in 2008, Indiana Code requires an informational tax statement to be mailed to all
persons liable for any property taxes or special assessments, as shown on the tax duplicate
or special assessment records. This includes persons maintaining an escrow account.
Q. Why did my tax bill get mailed to someone other than my mortgage company?
A. Many mortgage companies use a third party clearinghouse to request your property tax bill
and process your property tax payment from your escrow. Please contact your mortgage company for
additional information.
Q. How do I know if my mortgage company is going to pay my taxes?
A. The only sure way to know is to contact your mortgage company. Keep in mind there will be a
lag between the time the money is deducted from your escrow and the time it is finally sent to
the Treasurer for payment.
Q. I purchased a parcel that was split from another parcel, who do I contact for tax information?
A. Property taxes are as of March 1st of the previous year. If you bought a property that was
split off from another property after March 1st of the previous year you need to contact the Assessor’s
office to have a split sheet done before you pay the taxes.
Q. Can I change the name on my tax bill?
A. For real estate parcels you can add in-care-of (C/O) for mailing purposes only. The name on a
real estate tax bill is the name of the deed holder. You need to contact the DeKalb County Auditor’s
Office (260-925-2362) to learn about the legal steps you must follow to change the deed.
For changes of name on personal property or businesses you will need to call the
DeKalb County Assessor’s Office (260-925-1824).
Q. How do I change my mailing address?
A. To change your mailing address, you must submit a “Change of Address” form. In order to change
the mailing address for your property, please print and complete the Change of Address form.
Only mailing addresses can be changed by using this form. Any changes to the property address must
be handled through the County Plan Commission or City Plan Commission depending on where you live.
After completing the form, fax it to the Treasurer’s Office at (260) 925-0060, bring it into the
Treasurer’s office or mail it to:
DeKalb County Treasurer
100 S Main St
Auburn IN 46706
Q. Why is there a penalty on this year’s statement? I know I paid on time last year.
A. Pursuant to IC 6-1.1-37.10, payment is considered on time when postmarked by the U.S.
Post Office on or before the installment due date. “Postmarked” does not mean the date printed
by a postage meter that affixes postage to the envelope or package containing a payment.
All envelopes that are received late are saved by the office for 1 year.
Q. How long can my taxes be delinquent before my property becomes eligible for tax sale?
A. Any delinquent taxes or special assessments from last year’s spring installment that remain
unpaid, plus penalties that have accrued on that delinquency will cause your property to become
eligible for the tax sale.
Q. Are Tax Sales the same as Sheriff’s Sales?
A. ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Tax Sales are a result of delinquent property taxes. They occur only once a year and are
conducted by the County Treasurer. Sheriff’s Sales are the result of mortgage foreclosure.
They occur numerous times throughout the year and are conducted by the County Sheriff.
Q. Is there any way I can reduce my taxes?
A. There are a number of credits and exemptions available to qualifying taxpayers.
The County Auditor can provide you with information and assist you in determining whether
or not you qualify. You can call the Auditor’s Office at 260-925-2362. Another way to reduce
your taxes is to ensure that the assessed value of your property is correct. The County Assessor
can provide you with information about the assessment and appeal procedures.
You can call the Assessor’s Office at 260-925-1824.
Q. What are Other Assessments?
A. These are additional charges added to your property tax bill. Generally they are ditch and
drainage assessments but could also be delinquent sewer or mowing charges. Other Assessment
Charges are broken down on Table 4 of your comparison statement.
Q. Why did I receive a drainage assessment for my property, I’ve never had one before?
A. Drainage assessments in the State of Indiana are imposed by the County Drainage Board
pursuant to IC 36-9-27-86. These assessments are user charges for the maintenance and/or reconstruction
of regulated drains which directly or indirectly serve a parcel of real estate. A drain can go many
years without needing repairs and so no assessments may be assigned. When repairs are made or are needed,
assessments are assigned so those properties that use the drains are the ones who pay for their
maintenance. For more information about drains, please contact the County Surveyor’s Office at 260-925-2222.
Q. Do tax exempt properties have to pay a drainage bill?
A. YES. Often owners of tax exempt real estate ignore bills which are received as a result of
drainage assessments. Drainage assessments must be paid by all landowners even if the owner is exempt
from real property taxes. While the drainage assessments are listed on the same form as tax bills, they
are not “taxes” as the term is normally understood. They are user charges for the maintenance and/or
reconstruction of regulated drains which directly or indirectly serve a parcel of real estate.
Pursuant to IC 36-9-27-86, drainage fees are collected semi-annually in the same manner as real
property taxes. For more information about drains, please contact the County Surveyor’s Office at 260-925-2222.
Q. I received a tax bill for a mobile home I no longer own. Do I have to pay the bill?
A. If you owned the mobile home on January 15th of the current year, you are responsible for the
taxes that are due. Your tax bill may be for prior years’ taxes that were unpaid. Failure to pay the
taxes will result in a demand notice being issued. Failure to pay the taxes after the demand notice
is issued will result in the taxes being certified to the Clerk of the Courts. If you have questions
concerning the assessment, you should contact the DeKalb County Assessor’s Office at 260-925-1824.
Q. I received a personal property tax bill for property I no longer own. Do I have to pay the bill?
A. If you were the owner of the property the prior year and filed the personal property return
or the assessor made an assessment in your name because you failed to file the personal property
assessment, you are responsible for the taxes. Your tax bill may be for prior years’ taxes that were unpaid.
Failure to pay the taxes will result in a demand notice being issued. Failure to pay the taxes after
the demand notice is issued will result in the taxes being certified to the Clerk of the Courts.
If you have questions concerning the assessment, you should contact the DeKalb County
Assessor’s Office at 260-925-1824.
Q. What do I have to do to get a mobile home title transfer permit or moving permit?
A. Pursuant to IC 6-1.1-7-10, anyone who wants to transfer title (ownership) of a mobile home or to
move a mobile home from one location to another must obtain a mobile home tax clearance permit.
This permit is issued by the County Treasurer’s Office of the county where the mobile home is
located. You must have this permit before going to the Bureau of Motor Vehicle to transfer title.
There is no charge for this mobile home permit. All taxes for the current year and all delinquent
taxes from prior years, if any, must be paid in full before this permit will be issued.
The applicant must bring a copy of the title to the County Treasurer’s Office when applying for a permit.
Information required for the permit includes: name of the current owner, current location of the
mobile home, make, year, size and serial number of the mobile home. If transferring ownership, the name
and address of purchaser. If moving mobile home, the address of the new location.
The owner of the mobile home who sells the mobile home to another shall provide the purchaser with
the permit required before the sale is completed. (IC 6-1.1-7-10.4) A person who violates this commits
a Class C Infraction. (IC 6-1.1-7-14)
Q. What happens if my check bounces?
A. Once the county is notified by our bank of an NSF check, we will attempt to contact the taxpayer.
A twenty-five dollar ($25) NSF fee will be charged to the taxpayer. If the taxpayer redeems the
check within a specified time, the only penalty will be the NSF fee. Failure to redeem the check
will result in penalty being added and collection proceedings via the DeKalb County Prosecutor.
|
