[Archived] City of Alexandria Reminds Property Owners of June 15 Deadline for Payment of First Half of 2007 Real Estate Tax

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	May 30, 2007 PIO#	Steve Mason, Director of Communications, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

CITY OF ALEXANDRIA REMINDS PROPERTY OWNERS OF JUNE 15
DEADLINE FOR PAYMENT OF FIRST HALF OF 2007 REAL ESTATE TAX
Convenient Payment Options Available

The City of Alexandria reminds property owners that payment of the first half of the 2007 Real Estate Tax and Refuse Fee is due Friday, June 15, 2007. To avoid late payment penalty and interest charges, payment must be received by the City or postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service no later than June 15.

Real estate tax bills were mailed on May 15, 2007. Property owners whose real estate taxes are not paid by their mortgage company and who have not received a tax bill in the mail should call the City’s Treasury Division at 703-838-4777 to request a duplicate bill. Failure to receive a tax bill in the mail is not grounds for waiving the late payment penalty and interest or extending the June 15 due date.

Tax bills can be paid in person at the Treasury Division, City Hall, 301 King Street, Room 1510. Office hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, and 9 am to noon on Saturday, June 9. Tax bills may be paid in person by cash, check, or Discover Card. Discover will assess a fee for using this service. You may also pay by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover online at City Hall, Room 1700, during normal office hours. Official Payments Corporation will assess a fee for using this service.

The Finance Department urges Alexandria property owners to avoid having to wait in line at City Hall by using one of the following convenient payment options:

� Pay by mail using the envelope enclosed with the bill or mail the payment to Treasurer's Office, PO Box 34750, Alexandria, VA 22334-0750. Checks should be made payable to “City of Alexandria.” A drop box located on the Royal Street side of City Hall is also available 24 hours a day.

� Pay by eCheck online at alexandriava.gov/finance/eChecks to have the payment deducted from a specified checking or savings account. There is no additional fee for using this service, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

� Pay by Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by calling 1-800-272-9829 or online at alexandriava.gov/finance/payment_info. A convenience fee will be assessed by Official Payments Corporation for this service. You will need to reference the City’s jurisdiction code 1007.

� Pay at any SunTrust Bank branch located in the City of Alexandria until 5 pm on June 15. SunTrust Bank will only accept payment of the total amount printed on the real estate tax bill. There is no fee for this service.

� Pay by automatic bank debit. Real estate tax payments can be automatically deducted from a specified checking or savings account in monthly installments, or in two equal installments on each of the semi-annual tax due dates. There is no fee for using this service. However, registration is required at least 14 days before the initial debit date. For more information, call 703-838-4777 or see alexandriava.gov/finance/auto_bank_debit.

As a customer service initiative, the City recently implemented real estate tax history search and pay on the City’s website at alexandriava.gov/finance. This program allows users to verify current and prior year real estate taxes directly from their homes or offices, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, the program provides property owners with the option to easily pay their real estate taxes online by eCheck or credit card.

For information on real estate assessments or appeals, call Real Estate Assessments at 703-838-4646, or go to their website at alexandriava.gov/realestate. For information on real estate tax and refuse fee payments, late payment penalty and interest, or to request a tax bill, call the Treasury Division at 703-838-4777. Si usted requiere asistencia en Espanol, por favor llamar al 703-519-6506, extension 576.

# # #