What will happen if I don't pay my property taxes?
A lien on your property may be sold by the County to recover the amount of taxes due. If this is done, you will retain the right to redeem your property for two and one-half years if the property is your principal dwelling and has no more than six apartment units. Other property must be redeemed within two years. To redeem it, you will have to pay penalties and interest in addition to any tax due. Failure to redeem could result in the loss of your property.
Where do my property taxes go?
Revenue raised from property taxes supports 5,900 units of local government in Illinois. About 60 percent of your property tax goes to school taxing districts. Cities, counties, townships and special purpose taxing districts share the rest.
Will I be notified if my assessment is going to be increased?
Yes. Any changes in real estate assessments must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in St. Clair County every year. Every four years, when all property is reassessed, a complete list of assessments will be published. In addition, all taxpayers must be mailed a notice of any change in their assessment from the prior year.
Why are my taxes so high?
Your taxes may be high, or higher than they were last year, for any or all of three general reasons. First, the taxing district in which your property is located may have asked for more property tax money than they received before. A district may ask for more tax money because of inflationary pressure, because it plans to provide more services, or because other revenues are being reduced.
Second, your tax bill may be higher than bills for similar properties in the same district because your property is over assessed relative to these properties. Finally, your taxes may be high because other properties in a taxing district are receiving exemptions allowed by law.
Can I pay my taxes in monthly installments?
Yes. The Treasurer's Office has a monthly payment plan consisting of 10 monthly payments, which begin in September. To find out more about the installment plan click "Documents and Forms" on the right of this page.
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