Stevens County Treasurer

*All forms available on this page must be read with Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is a free download. If you have trouble accessing any forms, request them from the County Treasurer at sv.county.treasurer@wan.kdor.state.ks.us
or call
(620) 544-2542

Tax bills are mailed on or soon after November 15. The first half is due by December 20. If the first half is not paid by then, it begins to accrue interest. If the first half is paid by December 20, the last half will be due by May 10 of the following year. Second half reminders are mailed around the first of May.

Real Estate Taxes:
After December 20 and until May 10, the first half payment plus interest can be paid. If not paid by May 10, the full tax plus interest must be paid. There is no longer the option of paying the first half. If taxes are due and unpaid for three years, the property is subject to a tax foreclosure suit by the County. The property can then be sold at public auction. Anyone that has delinquent real estate taxes in the county cannot bid at these auctions.

Personal Property Taxes:
After December 20 the full amount of personal property taxes are due plus interest. Full unpaid personal property taxes are sent to the Sheriff for collection in March. If the first half taxes are paid in December, the second half is due May 10. Second half unpaid personal property taxes are sent to the Sheriff for collection in August.

All tax bill corrections are issued by the Stevens County Appraiser. The County Treasurer's office receives this information and issues a corrected real estate or personal property tax bill. Reductions will be reflected on the second half payment if taxes are not paid in full. Fully paid taxes with a reduction will create an overage resulting in a refund.

1. If you have not had a meeting with the County Appraiser on the valuation of your property for the same tax year, you can file a protest. Protest forms are available from the County Treasurer or online (above on this page).

2. Please read and follow the instructions on the form carefully for a successful appeal. Note: If the protest form is received in the Treasurer's office unsigned, the protest will be considered invalid and will be returned to you. The delay may jeopardize your chances for a hearing.

3. Tax protest forms must be completed, then signed in front of a Notary Public before sending to the Treasurer's office on or before December 20. If the taxes are paid by an escrow agent in full (not first half), you have until January 31 of the following year to file your protest.

4. You must keep a copy of the notarized protest form. You will need to use this form to file the protest with the Board of Tax Appeals if you are not satisfied with the County's decision.

5. The County Appraiser will contact you to schedule an informal meeting after the County Treasurer forwards your protest form to the Appraiser. If you are filing a protest on the basis of an illegal tax levy, an Appendix must be completed and attached to the protest form. Those protest forms will be mailed by the Treasurer to the State Board of Tax Appeals. No informal hearing will be held with the Appraiser in the case of illegal tax levies.

6. If you are successful in your appeal and your taxes are reduced and result in a refund, payment will be issued upon the Treasurer receiving a correction from the County Appraiser's office.

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Mortgage Company Payments

If you have an escrow account for your real estate taxes with a mortgage company, the mortgage company should receive the tax statement. If you do receive the tax statement instead of the mortgage company, we ask you to forward it to the mortgage company so they can pay taxes from the escrow account. We also ask you to have your current mortgage company notify the County Treasurer's office so that we can get the correct billing information from them.

Mortgage companies are required by Federal Law to make half payments, so they will be paying taxes on or before December 20 and on or before May 10.

Past due notices are sent to the homeowner, not to the escrow agent. If the mortgage company was to have paid these taxes, you must inform them that the Treasurer's office for the County did not receive the payment. If there are any questions, the mortgage company needs to call the County Treasurer's office at 620-544-2542.

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Delinquent Taxes

Delinquent real estate taxes not paid within three years are referred to the County Counselor for foreclosure action, thus putting the property in jeopardy of being sold at auction.

Publication of Delinquent Real Estate Taxes:
Prior to current year delinquent taxes being put in the delinquent records of the Stevens County Treasurer, they are published in the official county newspaper (as designated by the Board of County Commissioners*) for three consecutive weeks in August in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 79-2301 to 79-2323a.

Publication of Delinquent Personal Property Taxes:
Personal Property taxes that are unpaid October 1 of the current tax year are published in compliance with K.S.A. 19-547 for three consecutive weeks in October in the official county newspaper (as designated by the Board of County Commissioners*).

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Mill Levies

The mill levy is the tax rate applied to the assessed value. One mill is one dollar per $1,000 of assessed value. Since 1996 the Legislature and Governor have reduced the statewide USD levy from 35 mills to 20 mills. The County Clerk computes the mill levies for cash local taxing authority by dividing the portion of the taxing authority's budget that is property tax funded by the taxable assessed value in the taxing authority's service area. You can access our local tax levy breakdown above on this page.

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Revenue from Property Tax Levies

Local taxing authorities do not receive more money by raising property values. Changes in property values do not change the amount of tax dollars needed for local services. A local taxing authority has authority to levy tax on property within its jurisdiction based on the amount of money needed to provide public services. The local taxing authorities' budgets are published, public hearings are completed, and budgets are set in August of each year.

