Paying Annual Property Tax

[Noah930]

When do you pay your property tax?

In California, property tax (for land/homes) is due twice per year. You can pay it all at once in November, or half in November and the other half in February. Technically, the due dates are Nov 1 and Feb 1.

However, there's fine print that says while the due dates are Nov 1 and Feb 1, you are not considered delinquent until Dec 10 or April 11. So as long as your check is post-marked by Dec 10 or April 11, no fine. BTW, the fine is considerable at 10%.

So am I a sucker for paying on Nov 1/Feb 1? Does everyone drag it out as long as the law allows and wait until the 2nd week of December or April to pay?

[pete3799]

August 31st..... lump sum.... no grace period.
Of course prop. taxes here pale in comparison to what you city folk pay.

[Evans, Marv]

If you pay, you pay. What difference does it make if you pay Nov. 1st or a day or two before Dec. 10th for instance. It boils down to your preference. I send them a check a couple of days before the late dates. If there isn't a penalty until after that, those dates are the dates due as far as I'm concerned. You would think if they wanted it Nov. 1st & Feb. 1st, they would be due then with maybe a 10 day grace period - or not. Actually sort of weird if you ask me.

[Gogar]

Colorado is Feb and (???? May?) it's been a while.

I pay into my mortgage escrow, and they pay for me.

I call once/twice a year to make sure they have paid, and they milk it to the last second, even though I'm paid up months earlier.

Since I realized the mortgage lender 'may or may not' pay the prop tax, I have tried to alter my agreement to put prop. tax back into my responsibility, but they haven't let me (so far.)

[Mike C]

Twice a year on 3 houses & once a year on the other 2.

[fastfredracing]

It does not matter. I have paid on time every time for the last 15 years. I just sold a house, and was surprised to find out that there was over $2500.00 due for back taxes. The burden of proof was on me ... So after 20 phone calls, and digging through, and providing all of my records to them, I got the "Oh , sorry Mr Grosshaupt, our mistake". Fuch em, from now on, I will pay when I am good and ready.
They were also going to try to spank me for penalties and interest. I told them that I thought it was funny, that if I had owed them this money for over 3 years, that I never got one letter, one phone call etc. The tax collection service had no records on me either.

[UconnTim97]

I pay into a mortgage escrow account and they take care of it for me. I think it is due sometime in January???

[id10t]

Don't even notice it - part of my monthly mortgage into an escrow account...

[targa911S]

They give me a grace period but the amount is more the later I pay it. Depending on my finances at that moment I try to pay on the earliest date. Usually I pay it on the first and cheapest due date.

[DARISC]

I pay both halves on-line the day I get them in the mail; done.

Why the "You poor California suckers" choice? At .61% of home value, it's the lowest of the three west coast states. I'd have put "You poor New Jersey suckers" (1.74% of home value) - or a few other states that are even higher. In Depth: Who Pays America's Highest Property Taxes? - 1. Passaic County, N.J. - Forbes.com

Who Pays America's Highest Property Taxes? - Forbes.com

Property tax levels by state; buying and owning a home - MSN Money

[Buckterrier]

Originally Posted by UconnTim97

I pay into a mortgage escrow account and they take care of it for me. I think it is due sometime in January???

+1, same as homeowners insurance

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Noah930

When do you pay your property tax?

In California, property tax (for land/homes) is due twice per year. You can pay it all at once in November, or half in November and the other half in February. Technically, the due dates are Nov 1 and Feb 1.

However, there's fine print that says while the due dates are Nov 1 and Feb 1, you are not considered delinquent until Dec 10 or April 11. So as long as your check is post-marked by Dec 10 or April 11, no fine. BTW, the fine is considerable at 10%.

So am I a sucker for paying on Nov 1/Feb 1? Does everyone drag it out as long as the law allows and wait until the 2nd week of December or April to pay?

Same here in my county. I send the checks ON the due date. The fine is too steep to push it close to the limit and risk being busy, sick, or in Vegas with an armload of hookers on the last day.

[Joe Ricard]

Mine is only 1800 bucks so it's not a big problem

2700 Sq. Ft. on a 1/2 acre in town.

[A930Rocket]

Same way we've always done it.

Quote de UconnTim97

I pay into a mortgage escrow account and they take care of it for me. I think it is due sometime in January???

+1, same as homeowners insurance

[GH85Carrera]

We just pay the one lump sum and get it over with.

I pay the insurance with a monthly automatic draft from my checking account. The insurance company does not charge anything extra to do it monthly so why not. The insurance is for the three cars & the house and it almost the exact same price as the taxes.

[flatbutt]

$1500 every 3 months due on the first of Feb,May,August,Nov with a 10 day grace period.

[MBAtarga]

Originally Posted by UconnTim97

I pay into a mortgage escrow account and they take care of it for me. I think it is due sometime in January???

+1, but I think in GA it's September

[flatbutt]

do you guys get any interest on escrow funds?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

The mortgage escrow companies wait until the last possible day. Actually the last possible hour in a lot of cases. It's for a reason.

I see absolutely no reason to ever give the government a dime more than you have to, or money a minute before you have to.

If we lived in a society that was true to the "small government" principles of our Founding Fathers, I'd probably be less militant about this but given how out-of-control taxation is, spending is and how the government constantly insists on sending the message that it's THEIR money (not YOUR money), I cannot see making it easy for them... ever... under any circumstances.

They set the tone for this... I'm merely reciprocating it.

FWIW if you have greater than an 80% LTV you cannot waive escrow (I've checked). I suspect most people are in this situation these days. The first milestone I will have (and anyone should have) with respect to their mortgage is hitting this 80% threshold, which means you can dump the escrow and PMI (huge savings for you). With a 5% down conventional mortgage assuming you're buying reasonably and not over your head, you should be able to hit this level in about 4-5 years (I ran a quick scenario through a mortgage calculator and if you never overpay you hit it in 8.66 years at month #104), but you'd be nuts to never overpay... In my humble opinion of course...

[Rick Lee]

Why would you ever give the gov't. any money a day before it's due? My taxes are about $1500 a year and my mortgage co. pays them, probably on the last possible day. When I've paid them myself, I made sure the envelope was postmarked on the very last day I could without incurring a penalty. I give them enough money involuntarily. Not going to give them anything that can be earning interest for me.