El Dorado County property owners face penalties if they miss the Dec. 10 deadline for the first installment of secured property taxes.
The first installment was due Nov. 1, but payments can still be made without penalty through Dec. 10, according to a press release from the El Dorado County Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office. After that date, state law requires the county to apply penalties.
"By state law, penalties must be applied to any payment received after the December 10th delinquency date, and there are several ways a property owner can remit payment to make the process as convenient as possible," Sean M. Coppola, El Dorado County Treasurer-Tax Collector, said in the release.
Property owners can pay online, by mail, in person or by using the secure payment bins outside the Tax Collector's Office at 360 Fair Lane in Placerville. The office and bins are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Coppola offered two tips for avoiding last-minute problems.
For online payments, he recommended submitting at least 10 business days before the deadline. If a bank rejects the transaction, it can take days for the county to receive the notification and alert the taxpayer.
"Submitting online payments early ensures you have enough time to resubmit payment if a settlement error occurs," Coppola said.
The county's third-party payment processor charges a fee for online transactions.
For those mailing a check close to Dec. 10, Coppola recommended bringing the envelope to the post office counter and requesting a manual postmark to confirm the date. That service is free.
Taxpayers can view or print copies of their tax bills, pay online and find answers to common questions at the county's property tax website. The Tax Collector's Office can also be reached at (530) 621-5800 or by email at [email protected].
