Sheriff’s deputies are working tirelessly to deliver warrants to over 500 mobile home owners for delinquent mobile home taxes. Clarke County has never held a mobile home sale before but with the increasing number of unpaid taxes each year (currently $398,505.44 in taxes, fees & interest) it has become necessary. Mobile home owners with delinquent taxes have been guaranteed until October 31st to pay their delinquent taxes without losing their mobile homes. The tax sale date will be determined as soon as all the warrants have been delivered. The delinquent list will be printed in The Clarke County Tribune next week, per state law.
Delinquent taxes range from 2002 to 2016.
Two tax statements are mailed (on blue postcards) each year to remind mobile home owners of their taxes that are due at the beginning of each calendar year. Beginning on February 1st there is a penalty of 1%, then 2% on March 1st and so on.
Unlike land owners, mobile homes have no redemption period. If a mobile home is sold at a mobile home tax sale for delinquent taxes the buyer must immediately pay all delinquent taxes along with the registration transfer and/or title fees and may take possession of the mobile home as soon as they see fit.
The tax collector’s office has been telling mobile home owners for several years that this was going to happen. The stickers were printed about three years ago and were posted in the halls of the courthouse as well as the tax collector’s office. The tax collector’s office has tried to give every opportunity for people to pay without the use of force.
There was an appeal to the Board of Supervisors on Monday at the work session by a customer and a deputy to delay the actual sale date to give people more time to pay. I advised the board to take the request under advisement in order for us to have time to research the law and see if that could be done. After speaking with the board attorney it was deemed that all paperwork would have to be re-served by deputies costing the amount of fuel along with wages. If papers must be re-served an additional fee for process serving must be added to the amount due.
