PARKERSBURG - While the number of real estate delinquent tax tickets is up slightly this year, by about 20 over last year, the amount of delinquent real estate tax owed is actually less than last year, at $862,767.
The sale of delinquent property is scheduled for 10 a.m. Nov. 18 and will be conducted in the largest public meeting room in the Judge Black Courthouse Annex. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and payments for delinquent taxes must be paid by 4:30 p.m. Nov. 17. Payment can only be made by cashier's check, money order or cash only. No payments on delinquent taxes will be accepted the day of the sale.
"No postmarked payments will be accepted, and no business checks or personal checks will be accepted," said Sandy Edge, Wood County Sheriff's Office tax office manager.
The personal property taxes for 2008, which are now delinquent for businesses total 199 tax tickets, for taxes of $409,000.
"We have turned 121 of those tax tickets over to the state tax department, so the state will decline to renew their business license if those are not paid," said Jeff Mace, assistant chief tax deputy. "Those bills include publication fees of the delinquency list and interest."
Personal property taxes for individuals include vehicles, oil/gas/mineral rights, and mobile homes.
"Mobile homes continue to be a problem because of title exchange and prior ownership. They are hard to contact. I don't think people realize they have to pay them annually like they do their vehicles, so if they don't get an annual bill, when they have a mobile home, they should call us. It's more than likely they didn't get a ticket it's because the title hasn't been transferred, that's something the Department of Motor Vehicles handles, we don't handle that," Edge said.
The office has 437 delinquent tax tickets for $42,000 in taxes due on mobile homes. There are 465 tax tickets for vehicles that are delinquent for a total of $70,000 in taxes due. These are for 2008.
There are 56 delinquent oil/gas/mineral tax tickets $5,800. "Most of that is penalty fees," Mace noted.
The other thing sold at the sheriff's auction is real estate.
As of Oct. 28, the sheriff's tax office had 1,167 delinquent tax tickets for $862,767 due in taxes in 2008 for real estate.
"We are within 20 of the number we had last year. We are also seeing new people, people who have never been delinquent before," Edge said, noting the economy has taken its toll this year.
"We send out extra notification letters, we go above and beyond what is required to try and notify these people of the delinquencies," Edge said.
"We probably get 20 letters or more back in the mail every day in the office that can't be delivered because of an incorrect address, and they are returned," Mace said.
Despite the economy, Mace said collections for 2009 are at about 49 percent, which is about the same as last year at this time.
"We will be seeing banks, lien holders coming in and individual taxpayers coming in right before the sale. The last days before the sale we will be extremely busy. There will be a large number of people coming in, that's always the case," Edge said.
This year on the tax tickets, officials asked individuals to include their new 911 address. If you have not notified the county of your new 911 address, you need to contact the assessor's office.
If you have questions about your taxes, call the tax office at 304-424-1910. Tax office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The office is located through the double doors of the Judge Black Courthouse Annex off Market Street. The county's Web site is www.woodcountywv.com and it contains information about the offices and taxes.
"We want to remind people coming to the sale that they are just purchasing a lien against the property. Sometimes they don't understand. You are not actually getting the property that day. The original owner has 18 months to redeem the property. Additional penalties and fees are included and to redeem, you have to pay both the 2008 and 2009 taxes," Edge said.
