Big Crowds as Seniors Sign Up for Real Estate Property Tax Relief

There's no relief like tax relief.

Some 30,000 people signed up for St. Charles County's Senior Real Estate Property Tax Relief program between March 1 and June 30, when the application process for the current year ended.

The popular program was the result of State and County laws allowing seniors to get relief from yearly real estate tax increases.

All who applied will eventually get notices that their application has been received and reviewed, a process that could take months due to the high volume of applicants.

The Collector of Revenue's office is going through boxes and boxes of paper applications-plus online applications.

"Thank you for your patience in applying," says Collector of Revenue Michelle McBride.

Over the past four months crowds thronged the lobby of the County Administration Building to apply. They waited in chairs or leaned on walls. Extra staff was brought in to help people navigate the check-in system.

Many arrived wondering how to get a copy of their real estate records. They needed proof of ownership to apply.

That caused a spike in requests for the County Recorder of Deeds office, which reports it received more than 10,000 in-office copy requests, more than 6,000 emails, and more than 10,000 phone calls over the past four months.

Eligible applicants had to be 62 years old as of Jan. 1, 2024.

"By the end of summer, we should have all applications reviewed and notices of acceptance or rejections sent out," McBride says.

McBride says the most common problem so far has been people failing to show proof of ownership. Those whose applications are rejected will get instructions on how to fix the problem and have 15 days to reapply.

McBride is also cautioning applicants not to expect tax savings right away. "Under the state law, the savings will start to show up during calendar year 2025, not this year, because this year is the base year," McBride says.

By law, the tax freeze applies to all taxing jurisdictions within the county but does not prevent tax increases related to the State Blind Penson Fund or bond debt approved by voters.

Once an application is approved, senior residents will need to reapply annually for the program. Plans are in the works to streamline the renewal process.

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