For some people, the month of March means great college basketball; for others it’s a chance to drink a lot on Saint Patrick’s Day without being judged.

However, for the Guilford County Tax Department, it’s the month where tax employees bring public shame on those who didn’t pay their Guilford County property taxes by the deadline, which this year fell on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

The bills came out in July of 2024, so property owners had plenty of time to pay their bills, but now those who didn’t will be on the Tax Department’s public naughty list that includes those people and organizations that didn’t meet that deadline.

The naming of people who haven’t paid up is essentially public shaming with a purpose: It’s meant to encourage stragglers to pay their bills on time in the future, and it’s also an effort to get them to pay the bill before the Tax Department takes their houses away – something the department is not hesitant to do as a last-ditch effort to get those taxes you owe.

The list of taxpayers will be posted on the county’s website sometime in the next few weeks, and, in the past, it’s been even more embarrassing for those who have not paid. Years ago, the list was published in newspapers of record, however, that got to be expensive because the county had to buy up many pages of the News & Record every year.

County tax departments were once required by law to post the list of delinquent payers in a local paper of record.

In recent years, the county has been able to move to a much less expensive model – posting the list on the county’s website and sending copies to the media in the form of a press release.

If you haven’t paid your 2024 taxes yet and don’t want to be on the list – well, too bad. Paying now won’t get you off the list since the names that will be posted on the county’s website are the names of those who didn’t meet the early January deadline for payment.

Many nosy county residents like to read through the list each year and see if any friends, neighbors or political enemies made the list. Years ago, quite a few Guilford County commissioners showed up on the list periodically even though the tax department back then would call them up ahead of time and give them a heads-up that they would be named if they didn’t pay up fast.

The list is expected to be posted under the “Legal Notices” link on Guilford County government’s front page.

It is something that happens in every county, across the state, every year.

North Carolina law – NC General Statute 105-369 – requires that the tax director in each county report to the Board of Commissioners every year the total amount of unpaid taxes on real property.

Also, by law, upon receipt of the report of unpaid taxes, “the governing body must order the tax collector to advertise the tax liens that are delinquent.”

In past years, Guilford County Tax Director Ben Chavis has put out the following statement when the list of non-payers was released.

“Under and by virtue of the power vested in me by the laws of the State of North Carolina, particularly by Chapter 806 Session Laws of 1971 and set forth in GS 105-369, and pursuant to the Commissioners of Guilford County, I hereby advertise all real estate properties in the attached document for the unpaid Guilford County taxes, owing for the year [2024, in this case],” he stated.

Chavis adds: “The amounts advertised have been increased by interest and costs and the omission of interest and cost from the amounts advertised will not constitute a waiver of the taxing unit’s claim for those costs. The taxing unit may foreclose the tax liens and sell the real property subject to the liens in satisfaction of its claim for taxes.”

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