Media contact: Lane County Assessor Anette Spickard, 682.4321

For Public Information call (541) 682-4321 or visit www.lanecounty.org/at

Approximately 172,000 statements were mailed to property owners this year. Individuals who have not received a tax statement should call the Assessment and Taxation Department at (541) 682-4321, or obtain copies of their statement online at www.lanecounty.org/at.  

While still early in our 2009-10 collection period, we are experiencing lower collections than in previous years. Assessment and Taxation wants to ensure all taxpayers received a statement and understand the discounts for timely payments and interest charged to delinquent accounts.

Lane County’s “drive up” drop boxes will be available for the deposit of 2009 property tax payments starting today, Nov. 6, 2009. There will be eight locations accepting payments starting today through midnight on Monday, November 16, 2009 (the 15th falls on a Sunday this year).

The white boxes with the green Lane County logo are located as follows:


In Eugene

• Pearl Street – on the east side between Seventh and Eighth Avenues (between City Hall and County Public Service Building)
• Sheldon Library – in Sheldon Plaza, next to Rite Aid (1566 Coburg Rd.)
• Bethel Library - Echo Hollow Plaza, far right drive-through (1990 Echo Hollow Rd.)Amazon Pool – on island off of Hilyard Street (2600 Hilyard St.)

In Springfield
City of Springfield – Enter off A Street, drop box located at the north end of covered parking lot (between Fifth and Sixth Street)

In Cottage Grove

City of Cottage Grove - in front of Community Center (700 E. Gibbs Ave.)

In Junction City
Junction City Public Library – in parking lot north of Library (726 Greenwood St.)

In Florence

Florence Police Department – in front of Police Department (900 Greenwood St.)

“The Department of Assessment and Taxation will again have eight locations open for the convenience of taxpayers in Lane County to drop off their 2009-10 payments,” said Lane County Assessor Anette Spickard.

The boxes will open on November 6, to allow time after the November 3, 2009 Special Election for the boxes to be changed for tax purposes.

“This is a service we are happy we can still provide to the public in various locations within the county,” Spickard said.

Property taxes are payable in three installments. The first payment is due Monday, November 16, 2009. Full payments made by November 16, 2009, will receive a 3 percent discount and two-thirds payments will receive a 2 percent discount on the portion paid. At least one-third payment must be made to avoid interest charges. For people making a two-thirds payment, the remaining third will be due May 17, 2010. For people making one-third payments, the second payment will be due February 16, 2010 and the third payment will be due May 17, 2010.

If property owners choose to mail in their payments, they must be postmarked by midnight on the due date. Post offices in outlying areas often bring the mail to a central location for postmarking, so the postmarks may not be applied on the day mailed.

According to state law, payments postmarked after the due date will lose the applicable discount. Interest is calculated on any past due amounts on the business day following the due date of the respective payment. Accounts with delinquent taxes need to be paid by November 16, 2009 to avoid additional interest charges.

Lane County Assessment and Taxation is able to accept MasterCard, Visa or e-check payments online. This option is only available through our website and not when making payments in person or through the mail. If you wish to make an online payment, please visit our website at www.lanecounty.org/at and click online payments. The bank charges a convenience fee directly to the taxpayer with either a credit card or e-check option. The fees are described on our website.

Our payment windows in the Public Service Building, located on the lower level at      125 E. Eighth Avenue, in Eugene, only accept cash or checks. If you would like a receipt for payment, the Tax Payment Counter is open from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. If you do not need a receipt, you can utilize the drop box next to the Tax Payment Counter. The Public Service Building is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with the exception of Wednesday, November 11, 2009, when the County will be closed in observance of Veteran’s Day.

If you have any questions about your account, you may call our Public Information Line at (541) 682-4321 between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. General Lane County property tax information can be viewed online at www.lanecounty.org/at

If property owners have a mortgage on their property, they should check with their lender to see who is responsible for paying the taxes. This will help taxpayers avoid making duplicate payments.

If your mailing address changes during the tax year, please call us at (541) 682-4321 or email us at assessor@co.lane.or.us with your new information. Addresses are current for property ownership changes recorded with Deeds and Records on or before Friday, October 2, 2009.

Property owners who wish to appeal their real market value, their special assessed value, or assessed value have until December 31, 2009 to file an appeal with the County Board of Property Tax Appeals. Appeal information can be obtained at the County’s Deeds and Records office in the Public Service Building or online at: www.lanecounty.org/Appeals

Lane County collects taxes on behalf of 82 separate taxing districts. They include cities, schools, education service districts, water districts, rural fire districts, urban renewal districts and other taxing districts such as parks and recreation, library, and ambulance districts.