Hear why this officer sees her role as more than just a job and why she is so personal.
This interview also appeared in the print edition of the Marietta Times on January 30, 2021.
At a glance:
2020 Real estate and mobile home taxes are due in Washington County on March 12th.
¯ Tax invoices are sent out on Monday.
¯ The Washington County Treasury office hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.
¯ The office accepts payments in person, in the courthouse dropbox, by mail and online. At the end of this story you will find specific requirements for each option.
Property taxes, formulas, and staying or catching up on current bills can be a challenge.
"If you are proactive we can deal with it a lot faster than if you wait for you to get the bill and then … there is nothing that makes me as hopeless as when someone comes in here and is upset and just doesn't have the money Pay for the first half … it just cuts me deep. " said Washington County Treasurer Tammy Bates. “I feel the fight, I feel the pain. I feel helpless and just want to help. "
The January 29th issue of The Times published incorrect and mixed information about bills and payments due in Washington County in March.
"We've had calls since we opened and people are confused." said Bates on Friday. "They ask if they can still come in and pay. Can they pay with a money order?"
The short answer to both questions, yes.
On Friday, Bates reviewed what is due March 12 before the first half of 2020. The tax invoices for real estate and mobile homes are sent on Monday.
To hear how Bates covers these topics in more depth, including reviewing your trust company, press the "Play" button below or keep scrolling to read along.
What is this tax?
"When you buy a mobile home or property, you are legally required to pay taxes on those items." Bates explained.
She noted that when using a mortgage or escrow payment option on real estate, this tax is sometimes included on the bill to the bank.
When do I agree to this taxation?
Bates said when you buy or inherit the property / land / house or mobile home.
What obligations do I have as the owner?
"The tax is forever as long as you own the property or mobile home. It doesn't stop when you pay your mortgage. It doesn't stop when you reach a certain age." explained Bates.
She said a misunderstanding her office is trying to refute came from older owners.
"(Some people say) they were told that once they were 65 they would stop paying this tax and that is wrong." She explained. "It's just a tax that applies as long as the property or mobile home is in Washington County."
Where is the money going?
"Most of it goes to schools" said Bates.
She explained that most of what is on the property tax bill is based on levies that have been passed through a vote in the past that will continue to affect this package.
"So it could be 911, the County Home, the County Library" she listed. “You have your townships, your fire brigades… It all adds up. Each individual invoice shows exactly where your taxes are going on a pie chart. "
How often is an owner billed?
The time of billing also depends on the predictability of the budget.
"You will be billed twice a year" said Bates. "We're trying to keep the second Friday in March as the due date and the second Friday in August."
How can I lower my bill?
Remove dilapidated or unused buildings.
"If you have a garage, it hardly hangs there and you are still taxed for it." Bates offered as an example. "If you show it off, of course, your taxes will be lowered."
Contact the Washington County Auditor & # 39; s Office to determine if you are eligible for any of the statutory discounts.
"The tax rates are set by the state over which we have no control and the auditor has no control over them." Bates noted.
One discount that may be available is called a homestead exemption.
According to the Ohio Department of Taxation, homestead tax exemptions allow low-income seniors and permanently and / or fully disabled Ohioans to lower their property tax by protecting a portion of the market value of their homes from taxes.
I'm behind. What are the consequences if i don't pay?
"Well, the first consequence is that your name gets published in the newspaper." said Bates, speaking of the delinquent tax return that was printed in the Marietta Times. "If you are now two years in arrears, your information will be forwarded to the prosecutor, who will give you the right to foreclose the property."
I'm back, how can I catch up?
"We have three different payment plans for offenders" explained the treasurer. "We have the old school payment plans we've had for decades, namely the five and the ten."
Five wages: The office calculates one fifth of the total crime and these parts are added to the current semi-annual billing cycle.
Fastest payout: 2.5 years if the current bills are paid in full.
10-Pay: The bureau charges a tenth of the total crime and those parts
Fastest payout: five years if the current invoices have also been paid in full.
But these options aren't the easiest for everyone, she said.
"I found it very difficult for people to pay their current one much less than a fifth or a tenth twice a year (in addition to the current bill)." She explained. “When I took office, I decided to come up with a monthly payment plan and I allowed the taxpayer to tell me what they could afford because I don't know their finances and it's none of my business. what their finances are. I just want to do what I can to keep them updated on their taxes because that is my job. "
Monthly late payment
"For the first time you can set the amount (per payment) as long as it does not exceed five years (late payment)." She explained.
This repayment is due on the second Friday of each month until the invoice is no longer in default.
"Consistency again" She said.
But there is also a three-hit rule. Bates stated that in order to opt for the monthly repayment option, a contract must be signed between the office and the owner of the property.
"It's very important that you don't commit to a payment plan unless you get through it." She said.
Failure to make a payment is a contract strike and a penalty will be applied.
The first blow: "We allow you to get the contract you have to pay back to pay 25 percent of the total crime to come back into effect at that point." She said.
Additional missed payments in the event of late payment then increase this penalty.
Can I spread my payments so that I don't get left behind?
"We have a prepaid current tax plan" said Bates. "And I recommend spreading these payments over an 11 month period starting in September so that your final payment actually comes on the (final) due date (the following) August."
This is known as splitting the bill based on a rounded assumption of what is due.
"If something is paid for, so will the prepaid plan for the next year." She explained. "I would prefer if you budget too much than too little … I think if you just get into the routine of the budgeting period you will never lose your home, you will never be on the prosecutor's list."
With the pandemic, I feel uncomfortable going to the courthouse to pay, as I have done in previous years. How do I pay without exposing myself or others to the coronavirus?
"You can still pay for it in the mail" said Bates.
There are four payment options. in person during office hours using the dropbox behind the courthouse on Second Street, mail and online.
Payments for real estate and mobile homes can be made:
1. In person during office hours by cash, check, money order or card.
¯ To keep a receipt without an additional $ 1 reprint fee, bring the entire bill to the office, including the top and bottom pay slips.
2. Dropbox only by check or money order.
¯ The box is available on Second Street at the old Chase Bank entrance behind the Washington County Courthouse
¯ To return a receipt to you, include the entire invoice with your payment, including the top and bottom pay slips and a stamped envelope with your address on it.
3. Post by check or money order.
¯ To return a receipt to you, include the entire invoice with your payment, including the top and bottom pay slips and a stamped envelope with your address on it.
4. Online payments for credit / debit cards or electronic checks (account and bank codes) are available at washtongov.org/treasurer.
¯ No more than 10 packages can be processed in one transaction. Processing fees for a second transaction will be charged again.
¯ Credit / debit transactions include an additional processing fee of 2.75 percent on the billed amount with a limit per card transaction of $ 11,000.
¯ Electronic check transactions include a flat processing fee of $ 1 with a limit of $ 5,000 per transaction.
Note: Multiple transactions can be processed.
If you have any questions about any prepayment or default plans, contact the office at 740-373-6623, option 3, then option 2.
Janelle Patterson can be reached at [email protected].
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