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1. What will happen if I do not pay my annual Secured taxes on time?

If you do not pay the first installment of your annual tax bill at the Tax Collector’s Office by 5:00 p.m. on December 10 (if December 10 falls on a weekend or holiday, taxes are not delinquent until 5:00 p.m. the next business day), or payment is not U.S.P.S. postmarked by that date, then the taxes become delinquent and a 10% delinquent penalty is added to any unpaid balance. 

If you do not pay the second installment at the Tax Collector’s Office by 5:00 p.m. on April 10 (if April 10 falls on a weekend or holiday, taxes are not delinquent until 5:00 p.m. the next business day.), or payment is not U.S.P.S. postmarked by that date, it becomes delinquent and a 10% penalty plus an administrative charge of $20.00 is added to the unpaid balance. 

If you do not pay the installments of your supplemental tax bill by the applicable delinquency dates, the same penalties accrue as for delinquent annual taxes.

If you pay your second installment without having paid the first, your payment will be applied to the unpaid taxes and penalties on the first installment and will leave your second installment unpaid and possibly delinquent. 

If you do not pay either or both installments at the Tax Collector’s Office by 5:00 p.m. on June 30 (if June 30 falls on a weekend or holiday, taxes must be paid by 5:00 p.m. on the preceding business day), or payment is not U.S.P.S. postmarked by date, then the property becomes tax-defaulted and additional penalties and costs accrue. 

Once the property has become tax defaulted, a redemption fee of $15 and additional penalties begin to accrue at the rate of 1 1/2% per month of the unpaid taxes. This monthly penalty is added at 5 p.m. on the last day of each month (or the following business day if the last day of the month falls on a weekend or holiday). 

Your taxes can remain unpaid for a maximum of five years following their tax default, after which time your property becomes subject to the power of sale. This means that your property will be sold at a public auction or acquired by a public agency if you do not pay the taxes before the date on which the property is offered for sale or acquisition. 

The amount needed to redeem tax-defaulted property in full is the sum of the following: 

1. The total amount of unpaid taxes for all delinquent years. 
2. A 10% penalty on every unpaid installment. 
3. A $20 administrative charge for each delinquent year. 
4. Monthly penalties of 1 1/2% of the unpaid taxes accrued date. 
5. A redemption fee of $15. 

To obtain an estimate of the amount required to redeem your property, you should contact the Tax Collector’s Office at (925) 608-9500. When making your request, you will need to provide the Parcel Number, which you can find on any previous tax bill, the Sale ID (SID) found on your Redemption Tax Notice, or the address of the property. Also, be sure to specify the date on which you wish to redeem so that the penalty can be calculated properly. One year’s delinquent taxes may not be redeemed separately from other years delinquent taxes. When the redemption amount is calculated, the total taxes owed for all delinquent years are combined together.

2. What is the amount required to redeem tax-defaulted property?

The amount needed to redeem tax-defaulted property in full is the sum of the following: 

• The total amount of unpaid taxes for all delinquent years. 
• A 10% penalty on every unpaid installment. 
• A $20 cost for each unpaid 2nd installment. 
• Monthly interest of 1 1/2% of the unpaid taxes as of the accrued date. 
• A $15
  State Redemption Fee
• Additional costs added after five years.

To obtain an estimate of the amount required to redeem your property, contact the County Tax Collector’s Office at (925) 608-9500.  Please provide either the Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN), the property address, or the tax-defaulted Sale ID number.  Be sure to specify the month in which you plan to pay off or redeem your property so the correct amount is calculated properly.

3. What happens if I fail to pay my Redemption taxes?

Your taxes can remain unpaid for a maximum of five years following their tax default, at which time your property becomes subject to the Tax Collector's power of sale.  This means that after being given an official notice of the pending sale, your property will be sold at a public auction or acquired by a public agency if you do not pay the full amount of Redemption before the date on which the property is offered for sale or acquisition.

4. Can I redeem one defaulted year separately from other years?

No, one year's defaulted taxes may not be redeemed separately from other years' defaulted taxes.  When the Redemption amount is calculated, the total taxes owed for all defaulted years are combined together.

5. What happens if I cannot pay the full redemption amount?

If you are unable to pay the full redemption amount (for example, unpaid taxes for all defaulted years plus penalties and charges), you may start a Redemption Installment Plan.  This plan allows you to make payments on your defaulted taxes over a five-year period beginning on the date you make the first payment of the installment plan.

NOTE: you must qualify for the installment plan within five years of the time the property first became tax-defaulted.

6. Who may apply for the Installment Plan of Redemption?

Any taxpayer may apply for Installment Plan for Redemption taxes as long the property in question has been in tax-default for less than five years.

7. How do I start installment plan of redemption?

To start an installment plan, you must: 

1. Make an initial payment of at least 20% of the redemption amount; and 
2. Pay your current year's taxes. 

If you start an installment plan between July 1 and the following April 10, the current year's taxes and any supplemental taxes must be paid by April 10 or the payment plan will default. To start an installment plan between April 11 and June 30, all outstanding current year's taxes (plus any penalties and charges) must first be paid in full.

8. Is there a fee to apply for the installment plan?

No, currently there is no fee for applying.

9. When may I start a payment plan?

You can start a payment plan after the date on which the property has become tax defaulted (June 30) and within five years of that date.  On the fifth year, your property becomes subject to the power of sale and a payment plan is no longer an option.  The Redemption amount must be paid in full as a single payment in order to redeem the property from the tax sale.

If you wish detailed information about a payment plan of redemption, contact the Tax Collector's Office at (925) 608-9500.

10. How often will I be required to make payments on the installment plan?

Under the installment plan you are required to make at least one payment each year for five years, in addition to paying each year's annual taxes. By April 10 of each year you must have paid a sum total of 20% or more of the plan, plus interest (which accrues at the rate of 1-1/2% per month on the unpaid balance once the plan).  If you do not pay the required amount of the plan or do not pay your current Secured Property or Supplemental Property taxes, if applicable, on or before April 10 of each year, then your installment plan will default.

You can, however, pay the total unpaid balance plus accrued interest any time before the fifth and final payment is due.

11. Does interest continue to accrue while participating in the installment plan?

Yes. Interest continues to accrue at a rate 1.5% per month (18% APR) on the unpaid balance.

12. If my installment plan defaults, may I start another one?

If your installment plan defaults due to failure to make the plan payment
or current year tax payment before the end of the fiscal year, you may
begin another installment plan provided less than five (5) years have
elapsed since the original tax default date. However, your next installment payment plan may not be started until July 1 of the following fiscal year.  You may NEVER start a payment plan in the fiscal year the property becomes subject to the power of sale. 

To start the new plan, you must pay at least 20% of the Redemption amount plus any current year and/or supplemental taxes that are due. Any payment(s) made on the previous (defaulted) plan will be applied toward the initial payment, but any interest savings that were achieved will be forfeited.

When you begin an installment plan, you have five (5) years to pay the full redemption amount. It is to your advantage not to default on an annual installment plan, as there are additional penalties. When a second installment plan is started, the minimum payment amounts are recalculated as though there had been no previous annual payment plan.

13. Do my installment payments cover my current annual taxes?

No. Your installment payments NEVER include your current year's taxes, which must be paid separately.

14. If I'm in foreclosure, who is responsible for the tax bill?

The taxpayer is responsible for the property tax bills.  However, unpaid real estate property taxes remain with the property.