Nearly 31,000 County Taxpayers Missed Payments

Notices are about to be sent to land owners who failed to pay part or all of their 2010-11 property taxes, San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister announced today.

He said 30,638 taxpayers are in default and owe $206.5 million. 

The notices will include a bill with a 10-percent penalty. An additional 1.5 percent a month charge will be tagged on if the owner still does not pay up.

If the property stays in default for five years, the county can sell the land and keep the proceeds.

The county sends out nearly 1 million property tax bills annually, and expected to collect $4.4 billion in the last fiscal year.

McAllister said the county mailed 9,000 fewer default notices than last year, which he called a “positive indication” that the economy may be improving.

Two months ago, he announced that more than 38,000 property owners had yet to pay their taxes, but around 7,700 paid up before June 30.

The bills can be paid in person at the bayfront County Administration Center, or in Kearny Mesa, Chula Vista, El Cajon or San Marcos. Payments can also be made over the telephone at (877) 829-4732, or online at sdtreastax.com.

City News Service contributed to this report.