Oregon homeowners won’t get break on property taxes amid coronavirus pandemic

A cluster of two-story houses is photographed from the air. They are arranged closely spaced in straight rows.

A neighborhood in Southeast Portland, shown on Saturday, March 10, 2018.Mark Graves/The Oregonian

Oregon homeowners struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic will still have to pay their property taxes by Nov. 16.

While counties collect property taxes, the deadline for the payments is set by Oregon law and can only be modified by action from the Legislature. Counties are required to charge interest on properties with delinquent tax amounts.

Homeowners have the option to pay their property taxes in three quarterly installments or in two installments, but the first payment is still due Nov. 16. Homeowners who make their full payment by Nov. 16 receive a 3% discount.

The three Portland-area counties began mailing property tax statements to approximately 700,000 people over the last week.

Collections have risen by about 5% over the previous tax year in all three Portland-area counties. That increase can be attributed to three factors:

  • An annual 3% increase in assessed value on many properties, which is the percentage that Oregon caps annual increases in the taxable value of property.
  • Revenue from property taxes on new construction
  • New or increased levies from tax measures approved by voters in individual districts.

Property taxes are distributed by counties to all taxing districts within their boundaries. Those include schools, fire protection districts, ports and more.

Property owners who disagree with the county’s valuation of their homes have until Dec. 31 to file an appeal with their county’s Board of Property Tax Appeals. Many mortgage companies pay property taxes on behalf of customers out of escrow accounts. Most counties will send the bill printed on yellow paper if a lender has requested the information to pay.

Oregon homeowners struggling amid the pandemic are currently protected under the state’s foreclosure moratorium. Gov. Kate Brown issued an executive order in August extending the foreclosure moratorium through the end of the year.

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com | @jamiebgoldberg

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