Property Tax Payments Due April 10 May Be Deferred if Property Damaged by Flooding
Owners of property damaged or destroyed by recent storms or floods may be eligible to defer the second installment of secured property tax payments due on April 10. To apply, property owners must submit to the county assessor's office a tax deferral claim form in conjunction with an application for reassessment due to calamity by April 10.
“Winter storms have caused significant damage and, in some cases, devastating losses. We want to extend our sympathy to those in communities that have suffered losses,” Assessor Tara Freitas said.
To qualify for tax payment deferral, the following conditions must be met:
The tax deferral claim form must be submitted with a calamity application prior to April 10, 2023.
An applicant must not have an impound account from which property taxes are paid by a mortgage company with money that is collected with monthly loan payments.
The calamity application must be approved.
One of the following must apply:
The property is a primary residence and has at least $10,000 in damage.
The property is not a primary residence but has suffered damage of at least 20% of its fair market value due to calamity or misfortune.
If a timely claim for deferral is filed and approved, the payment shall be deferred without penalty until one of the following occurs:
The assessor reassesses the property and a corrected bill is sent to the property owner. Taxes on the corrected tax bill would be due 30 days after the date the corrected bill is mailed.
The assessor determines the property is not eligible for reassessment, and a letter is sent to the property owner notifying them of the decision. Taxes deferred in this situation would be due and payable within 30 days of the date printed on the letter or the postmark date, whichever is later.
Calamity reassessment claims will still be accepted by the assessor’s office after April 10 provided they are received within 12 months of the date the property was damaged. A minimum of $10,000 in damage is required to qualify for reassessment consideration. Calamity reassessments are only temporary. Once repairs are completed, property assessments are restored to their previous values (in addition to annual adjustments, if applicable) so long as the affected properties are rebuilt in a similar manner.
Tax relief is available for all types of properties including homes, commercial and industrial buildings, agricultural properties, manufactured homes, and business and personal property. Damage to vehicles, home furnishings and personal effects are not eligible for this type of relief because they are not locally assessed.
