Most of local taxpayers have paid their bill. In fact, 98.86 percent of all Dallas County Taxpayers have paid their taxes. But, unfortunately, the remaining taxpayers across Dallas County and in the Irving Independent School District owe more than $90 million in unpaid property taxes, and a final effort is underway to persuade them to pay up before they face serious consequences. “We all want quality schools, effective law enforcement, and good roads, and property taxes are how we pay for those things,” said Dallas County Tax Assessor/Collector John R. Ames. “Even in a county this large, $90 million is serious money which we are determined to collect.”
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP has mailed 31,032 final warning letters to Dallas County property owners who have failed to pay $87,091,136 in delinquent property taxes, and an additional 1,660 letters to Irving ISD property owners who collectively owe $2,950,807. Those letters inform them that they face the risk of lawsuit, foreclosure or business seizure if they don’t join their fellow citizens and pay their fair share.
The warning letter gives each delinquent taxpayer ten days to pay their taxes to the Dallas County or Irving ISD Tax offices. Irving ISD Tax Assessor/Collector Lisa Freeman says failure to do so will trigger some serious consequences. “For property owners the risk is that they could be sued or their property could be seized. Businesses risk having their assets seized for failure to pay personal property taxes,” Freeman said.
According to Ames, “A record 98.86% of our taxpayers have already paid their taxes on time. Most people do fulfill their obligations but we must collect from those who don’t out of fairness to the rest of us and because the money is needed to fund those essential services.”
Ames, Freeman and Linebarger Goggan recognize that some taxpayers face difficulty paying, but that does not mean they should simply ignore their tax notice. “Contact us right away,” said Linebarger Goggan Dallas office Managing Partner Bridget Moreno Lopez. “We can work with you to find ways you can fulfill your obligations without risk of losing your property, but we can only help you if you contact us.”
Senior citizens, aged 65 or older, and homeowners who have been identified as disabled by the Social Security Administration can avoid tax suit and sale by filing a deferral affidavit. This deferral affidavit can only be obtained and filed at your appropriate appraisal district office. Qualification for the deferral is determined by the local appraisal district but even if a deferral is approved, the tax will continue to accrue and must be paid before the property is sold or ownership is transferred.
Freeman is optimistic that these final warning notices will persuade people to do their civic duty. “Most people know that taxes are an investment in the community, and we can only provide services if the money is there to fund them. We can help those who have trouble paying, but we won’t be shy about using all the tools at our command to collect from those who don’t understand that we all have an obligation to make our communities and school systems work.”
Ames agreed with both Freeman and Lopez. “It is important not to ignore your tax liability. Contact us immediately so we can provide options for you to get your taxes paid.”
