Elkhart County Treasurer

Elkhart County Treasurer
117 N. Second Street, Room 201
Goshen, IN  46526-3296
Phone:  (574) 535-6759
Fax:  (574) 535-6659
Email:  treasurer@elkhartcounty.com
Property Tax Information:  www.elkhartcounty.net

Office Hours (Excluding Holidays):
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Mondays
8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Tuesday – Friday

Larry Ernest, CPA – Treasurer

The County Treasurer’s Office is responsible for billing and collecting property taxes and special assessments on real estate, personal property, and mobile homes located in the County.  This office also receives additional collections from inheritance tax, innkeepers’ tax, and auto and aircraft excise taxes.  These funds are invested until they are distributed to the various taxing units within the County (cities, towns, townships, schools, and libraries) or until they are disbursed for County’s operating expenses.

The County Treasurer maintains the County’s bank accounts and investments, pursues collections of delinquent taxes, and issues permits to move mobile homes or to transfer titles to mobile homes.

Mobile Home Permits – State law (IC 6-1.1-7-10) requires that anyone who wants to transfer title (ownership) of a mobile home or to move a mobile home from one location to another must obtain a mobile home permit.  This permit is issued by the County Treasurer’s office of the county where the mobile home is located.  Either the buyer or seller can be obtained this permit.  You must have this permit before going to the Bureau of Motor Vehicle to transfer the title.  There is no charge for this mobile home permit.  However, all taxes assessed for the current year and all delinquent taxes from prior years, if any, must be paid in full before this permit will be issued.  This permit is valid for 30 days

Moving a mobile home without this permit is a Class C Infraction.

Property Taxes –Property taxes for real estate and personal property are due in two installments; the Spring Installment is normally due by May 10 and the Fall Installment is due by November 10.  The due date for the Spring Installment for 2008 has not been determined.  Any unpaid balance remaining after those dates will be assessed a penalty, usually of 5% or 10%.  Property owners are responsible for seeing that these taxes are paid on time to avoid the penalty.  Not receiving a property tax bill is not sufficient reason to waive the penalty.

Taxpayers can view their property tax information and pay those taxes on-line at www.elkhartcounty.net or by calling 1-800-809-5849.

Storm Water User Fees – Beginning in 2007, all property in the cities of Elkhart and Goshen, the Town of Bristol, and all unincorporated areas of Elkhart County will be charged a Storm Water User Fee.  This annual fee will be due when the spring installment of property taxes is due.  The storm water user fees will pay for the regulation, planning, operation, maintenance, repair, replacement, and improvement of the existing and future storm water systems.  Questions regarding this fee should be directed to Department of the Storm Water Management of the respective city, town or county.

Exemptions – Owners of real estate may be entitled to one or more deductions which would reduce their property taxes.  These exemptions include: Homestead, Mortgage, Age (over 65), Veterans, Blind or Disabled, Geothermal, and Rehabilitated Property.  Questions regarding eligibility and filing requirement for these exemption/deductions should be directed to the County Auditor’s Office (574) 535-6710.

Each property owner is responsible for keeping the status of these exemptions/deductions current.

Tax Sale – Real property with delinquent taxes and/or special assessments from prior years may be subject to tax sale.  The date for the 2008 tax sale has not been determined.  Bidders are strongly advised to become familiar with the applicable statutes dealing with tax sales (IC 6-1.1-24-1 et seq. and IC 6-1.1-25-1 et seq.) and to seek competent legal advice if questions or uncertainties arise.  A copy of these statutes can be obtained at www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/.  An informational pamphlet on tax sales will be available prior to the sale from the County Auditor’s Office (574) 535-6720.  The list of the properties included in this sale will be posted at www.sri-taxsale.com at least three weeks prior to the sale and will be advertised in two local newspapers, The (Elkhart) Truth and The Goshen News.