Paying Property Taxes

Delinquency Date

Property taxes become delinquent if not paid before February 1 (Tax Code Sec. 31.02).  Therefore, the last day to make timely payment avoiding the application of penalty and interest is January 31st.

Please note, if the delinquency date happens to fall on a weekend or holiday (see the District’s Holiday Closing Schedule for 2023), the delinquency date is postponed until the next business day.

The penalty and interest required to be applied to unpaid taxes is substantial and is detailed in Tax Code Sec. 33.01.  Delinquent taxes incur penalty and interest of 7% beginning February 1st and will increase up to 38% by July 1 (includes attorney collection fee of 20%).  Interest will continue to accrue at 1% per month for as long as the tax remains unpaid.  Penalty and interest can be avoided entirely by making payment in full on or before January 31st.  Quarterly payment options are available for those qualifying for an Over-65 or Disabled Homestead Exemption.

Warnings and Recommendations

Minimizing Wait Time:  Although we make every effort to process customers quickly and efficiently, due to the high volume of traffic our collection department encounters during the latter weeks (especially the final days) of January, owners may encounter increased wait times during the period.  To avoid longer than normal wait times when paying in person we recommend making your payment before the last two weeks of January.  Bringing the tax statement(s) mailed to you and presenting at the time of payment can also help to speed payment processing time and ensures payment of the correct account(s).

International Checks:  It is important for international owners to note when paying by check, that the check must be issued in US dollars by a US bank to guarantee acceptance by the District.  Acceptance of checks issued in US dollars by a non-US bank will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the District’s depository.  Please plan accordingly or call ahead before making payment if you are unsure.

Online Technical Issues:  Although our vendor, Certified Payments, provides a very consistent and stable service, online technical issues sometimes can occur and it can be difficult or impossible to determine on which side the issue originated.  A basic issue such as a power or internet service outage can even be to blame.  It is for this reason that we highly recommend not waiting until after-hours on the final day before the delinquency date to make payment online in case you encounter a technical issue that causes your taxes to become delinquent.

Payment Methods

For your convenience, the District provides several methods of submitting your property tax payment.  Owners can make payment:

• in person at the District’s office during normal business hours using cash, check, money order, debit card*, or credit card*;
• exterior drop box using a check or money order; or
• by mail using a check or money order; or
• online using a debit card*, credit card*, or electronic check**.

*A convenience fee of 2.2% is added to debit or credit card payments.  **A convenience fee of $1.00 is added to electronic check payments.

Paying in person

The District’s normal business hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.  Any changes to our normal business hours will be posted on our website and Facebook page one or more business days in advance whenever possible.  However, we will do everything reasonably possible to ensure that we are open for business until at least 4:30 pm on the last business day before a delinquency date.  Customers must arrive in the office before 4:30 pm for a payment to be accepted that business day in person. The District does have a exterior drop box available on the sidewalk that is collected each day at 4:30 pm.  Please note, any payment deposited in the drop box after 4:30 pm will be considered received and processed the next business day.

Paying by Mail (or Common or Contract Carrier)

The proper addressing of payment is either (depending on carrier):

A property owner making payment by this method is timely if it is properly addressed with postage or handling charges prepaid and:

• it is sent by regular first-class mail and bears a post office cancellation mark of a date earlier than the delinquency date; or
• it is sent by common or contract carrier (e.g. UPS, FedEx) and bears a receipt mark indicating a date earlier than the delinquency date.

Please note that payments will be posted in the District’s system as paid on the date that it is received.  The post office cancellation mark or common carrier receipt mark is only used for determining whether the payment is considered delinquent and penalty and interest are applied.

Paying Online

The District utilizes the vendor Certified Payments for its online payment processing.  Online payment can be facilitated in two different ways depending on your preference:

• Using the District website’s Cart payment system to prepare your payment (much easier when making a payment for multiple accounts)
• Entering payment amount and account data manually into Certified Payments website

To use the District website’s Cart payment system, go to the Property Search tool by clicking the Property Search button on the top toolbar on our homepage.  You only need to search for the account you wish to pay and click the green Pay button in the search results to add an account to your cart.  To view your cart click the Cart button, and then click the Checkout button when you are ready to make payment.  You will automatically be directed to the Certified Payments website to complete the final step.

If you prefer to make payment and enter the total payment amount and individual account information manually into Certified Payments website you can click the Pay Taxes link on the upper toolbar of our homepage.

It is very important to note that penalty and interest will not be waived if you encounter technical issues after business hours on the last day before the delinquency date preventing timely payment before midnight.  Therefore, please heed the warnings and recommendations given above to not wait until the last day or hours to pay your taxes online.

Have Questions? or Need Directions?

If you have additional questions regarding making payments, the Over-65 or Disabled quarter payment plan, delinquent taxes, or any other related topic, please do not hesitate to call, email, or drop by our office.  You can find our contact information and directions to our office by clicking Contact Us.

Please note that we will make every effort to respond to your questions and provide answers quickly, but due to the high volume of traffic we receive the last weeks of January, a longer than normal wait time is expected during this time.