MONROE - Green County is waiting on $1.7 million in unpaid property taxes, due from just the past five years, 2007-2011.
That revenue source averages out to almost $47 for every man, woman and child in the county.
Property tax bills include state, county, local municipality, and technical and public school taxes.
Fortunately for all the municipalities and schools in Green County, their tax portions are paid to them by the county, and the county takes over the collection of all unpaid taxes.
The Green County Treasurer's office applies interest and penalties on unpaid tax bills, according to the county treasurer's office. Unpaid taxes accrue interest at 12 percent and penalties at 6 percent annually, the minimum allowed by state law. After three years, the delinquent tax bills are sent to the county clerk's office for collection.
County Clerk Mike Doyle said he makes arrangements with property owners to get their taxes paid off, once the delinquent tax bills hits his office.
"It gets very expensive when you borrow from the county," Doyle said. He recommends property owners borrow money from banks at lower rates to pay off their tax bills. But sometimes that isn't possible, he added.
When it comes to getting the tax money after bank foreclosures, "we (the county) come first" before the banks, said Doyle. "In my 24 years, the county has never lost any taxes," he added.
According to a list of unpaid property taxes in the county as of Sept. 26, obtained from the Green County treasurer's office, $6,310 is from 2007; $35,715 is from 2008; $206,000 is from 2009; $476,580 is from 2010; and $1 million is from 2011.
Payments are due in the year following the tax year. Final 2011 tax bill payments were due July 31, 2012. Interest and penalties accrue after the due date. Delinquent 2009 taxes will be sent to the county clerk's office in December.
Where are the properties of these unpaid taxes dollars?
Most of the tax money is owned on properties in the City of Monroe, for a total of $504,700. Next highest is from properties in the village of New Glarus, $231,400; City of Brodhead, $166,100; and Town of New Glarus, $119,700. The Town of Exeter comes in fifth with $74,350. These municipalities also have the county's highest population counts and property values.
Based on population, tax money from the Village of New Glarus averages $107 per capita; Town of New Glarus averages $90; Town of York averages $62; and Town of Adams, $55.
Owners of property in the Village of Brooklyn within the Green County boundaries owe $31,590 or $68 per Green County resident. Of Brooklyn's total 1,400 residents, 465 people live in Green County.
Property taxes owned in the City of Brodhead, Town of Brooklyn and Town of Washington are also higher than the county average of $47 per capita.
Residents in Green County need not look to their neighbors for all that money, but the closer to their home zip codes they look, the more apt they are to find delinquent taxpayers.
Outside Wisconsin, Green County property owners living in Illinois owe $14,400, and those living in all other states owe $35,450.
Wisconsinites living outside one of the 11 local zip codes found in Green County owe $343,000. Those living inside those zip codes owe $1.3 million, and those who own the most - about $900,000 combined - live in Monroe, Brodhead and New Glarus zip codes.
Of the more than 930 annual tax bills still unpaid on property in Green County in the past five years, there are about 380 unique owners, with 538 tax delinquent properties and with an average tax bill of about $4,500 each.
Delinquent annual tax bills range from $1.97 to $20,400 for each property, before interest and penalties are applied.
Property agent or managing companies are the top three listed as owners of delinquent properties, as of Sept. 26. Alpine Heights, LLC of Darlington owed a total of $91,700 in taxes but has paid off about $30,000 since Sept. 26. Its tax bill now stands at about $75,000 with interest and penalties. Wilde Investments, LLC (and property associated with Wilde Real Estate Services) of New Glarus owed a total of $70,520. Peterson Properties I, LLC in Racine owed $68,900.Only one elected official in Green County was found to be behind in paying property taxes. Rene Nicholson, a trustee on the Monticello village board, is listed as one of two owners of a S. Main Street house, on which $1,300 in taxes was due July 31, 2012.
That revenue source averages out to almost $47 for every man, woman and child in the county.
Property tax bills include state, county, local municipality, and technical and public school taxes.
Fortunately for all the municipalities and schools in Green County, their tax portions are paid to them by the county, and the county takes over the collection of all unpaid taxes.
The Green County Treasurer's office applies interest and penalties on unpaid tax bills, according to the county treasurer's office. Unpaid taxes accrue interest at 12 percent and penalties at 6 percent annually, the minimum allowed by state law. After three years, the delinquent tax bills are sent to the county clerk's office for collection.
County Clerk Mike Doyle said he makes arrangements with property owners to get their taxes paid off, once the delinquent tax bills hits his office.
"It gets very expensive when you borrow from the county," Doyle said. He recommends property owners borrow money from banks at lower rates to pay off their tax bills. But sometimes that isn't possible, he added.
When it comes to getting the tax money after bank foreclosures, "we (the county) come first" before the banks, said Doyle. "In my 24 years, the county has never lost any taxes," he added.
According to a list of unpaid property taxes in the county as of Sept. 26, obtained from the Green County treasurer's office, $6,310 is from 2007; $35,715 is from 2008; $206,000 is from 2009; $476,580 is from 2010; and $1 million is from 2011.
Payments are due in the year following the tax year. Final 2011 tax bill payments were due July 31, 2012. Interest and penalties accrue after the due date. Delinquent 2009 taxes will be sent to the county clerk's office in December.
Where are the properties of these unpaid taxes dollars?
Most of the tax money is owned on properties in the City of Monroe, for a total of $504,700. Next highest is from properties in the village of New Glarus, $231,400; City of Brodhead, $166,100; and Town of New Glarus, $119,700. The Town of Exeter comes in fifth with $74,350. These municipalities also have the county's highest population counts and property values.
Based on population, tax money from the Village of New Glarus averages $107 per capita; Town of New Glarus averages $90; Town of York averages $62; and Town of Adams, $55.
Owners of property in the Village of Brooklyn within the Green County boundaries owe $31,590 or $68 per Green County resident. Of Brooklyn's total 1,400 residents, 465 people live in Green County.
Property taxes owned in the City of Brodhead, Town of Brooklyn and Town of Washington are also higher than the county average of $47 per capita.
Residents in Green County need not look to their neighbors for all that money, but the closer to their home zip codes they look, the more apt they are to find delinquent taxpayers.
Outside Wisconsin, Green County property owners living in Illinois owe $14,400, and those living in all other states owe $35,450.
Wisconsinites living outside one of the 11 local zip codes found in Green County owe $343,000. Those living inside those zip codes owe $1.3 million, and those who own the most - about $900,000 combined - live in Monroe, Brodhead and New Glarus zip codes.
Of the more than 930 annual tax bills still unpaid on property in Green County in the past five years, there are about 380 unique owners, with 538 tax delinquent properties and with an average tax bill of about $4,500 each.
Delinquent annual tax bills range from $1.97 to $20,400 for each property, before interest and penalties are applied.
Property agent or managing companies are the top three listed as owners of delinquent properties, as of Sept. 26. Alpine Heights, LLC of Darlington owed a total of $91,700 in taxes but has paid off about $30,000 since Sept. 26. Its tax bill now stands at about $75,000 with interest and penalties. Wilde Investments, LLC (and property associated with Wilde Real Estate Services) of New Glarus owed a total of $70,520. Peterson Properties I, LLC in Racine owed $68,900.Only one elected official in Green County was found to be behind in paying property taxes. Rene Nicholson, a trustee on the Monticello village board, is listed as one of two owners of a S. Main Street house, on which $1,300 in taxes was due July 31, 2012.