Laid off & property tax (Houston, Howe: coupons, foreclosure, assessor)

[truelies]

I was laid off for 3 months, still actively searching for a job. The January 31 is the day to pay the property tax. I have financial difficulty, any way to delay paying the property tax?

What's the best way to deal on house in this situation?

[elnina]

See if you can talk with your assessor and ask about possibility to make a payment plan.
Read about other options here:
http://www.mortgage-foreclosure.org/...-your-job.html
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=201879,00.html (broken link)
http://www.wisebread.com/how-long-ca...g-the-mortgage
http://www.wisebread.com/us-governme...led-homeowners
http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-02-0...-irs-spokesman

[jimboburnsy]

Originally Posted by truelies

I was laid off for 3 months, still actively searching for a job. The January 31 is the day to pay the property tax. I have financial difficulty, any way to delay paying the property tax?

What's the best way to deal on house in this situation?

You may be able to arrange a payment plan with the county but it's likely to require a lot sitting on hold or waiting in line listening to elevator music and speaking to chronic bottom-pay-grade local government employees before you finally talk to someone with a modicum of authority and initiative. The county does not want to own your house. They would much rather find a way to get the money they have (seemingly arbitrarily) determined that you owe them than take possession of your house in a tax foreclosure.

Then again, the tax assessor/collector's office in any of the Houston metro counties is going to be a woefully underfunded and understaffed operation with an impossibly large and complicated job to do, so they may not give you the time of day and simply start piling penalties on top of your tax bill because they simply can't afford to create more work for themselves by making exceptions.

Good luck. I hope you get a bailout.

[RCH99]

If you just need time, I would suggest paying them online with a credit card. That eliminates the stress of dealing with the goofs that jimboburnsey mentioned, and you're able to manage the payment of the bill on your terms, not theirs. Good luck, hope things get better for you in 2012.

[HoustonRonnie]

Originally Posted by RCH99

If you just need time, I would suggest paying them online with a credit card. That eliminates the stress of dealing with the goofs that jimboburnsey mentioned, and you're able to manage the payment of the bill on your terms, not theirs. Good luck, hope things get better for you in 2012.

Strong advice if you are in dire straits. Having a credit card issuer come after you as an usecured creditor is far better than a taxing authority forcing a liquidation for taxes. However, this tactic should only be used if you fear losing your home. Credit card interest is damned near usurious these days.

Ronnie

[elnina]

I would go in person and try to talk with someone...

[City Love]

The credit card option is good advice if your tax assessor won't work something out with you. Good luck!

[trbstang]

I had to set up payments one year with Harris County. It was easy. They will send you the paperwork in the mail with payment coupons and you sign the forms, return them, and send in the payments when each one was due. I think I split it into 5 payments.

Another option is to have your taxes paid by a tax company that specializes in property tax loans. Their interest rates are better than a credit card, but they do charge an up front fee for processing the loan that they can roll into the loan. I looked into them also.

I haven't tried to set up payments with the school district or MUD district, so no info on them.

Good luck!

[truelies]

Originally Posted by trbstang

I had to set up payments one year with Harris County. It was easy. They will send you the paperwork in the mail with payment coupons and you sign the forms, return them, and send in the payments when each one was due. I think I split it into 5 payments.

Another option is to have your taxes paid by a tax company that specializes in property tax loans. Their interest rates are better than a credit card, but they do charge an up front fee for processing the loan that they can roll into the loan. I looked into them also.

I haven't tried to set up payments with the school district or MUD district, so no info on them.

Good luck!

For the Harris county, did they charge you more money? I saw that on the tax invoice if I pay one month later, the interest will be 7%. That's huge.

[trbstang]

I did pay it after Jan 31st, but once I set up the payment schedule, they stopped the additional penalties and interest as long as I made all the payments.