Sec. 12-146. Tax, when delinquent. Interest. Waiver of interest, when.
Sec. 12-146. Tax, when delinquent. Interest. Waiver of interest, when. Unless
the context otherwise requires, wherever used in this section, "tax" includes each property tax and each installment and part thereof due to a municipality as it may have been
increased by interest, fees and charges. If any tax due in a single installment or if any
installment of any tax due in two or more installments is not paid in full (1) on or before
the first day of the month next succeeding the month in which it became due and payable,
or if not due and payable on the first day of the month, (2) on or before the same date
of the next succeeding month corresponding to that of the month on which it became
due and payable, the whole or such part of such installment as is unpaid shall thereupon
be delinquent and shall be subject to interest from the due date of such delinquent installment. Except for unpaid real estate taxes the collection of which was, or is, deferred
under the provisions of section 12-174, and any predecessor and successor thereto,
which unpaid real estate taxes continue to be subject to the provisions of such deferred
collection statutes, the delinquent portion of the principal of any tax shall be subject to
interest at the rate of eighteen per cent per annum from the time when it became due
and payable until the same is paid, subject to a minimum interest charge of two dollars
which any municipality, by vote of its legislative body, may elect not to impose, and
provided, in any computation of such interest, under any provision of this section, each
fractional part of a month in which any portion of the principal of such tax remains
unpaid shall be considered to be equivalent to a whole month. Each addition of interest
shall become, and shall be collectible as, a part of such tax. Interest shall accrue at said
rate until payment of such taxes due notwithstanding the entry of any judgment in favor
of the municipality against the taxpayer or the property of the taxpayer. Except as hereinafter specified for taxes representing two or more items of property, the collector shall
not receive any partial payment of a delinquent tax which is less than the total accrued
interest on the principal of such tax up to the date of payment and shall apply each partial
payment to the wiping out of such interest before making any application thereof to the
reduction of such principal; provided, whenever the first partial payment is made after
delinquency, interest from the due date of such delinquent tax to the date of such partial
payment shall be figured on the whole or such part of the principal of such tax as is
unpaid at the beginning of delinquency and provided, whenever a subsequent partial
payment of such tax is made, interest shall be figured from the date of payment of the
last-preceding, to the date of payment of such subsequent, partial payment on the whole
or such balance of the principal of such tax as remains unpaid on the date of the last-preceding partial payment. If any tax, at the time of assessment or because of a subsequent division, represents two or more items of property, the collector may receive
payment in full of such part of the principal and interest of such tax as represents one
or more of such items, even though interest in full on the entire amount of the principal
of such tax has not been received up to the date of such payment; in which event, interest
on the remaining portion of the principal of any such tax shall be computed, as the case
may be, from the due date of such tax if no other payment after delinquency has been
made or from the last date of payment of interest in full on the whole amount or unpaid
balance of the principal of such delinquent tax if previous payment of interest has been
made. Each collector shall keep a separate account of such interest and the time when the
same has been received and shall pay over the same to the treasurer of the municipality of
the collector as a part of such tax. No tax or installment thereof shall be construed to be
delinquent under the provisions of this section if the envelope containing the amount
due as such tax or installment, as received by the tax collector of the municipality to
which such tax is payable, bears a postmark showing a date within the time allowed by
statute for the payment of such tax or installment. Any municipality may, by vote of its
legislative body, require that any delinquent property taxes applicable with respect to
a motor vehicle shall be paid only in cash or by certified check or money order. Any
municipality adopting such requirement may provide that such requirement shall only
be applicable to delinquency exceeding a certain period in duration as determined by
such municipality. Any municipality shall waive all or a portion of the interest due and
payable under this section on a delinquent tax with respect to a taxpayer who has received
compensation under chapter 968 as a crime victim.
(1949 Rev., S. 1828; 1969, P.A. 54, S. 2; P.A. 73-494, S. 1, 2; 73-508; P.A. 74-247, S. 1, 2; P.A. 75-296, S. 1, 3; P.A.
80-468, S. 2, 3; P.A. 81-44, S. 2, 3; P.A. 82-141, S. 2, 4; P.A. 83-361, S. 1, 3; P.A. 84-257, S. 1, 2; 84-282, S. 3; P.A. 85-286, S. 1, 2; P.A. 99-128, S. 2; P.A. 00-200, S. 2; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 58; P.A. 04-126, S. 1.)
History: 1969 act increased interest rate from 6% to 9%; P.A. 73-494 set minimum interest charge of $2: P.A. 73-508
deleted "tax or" in phrase "tax or installment" and deleted provision that installments following first delinquent installment
be considered delinquent and due as of date of first delinquent installment, thus each becomes delinquent if not paid on
its own due date; P.A. 74-247 made imposition of $2 minimum interest charge dependent on vote of municipality's
legislative body; P.A. 75-296 changed interest rate from 9% to 12%; P.A. 80-468 established three levels of interest: 12%
for maximum liability of $3,000, 15% for liability over $3,000 and 18% for liability over $3,000 remaining unpaid on
second anniversary of assessment list for which tax was levied; P.A. 81-44 established interest on delinquent taxes at 15%
per annum for taxes due on or after July 1, 1981, replacing differential rates based on amount owed; P.A. 82-141 increased
rate of interest from 15% to 18% per annum applicable to interest payable on or after July 1, 1982; P.A. 83-361 provided
for (1) clarification that any fractional part of a calendar month is equivalent to a whole month in computing interest
applicable to delinquent taxes and (2) deletion of provision allowing partial payments within 31 days to be considered as
paid in the calendar month within such period, effective July 1, 1983, and applicable to any determination of interest on
delinquent taxes on or after said date; P.A. 84-257 allowed municipalities to require that delinquent motor vehicle property
taxes be paid only in cash or by certified check or money order; P.A. 84-282 added provision that interest shall accrue
until payment of taxes due notwithstanding the entry of any judgment in favor of municipality against the taxpayer or his
property; P.A. 85-286 added Subdiv. (1) for purposes of clarification as to when a tax due and payable on the first day of
a month becomes delinquent, effective June 4, 1985, and applicable to the assessment year in any municipality commencing
October 1, 1985, and each assessment year thereafter; P.A. 99-128 added provision permitting municipality to waive all
or portion of interest due on delinquent tax of taxpayer who has received compensation as a crime victim; P.A. 00-200
made technical changes, deleted provision allowing municipality, by vote of its legislative body, to waive delinquent
interest for taxpayer who was a crime victim or the family of a deceased victim and added provision making such waiver
mandatory; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 added provision authorizing municipality to require a delinquent taxpayer pay a
fee of $5, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-126 deleted provision re fee to be paid if town had reported delinquency to
the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, effective July 1, 2004.
See Sec. 1-2a re construing of references to "United States mail" or "postmark" to include references to any delivery
service designated by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to Section 7502 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any
successor to the code, as amended, and to any date recorded or marked as described in said Section 7502 by a designated
delivery service and construing of "registered or certified mail" to include any equivalent designated by the Secretary of
the Treasury pursuant to said Section 7502.
Taxes carry interest only by statute. 67 C. 162. Appeal does not suspend running of interest. 72 C. 599. Cited. 123 C. 548.
Rate of interest under section is compensatory and not punitive. 45 CS 283.