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Redemption Information
| Q. |
What happens if I fail to pay my property taxes on time?
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| A. |
If you do not pay the first installment of your annual tax bill at
the Tax Collector's Office by 5 p.m. On December 10* or payment is not postmarked by that
time and date, then that installment becomes delinquent, and a 10% delinquent penalty is
incurred. If you fail to pay the second installment at the Tax Collector's Office by 5
p.m. on April 10,* or payment is not postmarked by that time and date, it becomes
delinquent, and a 10% penalty on the unpaid taxes as well as an administrative charge of
$37.50
are added. Likewise, if you fail to pay any supplemental tax bill installment by the
applicable delinquency date, the same penalties and charges accrue as for delinquent
annual taxes.
If there are ANY unpaid taxes as of 5 p.m. on June 30, then the
property becomes tax defaulted.** Once the property has become tax defaulted, a redemption
fee of
$35.70
and additional penalties begin to accrue at the rate of 1-1/2% per month of the
unpaid taxes. This monthly penalty is added at 5 p.m. on the last day of each month (or
the following business day if the last day of the month falls on a weekend or holiday).
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| Q. |
What happens if I fail to pay my delinquent taxes?
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| A. |
Your taxes can remain unpaid for a maximum of five years following
their tax default, at which time your property becomes subject to the power of sale. This
means that after giving official notice of the pending sale, the property will be sold at
a public auction or acquired by a public agency if you do not pay the taxes before the
date on which the property is offered for sale or acquisition. |
| Q. |
What is the amount required to redeem tax defaulted property?
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| A. |
The amount needed to redeem tax-defaulted property in full is the sum of the following:
1. The total amount of unpaid taxes for all delinquent years.
2. A 10% penalty on every unpaid installment.
3. A
$37.50
administrative charge for each delinquent year.
4. Monthly penalties of 1-1/2% of the unpaid taxes accrued to date.
5. A redemption fee of
$35.70.
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| Q. |
How do I obtain an estimate of the amount required to redeem my property?
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| A. |
To obtain an estimate of the amount required to redeem your
property, you should contact the office of the Tax Collector by letter, telephone, or in
person. The location and mailing address is County of Riverside, Treasurer-Tax Collector,
4080 Lemon Street, 1st Floor, Riverside; P.O. Box 12005, Riverside, CA 92502-2205. The
telephone number is (951) 955-3900 or (877) 748-2689 for those taxpayers in the
951 and 760 area codes. Whether making your request by letter, phone, or in person, you will need
to provide the assessment number which you can find on a previous tax bill, or the address
or legal description of the property. Also, be sure to specify the date on which you wish
to redeem so that the penalty can be calculated properly.
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| Q. |
Can I redeem one delinquent year separately from other years?
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| A. |
No, one year's delinquent taxes may not be redeemed separately from
other years' delinquent taxes. When the redemption amount is calculated, the total taxes
owed for all delinquent years are combined.
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| Q. |
What happens if I cannot pay the full redemption amount?
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| A. |
If you are unable to pay the full redemption amount (i.e., unpaid
taxes for all delinquent years plus penalties and charges), you may open an installment
plan of redemption. This plan allows you to make payments on your delinquent taxes over a
five-year period beginning the date you open the installment account.
It is important to note that if your tax bill includes special
assessments for the repayment of debt service obligations under the
Improvement
Bond Act of 1915 of the Streets and Highways code, and/or special taxes for
payment of debt service on bonds issued pursuant to
Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of
1982 (CFD's), an installment payment account will not prevent or delay
foreclosure action on behalf of the bondholder pursuant to Section 53356.1 (a) of the
Government Code.
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| Q. |
How do I open an installment plan of redemption? |
| A. |
1. Make an initial payment of at least 20% of the redemption amount and
2. Pay your current year's taxes.
3. Pay a start-up fee of
$18.66.
If you open an installment account between July 1 and the following
April 10, the current year's taxes and any supplemental taxes must be paid by April 10 or
the account will default. To open an account between April 10 and June 30, the current
year's taxes (plus any penalties and charges) must first be paid in full.
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| Q. |
When may I open an installment account?
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| A. |
You can open an installment account after the date which the
property has become tax defaulted (June 30) and within five years of that date (at which
time your property becomes subject to the power of sale).
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| Q. |
How often will I be required to make installment payments?
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| A. |
Under the installment plan you are required to make one payment each
year for five years, in addition to paying each year's annual taxes. By each April 10 you
must make one payment of 20% or more of the redemption amount, plus interest (which
accrues at the rate of 1-1/2% per month on the unpaid balance once the account has been
opened), and pay an annual maintenance fee of
$35.30. If you fail to make any
installment payment or fail to pay your current year's taxes or any supplemental taxes on
or before April 10 of each year, then your account will default. You can, however, pay the
total unpaid balance plus accrued interest any time before the fifth and final payment is
due.
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| Q. |
Do my installment payments cover my current annual taxes? |
| A. |
No. Your installment payments NEVER include your current year's
taxes, which must be paid separately.
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| Q. |
If my first installment account defaults, may I open a second account?
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| A. |
If your first account defaults either because of your failure to
make at least one installment payment between July 1 and April 10, or because of your
failure to pay your current year's taxes in full by April 10, you may open another
account. However, the second account may not be opened until July I of the following
fiscal year. You may NEVER reopen an installment account in the fiscal year that the
property becomes subject to the power of sale.
If you default a second time, you may open a third installment
account. However, if you default a third time, no further installment accounts will be
permitted and your property will become subject to the power of sale the following June
30. In that case, your property will be sold at a public auction or acquired by a public
agency if you do not pay the full redemption amount before the date on which the property
is offered for sale or acquisition.
Each time you open an account, you have five years to pay the full
redemption amount. However, it is to your advantage not to default on an installment
account, since there is an additional penalty. When a second or third installment account
is opened, the redemption amount is re-computed as though no previous payments had been
made. This means you will be charged the 1-1/2% monthly penalty on the original unpaid
taxes as though none of those taxes had been paid. However, as soon as the first payment
on the second or third account has been made, you will be given credit for any previous
payments against the re-computed redemption amount. You must also pay the start-up
fee each time you open an installment plan.
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| Q. |
How do I find out more about the Installment Payment Plan?
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| A. |
For more detailed information please read our information on
Installment Payment Plans, which contains
the Application and Agreement that you must sign
when entering into this Installment Payment Plan. It is important that you read the
information carefully as there are specific payment dates which must be adhered to in
order to keep the plan in good standing.
*If either December 10 or April 10 falls on a weekend or holiday, taxes are not
delinquent until 5 p.m. the next business day.
**If June 30 falls on a weekend or holiday, taxes must be paid by 5 p.m. of the
preceding business day or the property will be tax defaulted.
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Last modified on 9/20/2011 8:55 AM.
Back to Property Tax Information
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