NOTICE
UPCOMING JUNE 2023 RESALE AUCTION INFORMATION:
For further questions, please contact our office at 918-542-8232.
COUNTY TREASURER DUTIES
The County Treasurer serves as the chief financial officer for the county and administers all county monies. All the revenues received by the county from ad valorem taxes and other sources are deposited with the County Treasurer who makes deposits and maintains records of all deposits. Daily deposits are made into interest bearing accounts in banks designated by the Board of County Commissioners as county depositories. All monies received by the County Treasurer are recorded in the Treasurer's General Ledger and credited to the proper fund. A corresponding set of books is maintained by the County Clerk. All revenues are fully collateralized by government securities or are FDIC insured. Collections are balanced on a daily, monthly and year-to-date basis.
The County Treasurer also redeems county warrants, makes prudent investments of county money, issues receipts, and collects fees for various activities in that office.
By law, the County Treasurer exercises the power to collect ad valorem taxes for the county and its political subdivisions (such as schools, cities and towns, and special assessment districts). The County Treasurer works from the tax roll prepared by the County Assessor. The County Treasurer is also empowered to issue delinquent personal property tax warrants, to supervise the sale of a tax lien on real property for delinquent taxes, and to sell property for delinquent taxes. The County Treasurer does NOT determine the amount of any tax. Taxable values are determined by the County Assessor and the County Equalization Board. Tax rates (sometimes referred to as "millage rates") are set by the Excise Board. Taxes are based upon budgets submitted by taxing jurisdictions, and include the amounts necessary to pay bonded indebtedness approved by a vote of the people. After collection, revenues are disbursed by the
Treasurer. Funds are disbursed to Public Schools, Vo-Tech, municipalities within Ottawa County, and Ottawa County Government.
To account for county revenues and expenditures, the County Treasurer is required to maintain an accurate record of all the monies received and disbursed, and to prepare daily and monthly reports and quarterly financial statements for review by both state and county officials. The Office of the State Auditor and Inspector prescribes all the forms used by the County Treasurer, and at least twice a year inspects the County Treasurer’s accounts.
The County Treasurer may be custodian of school district funds when a board of education does not choose to appoint its own treasurer. In addition, the County Treasurer may serve as the treasurer for any incorporated city or town (with a population of 5,000 or less) within the county.
O.S. 68 1997 § 2913-2916
The tax statements are mailed in November or early December. If you do not receive your statements by mid-December, please contact our office immediately. Please verify that you have received all of your statements and that everything is correct. However; failure to receive a tax statement does not exempt any person who is subject to taxation from paying taxes. O.S.68 1997 ss 2915.
The County Assessor determines property values and calculations of taxes. The Treasurer's Office collects the tax payments based on the amounts set by the County Assessor. If you have any questions regarding the assessed value/calculations of your taxes, please contact the County Assessor's Office.
Taxes must be paid in full or half by December 31st. If you choose to pay half, you must pay the first half by December 31st, and the second half by March 31st. Statements that are $25 or less must be paid in full. If your taxes are not paid by December 31, penalty accrues at 1-1/2 percent per month until taxes are paid. Penalty on second half starts in April and accrues at 1-1/2 percent per month until taxes are paid in full. Some counties grant a 15-day grace period. In these counties penalty and interest accrue from the 16th of the month.
If you enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope, a receipt will be mailed back to you. You may also print your receipt online by locating your tax item(s) and clicking on your name. Please allow 5-7 days for payments to be reflected online. If you need assistance with our website, please contact the County Treasurer's Office.
If your mortgage company is responsible for paying your taxes through an escrow account, the statement will be sent directly to the mortgage company. You will not receive a statement. If you receive a tax statement that should be paid by your mortgage company, please forward it to them immediately. Most mortgage payments are not received in our office until the end of December and may not be credited until the first part of January. To verify that your taxes have been paid, locate your tax item(s) online and click on the tax amount. To print a receipt, click on your name.
The County Treasurer must hold a tax resale to sell any real estate for which the county has a held a tax lien for two full years (4 years delinquent taxes). A tax resale involves the outright purchase of property on which taxes are delinquent.
The tax resale is held each year on the second Monday of June by the County Treasuer's Office. The property is auctioned off to the highest bidder. Bid begins with the amount of all delinquent taxes, penalties, fees, and costs. In the event no purchase is made on a property, the property is deeded to the County.
The sale will start immediately after bidders have completed registration (at the sale). Full payment is required the day of sale and must be in the form of cash or cashiers check (payable to Ottawa County Treasurer). As the resale approaches the sale date, a property list can be viewed and printed on www.oktaxrolls.com (under 'Menu'), and is subject to change daily. Please research properties prior to sale, as properties will be sold 'AS-IS'.
The County Treasurer may sell property deeded to the county after a Tax Resale upon receiving a bid on that property. The sale is subject to approval by the Board of County Commissioners, which has the power to reject any and all bids.
Any bidder must place a deposit with the County Treasurer's office to recover the cost of advertising the sale.
At the sale, the property is auctioned to the highest bidder for cash or certified funds. Before closing the sale, the successful bidder must pay any additional costs of advertising and County Clerk's recording fees not covered by the deposit. If these costs are less than the deposit, the difference will be refunded to the bidder.
We strongly recommend that you research the property(s) for any existing liens, confirm if it's in a floodplain, if it has 'undivided' interest, or can be constructed on prior to placing a bid, as properties are sold 'AS-IS' and bid deposit is non-refundable. A property list can be viewed and printed on www.oktaxrolls.com (under 'Menu'), and is subject to change daily.
While the Treasurer's Office makes every effort to ensure accuracy, any error contained herein does not constitute a waiver of any tax amounts by or for the County.
