Treasurer optimistic escrow options will help taxpayers - Other Community News - Ohioans for Responsible Rural Development

Pickerington Times-Sun
Published January 31, 2012

By Janet Thiede

When many Pickerington and other Fairfield County residents checked their mailboxes this past week, there was a letter inside from the Fairfield County Auditor's office indicating their property taxes are coming due Feb. 23, 2012.

Some property owners did not receive their tax bill because their taxes are already paid as part of their monthly mortgage, but other property owners might be feeling the sticker shock of having to pay half of their semi-annual taxes in less than 30 days if they want to avoid paying a penalty.

To help residential and commercial property owners absorb some of the shock in the future, the Fairfield County Treasurer enclosed a yellow card stuffed in the tax bill informing residents they can now sign up to pay their property taxes in five monthly installments instead of twice a year or all at once.

Fairfield County Treasurer Brian Kuhn implemented the new budget program, which is already used by neighboring counties, to help property owners even out the amount coming out of their checkbooks to pay for taxes during difficult economic times.

He said he also wanted to see if the new program in Fairfield County might cut down on property tax delinquencies, which average about 6 percent each year.

"I'd rather have a little bit of extra work in our office so that people can make their real estate tax obligations over time and forego delinquency," Kuhn said.

According to the auditor's site, there are more than 65,000 residential and commercial parcels of property in the county.

Read the full story on the Pickerington Times-Sun website.