NEWS

The Elmore County Revenue Commission er’s Office is implementing a change in procedures or policy regarding Property Tax Notices. Specifically, effective October 2006, the property tax office will mail courtesy notices to all tax payers. The notices or bills mailed annually in late September to early October are termed courtesy notices because Alabama law requires no notice until “after January 1”, when tax has become delinquent. Elmore County ’s prior policy was to code or flag a tax payer’s record upon submission of a request by a tax service, Mortgage Company, or other escrow administration agent for access to the tax payer’s information indicating tax to be paid by the requesting agent or entity. During processing of annual tax notices computer instructions would suppress printing for accounts or records with these codes or flags present. This attempt to afford the tax payer an additional convenience, inherently results in barring the tax payer from receiving the initial or courtesy notice reflecting the original tax amount due. Subsequently, should the requesting agent or entity fail to submit payment for tax by December 31^st, the deadline for property tax in Alabama , the tax payer would then receive their first tax notice, a delinquent notice. As required by Alabama law, delinquent notices must include original tax amounts with all delinquent fees and interest added. “While mortgage companies and tax services usually willingly absorb any added costs of collection (late fees and interest) for delinquent taxes, tax payers who have provisions for tax and other costs included as part of their payments are understandably upset and angry when receiving a delinquent tax notice, ”, states Revenue Commission er Mike Harper. The only change intended and being implemented with this new procedure is that every tax payer, regardless of whether or not tax is included as part of their mortgage payment, will now receive a notice before the tax becomes delinquent. Harper adds, “Considering the tax payer or owner is responsible for payment of property tax, we feel they (the owner or tax payer) are better served by this change in policy or procedure. Mortgage companies, tax services and other escrow administration agents will continue to have access to public records and will observe no apparent change. This should in no way affect current arrangements between any tax payer and administration of their escrow. We are keenly aware any change such as this inherently carries the potential to invite many inquiries or questions from individual tax payers, especially those who have property tax escrowed and included in monthly payments and are comfortable not receiving or seeing their annual tax notice”. This policy or procedure change does not involve every Elmore County tax payer record or account. In fact, only approximately 25% of tax payers will be affected and no one should be negatively affected. Should the reader be one of the approximately 13,000 affected by this change, we sincerely ask for your consideration, assistance and patience as we attempt to provide you with more complete and timely information. If your mortgage company is responsible for payment of property tax we respectfully suggest you include a copy of any tax notice(s) you receive with your next (mortgage) payment.

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