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Treasurer
Department Staff
JoAnne Friberg, County Treasurer,
Property Lister, and Land Information Contact |
|
Donna
Liebergen, Deputy Treasurer |
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| 501 Lake Avenue |
| P.O. Box 410 |
| Florence, WI 54121 |
| (715) 528-3204 |
| (715) 528-4762 FAX |
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| Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m.- Noon and 12:30- 4:00 p.m. |
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| On-line real estate tax payments: |
For all real estate tax payments made to the Florence
County Treasurer (these include all delinquent tax
payments and all current tax payments made after
February 1 of each year), credit card and electronic
check payments can be made through a service provided by
Official Payments Corporation. Payments can be made
on-line at
www.witreasurers.org or by calling toll-free
1-800-272-9829; Florence County’s tax jurisdiction code
is 5896, which is required for processing.
Although Florence County does not charge for this
service, Official Payments Corporation charges a
convenience fee, as follows: 2.75% of the total paid by
credit card (minimum fee of $1.00), or $2.75 for each
electronic check up to $10,000 ($15.00 fee for e-checks
$10,000 and over). Please note: payments made to the
Town Treasurers cannot be processed through this
service.
For questions concerning on-line payments, the amount
due on tax bills, and Lottery/Gaming Credit eligibility,
please contact the Florence County Treasurer’s Office. |
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| County Land Sales: |
The Florence County Forestry Department handles all
county land sales. To get information on their next sale
and/or to get on their mailing list, please go to
“Forestry and
Parks” on this web site.
Please note: Florence County uses the In-Rem procedure
for foreclosing on delinquent real estate taxes that are
at least 3-years old. The process commences in January
each year, and is usually completed by the following
November. Once Florence County becomes the legal owner
of the property, the information is forwarded to the
Forestry Department for the next county land sale. |
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| State of Wisconsin programs/information for
property owners: |
The Lottery/Gaming Credit program offers
homeowners a direct credit (reduction) on their real
estate tax bill every year. Homeowners in Wisconsin who
use the home as their primary residence on January 1 of
the year in which property taxes are levied should see
the credit on their tax bill. If you feel that you
qualify for the credit, but there is not one on your tax
bill, contact your local treasurer for a claim form
before January 31st. For more detailed information on
this program, please go to the web site
http://www.dor.state.wi.us/
and go to Government –
Property Owners – Property Tax – Frequently Asked
Questions – Lottery and Gaming Credit.
A “Guide for Property Owners” and the
“Property Assessment Appeal Guide for Wisconsin Real
Property Owners” are two very informative and
helpful handbooks that the Department of Revenue offers
every year. Both can be found at their web site
http://www.dor.state.wi.us/ (under Publications –
Government – Property Tax) and can be downloaded in
Adobe Acrobat format.
Wisconsin’s Forest Tax Laws encourage sustainable
forestry practices on private lands by providing
property tax incentives to landowners. Detailed
information on the current “Managed Forest Law”
program can be found at the Department of Natural
Resources web site
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/ (go directly to a
program – Forestry – Our Forest Lands – Forest Tax
Laws).
Military personnel on active duty, either out-of-state
or overseas, for extended periods that include the due
date for real estate taxes are eligible to defer payment
of their taxes under the provisions of the Soldiers’ and
Sailors’ Civil Relief Act of 1940 and Wisconsin Statute
45.53. If a property owner’s ability to pay the real
estate taxes has been materially adversely affected by
reason of his/her military service, then the tax
collection process may be suspended and no interest (as
per WI Statute 74.47) will accrue for a period not
exceeding six (6) months after termination of active
duty.
Any person seeking such relief may apply to the Florence
County Treasurer by completing the required form and
submitting it to the Treasurer, along with a copy of
his/her military orders.
Farmland converted to non-farm use became subject to a
new use-value penalty formula on January 1, 2003. The
penalty is imposed on those who change the use of
agricultural property. Under the new formula, the
penalty is the difference between the average market
value of cropland sold in the county and the use-value
amount of that land. The penalty is applied at different
rates based on the number of acres converted. The
assessor reviews the classification changes and
identifies parcels subject to use penalty and notifies
the County Treasurer after the Board of Review.
Under the use-value law, sellers are required to give
buyers notice that the land has been assessed as
agricultural land, whether a penalty has been assessed
on the land, or whether there is a penalty deferral on
the land. For more detailed information on this law,
please go to the Department of Revenue’s web site
http://www.dor.state.wi.us/
(under Government –
Property Owners – Property Tax – Frequently Asked
Questions – Use-Value Penalty).
All 50 states in the United States have “unclaimed
property laws”. The State of Wisconsin enacted such
a law in 1970 to protect the unclaimed property and
return it to its rightful owners or their heirs.
“Unclaimed property” can be any financial asset that has
had no activity by its owner for a period of 5 years or
more. This may include savings accounts, checking
accounts, un-cashed dividends, stocks, CD’s, paid-up
life insurance policies, and the contents of safe
deposit boxes. It does not include real estate. For more
detailed information or to search the unclaimed funds
database, go to the State Treasurer’s web site
www.ost.state.wi.us and click on the “Unclaimed
Property” heading. |
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Florence
County Treasurer