The following is a list of the most common taxing authorities:

Cemetery
City
County
State
School Districts

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When should I receive my tax bill?
A. You should receive your real estate and personal property tax statement for the current year by the middle part of November. If only the first half of the current year taxes are paid in December, the second half tax reminders are mailed out May 1. If the full amount was paid in December, you should not receive a second half reminder.

Q. What if my mortgage company pays my real estate taxes and I received the tax bill?
A. If you have an escrow account for your real estate taxes with a mortgage company, the mortgage company should receive the tax statement. If you do receive the tax statement instead of the mortgage company, we ask you to forward it to the mortgage company so they can pay taxes from the escrow account. We also ask you to have your current mortgage company notify the County Treasurer's office so that we can get the correct billing information from them.

Q. What should I do if I don't receive a tax bill?
A. If you are to receive a statement but do not by the end of November, please contact the County Treasurer's office at 620-544-2542.

Q. When are my real estate taxes due?
A. If you are responsible for paying taxes on a home or other real estate property, the full amount could be paid or the half amount on or before December 20 of that tax year. If the first half is paid, the second half of that year's taxes are due on or before May 10 of the following year.

Mortgage companies are required by Federal Law to make half payments, so they will be paying taxes on or before December 20 and on or before May 10.

Q. What happens if I don't pay my real estate taxes on time?
A. If the first half of the current year real estate taxes are not paid by December 20, interest will start accruing December 21.

If the mortgage company was to have paid these taxes, you must inform them that the Treasurer's office for the County did not receive the payment. If there are any questions, the mortgage company needs to call the County Treasurer's office at 620-544-2542.

You or the mortgage company can pay the first half of the current year taxes with interest up until May 10. After May 10, if the first half of the real estate taxes has not been paid, the full amount of the current year tax plus interest will have to be paid. If the current year tax has not been paid by the first of August, there will be an additional fee of $16.00 for advertising. Stevens County is required by Kansas State law (KSA79-2303) to publish a list of unpaid real estate taxes.

If taxes go unpaid by the first Tuesday after the first Monday in September, taxes will be put on the delinquent tax roll, and it becomes a lien on the real estate. If you want to pay delinquent years, Kansas State Law (KSA79-2401A) requires that the most delinquent year be paid first. Example: If you have taxes owing for 1993, 1994, and 1995, the full amount for 1993 must be paid before payment for the 1994 and 1995, or, of course, you can pay all the years at once.

Q. When would my real estate property be up for tax sale?
A. Real estate property taxes three years delinquent are subject to a tax foreclosure action and public sale.

Q. When are my personal property taxes due?
A. The first half of the personal property taxes are due on or before December 20. If you pay the first half of the personal property taxes in December, the second half is due on or before May 10 of the following year.

Q. What happens if I don't pay my personal property taxes on time?
A. If the first half of the personal property taxes are not paid by December 20, the full tax amount plus interest becomes due, starting December 21. Delinquent notices for personal property are sent out the third week in February. If they are not paid, warrants are issued. Warrants are issued 30 days after notices are mailed. Tax warrants go to the County Sheriff for collection of delinquent taxes, interest, and sheriff fees.

If you paid the first half of your personal property taxes on time, the second half of the personal property taxes are due on or before May 10. If these taxes are not paid by May 10, interest will begin to accrue.

Delinquent personal property tax notices are mailed on or before July 27. If they are not paid, tax warrants are issued by August 15. All delinquent personal property tax must be paid at the County Treasurer's office. Kansas State Law (KSA79-2017) requires delinquent personal property to be advertised in October. If you have any previous years owing on personal property tax, they must be paid at the County Treasurer's office.

Q. What is the interest charged on delinquent taxes?
A. At the current time, it is 8% annually. This is subject to change without notice.

Q. Can I make partial payments on my taxes?
A. No. Depending on the time of year, you can only make half or full payment. Partial payments can only be made through the Tax Escrow Program or the Delinquent Tax Payment Program.

Q. What type of payment is acceptable for tax payment?
A. You may use a personal check, money order, cashier's check or cash.

Q. To whom do I make my check out?
A. For real estate and personal property tax statements and reminders, make checks payable to Stevens County Treasurer. For personal property tax warrants, checks should be made out to Stevens County Treasurer.

Q. Where can I pay real estate and personal property taxes?
A. You may pay your taxes at our office located at the Treasurer's Office, County Courthouse, 200 E. 6th, Hugoton, Ks. 67951.

Q. To where can I mail my tax payment?
A. The Stevens County Treasurer, 200 E. 6th, Hugoton, Ks. 67951.