Tax time is here for Pike property owners

It is tax time again as Pike County property owners pay their ad valorem property taxes. Each property tax bill must be paid by Friday, Dec. 20 or a 1% interest will be added for bills not paid by the due date starting Dec. 21. An additional 1% will be added the 21st of each month that the bill is past due. A 10% penalty will be added March 21 if the bill is still unpaid. According to tax commissioner Donna Chapman, 39.27% of the 2013 digest has been collected. ’As of Dec. 12, 2012 we had collected 37.03% of the 2012 digest, so we’re a little better off than we were last year,’ said Chapman. ‘With one week left, we still have the majority of the mortgage companies that need to pay. The amount left owed as of Dec. 12 is $6.7 million.’By the Dec. 20 due date last year, 77.82% of property tax bills had been paid. ’I hope we’ll be close to that percentage for the 2013 digest as of Dec. 20 this year,’ said Chapman. The top 10 properties taxed in Pike are Georgia Power, Southern Rivers Energy, Southern Mills, Supreme Southeast Properties, Yancey Brothers, Supreme Corporation, Zebulon Shopping Center, Realmark Equities Corporation, USC Timber Holdings and AT&T Southeast Tax Department. Those top taxpayers pay a total of 4.7% of the digest.