62K Notices for Unpaid Property Taxes

San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector Larry Cohen said on May 19 that his office was sending 62,623 notices to property owners who had not paid all of their 2025-26 property taxes. The mailing is a reminder, not a new tax bill, and it comes ahead of a June 30 deadline that determines whether unpaid balances move into default. The county said more than $270 million in late taxes is still outstanding. The office urged taxpayers to pay online through its website, where e-check payments are accepted without an added fee. ### Who is getting these notices, and why now? The 62,623 notices are going to property owners who did not pay all of their 2025-26 property taxes, according to the San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office. Cohen said the notices were being sent this week to remind taxpayers that they still have time to avoid added charges if payment is received by June 30. The May 19 announcement framed the mailing as part of the county’s annual delinquency process. San Diego County’s property taxes are paid in two installments, with the first due in December and the second due in April, the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office said. ### How much money is still unpaid? More than $270 million in late taxes remains due, the county said in its notice. That figure offers the clearest measure of the scale of the delinquency now facing the county before the end-of-June cutoff. Cohen also said the county had already collected 98.55% of first installments and 95.96% of second installments, for a combined 97.25% collected so far for the 2025-26 tax year. He said San Diego County’s year-over-year collection rate is 99%. ### What happens if a property owner does nothing by June 30? July 1 is the key date in the county’s notice. Cohen said unpaid bills will go into default on that date and will receive an additional $33 redemption fee plus penalties of 1.5% each month. The county said each late installment has already incurred a 10% penalty, and a late second installment also carries a $10 fee. Cohen said the monthly penalty after default adds up to 18% per year. ### Does a late bill mean a property can be sold right away? California state law allows tax-defaulted property to be sold only after a longer period than the June 30 deadline. The Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office said properties that have been in default for five years may be sold at a tax sale. That means the notices mailed this week are part of an earlier step in the collection process. The county’s legal notices page lists annual notices of property tax delinquency and impending default, along with separate notices tied to the power to sell tax-defaulted property. ### How can taxpayers check and pay what they owe? The Treasurer-Tax Collector’s website says taxpayers can search for a bill using a parcel number, bill number, mailing address or unsecured bill number. The county said online payment by e-check is free. The county also lists phone support for tax collection questions and a mailing address at the San Diego County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 162, San Diego, California 92101. Cohen said online payment at the county site is the fastest and most secure way to pay. ### What should property owners watch next? June 30, 2026 is the county’s stated deadline to pay unpaid 2025-26 property taxes before default. July 1, 2026 is the date unpaid bills move into default and pick up the additional $33 redemption fee and monthly penalties, according to the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office.