News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Most Upper Cumberland property taxes have been paid despite the pandemic.
Putnam, White and Overton County Trustees said they’ve met or exceeded their payment percentage from last year. Overton County Trustee Peggy Clark Smith said that with less than one percent unpaid, people are taking advantage of online payment options.
“Our numbers have been better this year, I compared it to last year’s 2019’s,” Clark Smith said. “And we’re starting off with a better rate unpaid than we did last year at this time. So I was very pleased.
White County Trustee Kathryn Adcock said there are one to two percent of property taxes still unpaid. Adcock said online options and some extra leg work at the office has paid off.
“We went to the doors, I went to cars for tax relief,” Adcock said. “Now our little elderly, I went out to their car they did not have to come in. I went out with a mask and was able to do that. So that helped as well.”
Putnam County Trustee Freddie Nelson said that 95 percent of property taxes have been paid. He said this is the same percentage as last year.
Nelson said the 1.5 percent interest rate on late payments started March 1. However, 2019 delinquent payments will be handed over to the Clerk and Master no later than April 1.
“They go up with additional interest, there’s clerk fees, attorney fees that are charged,” Nelson said. “So they go up significantly if not paid by March 31.”
All three counties said calling to find out how much you owe after the deadline is best practice.
“We have people who send in, in the mail without the penalty,” Adcock said. “And then if there’s not a phone number, it’s difficult trying to reach people.”
All three counties have sent out notices for delinquent 2019 payments. Property owners will have until April 2022 to pay current property taxes before they are sent to the county clerk and master.
