Saturday, February 2nd, 2019
Online real estate tax payments take off
By William Kincaid
CELINA - A new online e-check option is an easy, inexpensive and efficient way for property owners to pay their real estate taxes without having to step foot in the courthouse, Mercer County Treasurer David Wolters said.
"If you have concerns about long lines at the courthouse or not being able to make it to the courthouse prior to closing, this option provides the flexibility to pay from the privacy of your home or office," Wolters told the newspaper.
In fact, users can access the service anywhere in the world via the internet.
E-check also appears to be catching on with the public since its Jan. 19 launch: As of Thursday, 95 payments on 191 parcels totaling $282,000 have been transacted using the service, according to Wolters.
Wolters noted that upon taking office, he began fielding complaints about the treasury's inability to accept online payments at an affordable rate. An online credit card option is available but users are assessed 2.5 percent of their total bill for the service. On a $2,000 bill, the credit charge would be $50.
Wolters said he finds that type of fee unacceptable.
"We needed to have an online presence that people would like," he said about his office's decision to partner with online vendors Auto-Agent and Bill2Pay. A flat $1.50 fee, which is applied to each transaction regardless of the number of parcels on which a person is paying property taxes, pays for the services.
To use e-check, property owners must access the county website at mercercountyohio.org and click on the Pay Real Estate Bill link near the bottom of the page.
After selecting the e-check payment option, users are asked to find a property by entering their name, address, account or parcel number in the search box.
They then are asked to add the property or properties on which they wish to pay property taxes, Wolters said, likening the process to adding items to the cart on Amazon.
Users complete the transaction by entering their personal information, checking account routing number and account number.
Users then are immediately sent a time- and date-stamped receipt of the transaction via email, Wolters said.
"We recognize the landscape of the electronic and digital economy we live in and our office welcomed the opportunity to create an innovative solution to structure a platform that would meet the need of the taxpayers' objectives, plus meet the needs and requirements specific to payment reconciliation and posting of payments," he said.
The treasurer's office also continues to offer other forms of payment - pre-pay via monthly coupon, automated clearing house, cash, check and credit card.
