Property taxes demanded early from some DeKalb residents
Some DeKalb County homeowners say they're being forced to pay one big property tax bill by the end of September, removing the usual option to pay in two installments.
Channel 2 Action News reports that mortgage companies that use escrow to pay their clients' tax bills are charging residents a lump sum.
The change occurred because DeKalb Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson's office asked mortgage companies to make a single annual payment. The tax office said in a statement Tuesday it is still accepting installment payments.
Ella Davis, who lives near Stone Mountain, said her mortgage company increased her monthly house payment after sending her a letter explaining that her $2,637 property tax bill would be due in one installment.
“It makes me feel really angry because I do live on a budget and it’s important that I know where my money is going,” Davis told Channel 2. “The least they could have done was to give us some warning this was coming.”
Half of annual property taxes in DeKalb are due Sept. 30 and the other half are due Nov. 15.
Johnson said lump-sum payments would help reduce duplicate payment mistakes and accommodate electronic payment systems.
“Many companies have elected to use the option to fully pay the taxes by the first installment,” according to the statement from Johnson’s office. “The process is an efficiency advantage to lenders, the taxpayers and the tax payment process.”
Johnson won a runoff election for tax commissioner last month. No Republican candidate is opposing Johnson, a Democrat, in November's general election.
Johnson has removed language from the tax office's website that asked mortgage companies and tax services to pay in one installment by the first deadline.
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
