Flagler County 2010 Property Tax Delinquencies Down 34.54% from 2009.

Palm Coast, FL – May 13, 2011 – It’s that time of year, when the newspaper doubles in size, bloated by the legal requirement to advertise property tax delinquencies. You may have noticed that this year’s list is shorter than last year’s. That’s because there are 5,224 (1,073 fewer) parcels for which 2010 property taxes remained unpaid as of April 1, the date on which taxes become delinquent, down 17% from 2009.

The 2010 delinquent tax roll totals $6,692,901.26, down an impressive 34.54% from 2009. The decrease represents the second consecutive year of substantial decreases. In two years, the reduction in delinquent taxes was greater than 50%. The number of affected parcels declined 20.5% over the same period.

Crescent Resources successful emergence from bankruptcy last year accounts for a large portion of this year’s improvement. In 2009 and 2010, the company had over $1 million in delinquent property taxes. This year, property tax accounts for the four golf courses (still owned by Crescent) and the large developable properties (repossessed by the lien holder) are current.

The parcels with the highest amounts delinquent are all developer-owned. Three of the top four are within Town Center. All but two of the top ten are either within Town Center or nearby on SR 100. The Town Center build-out delay is having an accumulated effect on those who counted on more rapid development.

Top Ten (click the link to see the property record):

Property tax bills are mailed in late October. They’re due January 1 and become delinquent on April 1st. There is a sliding scale of discounts to encourage property owners to pay early. Once delinquent, taxes can no longer be paid via business of personal check. The delinquent tax roll as of May 1st is subject to a public notice requirement. The first notice (advertisement) was Wednesday. There will be two more notices this month. Even if taxes are paid during May, the property and property owner will remain on the advertised delinquent tax roll.