Tax bills en route to Laf. property owners

Lafourche property owners: your bill is in the mail.

Sheriff Craig Webre issued 51,290 tax notices – 13,760 of which are homestead exempt and owe no taxes – last week. More than $112.5 million in property taxes are now due, and can be paid online, in person or by mail. Payments are due by Dec. 31. Unpaid taxes become delinquent Jan. 1 with interest accruing at a rate of 1 percent monthly until paid.

The Lafourche sheriff’s office has created an online portal – LPSO.net/PayMyTaxes. An online convenience fee will be charged.

Payments can also be made weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the LPSO Administrative Office, 200 Canal Blvd., Thibodaux, or the South Lafourche Sub-station, 102 W. 91st St., Galliano. Offices will be closed Christmas Day. Cash, check, money order or credit/debit card payments are accepted. A 3 percent surcharge will be applied to card payments.

Partial payments of at least 25 percent of the total amount due are accepted online at the LPSO offices. All partial payments are due by March 31, 2014. Failure to complete the payment will result in a 10 percent collection fee on the unpaid amount.

Seven local bank branches are also accepting tax payments: Coastal Commerce Bank, Community Bank, First American Bank, Regions Bank, South Lafourche Bank, State Bank & Trust and Whitney Bank.

Property taxes left unpaid by Feb. 1, 2014, will continue to incur the monthly interest, as well as an additional 10 percent collection cost on the unpaid amount and additional costs associated with a tax sale. If the property is sold at tax sale, the owner is subject to lose the homestead exemption. Property sold at tax sale may be redeemed up to three years from the date of sale, but a 5 percent penalty and 1 percent interest charge per month will apply.

To avoid making a double payment, homeowners should check with their mortgage company first.

Also, anyone who purchased property in 2013 should know the tax bill will more than likely be mailed to the previous owner of the property, but the current owner is responsible for all taxes due.

For more information, contact the Assessor’s Office at (985) 447-7242, the LSPO Administrative Office at (985) 449-4430 or the South Lafourche Sub-station at (985) 798-2255.