Q: How much are my property taxes and what is a mill?

A: The Ouachita Parish Tax Assessor's Office will assess the value of your property. Once the assessed value of your property has been determined, multiply it by the appropriate millage rate for the area in which you live. Millage is the tax rate expressed in decimal form.

• A mill is one-tenth of one cent. (.001)
• 1 mill = $0.001
• 10 mills = one penny or $0.01
• 100 mills = ten cents or $0.10
• 1,000 mills = one dollar or $1

For example:
$100,000 (Appraised Value) X (Residential Rate: 10%) = $10,000 (Assessed Value)
$10,000 (Assessed Value) X .02715 (City Millage Rate of 27.15 mills) = $271.50 (Tax Amount)

Another way to view it is that for every $1,000 of assessed value, the tax is $27.15

MILLAGE DISTRIBUTION (2009)

Q: Why am I being billed for taxes even though I received my notice from the parish that my property is homestead exempt?

A: The homestead exemption only affects a customer's parish property taxes. The exemption does not apply to the City of Monroe property taxes and therefore the taxes due are based on the full assessed property value.

Q: Who do I contact concerning my homestead exemption status?

A: The Ouachita Parish Tax Assessor's Office at 318-327-1300.

Q: Why did my property taxes increase?

A: This answer depends on your particular situation. There could be an increase in the assessed value of the property or an increase in the tax rate.

Q: Doesn't the parish collect property taxes for the city?

A: No. The city and parish are two separate taxing authorities and each collects their own tax.

Q: What is the assessed value of a piece of property?

A: For this information, you will need to contact the Ouachita Parish Tax Assessor's Office at 318-327-1300.

Q: Can property be sold after non-payment of taxes for one year? Why?

A: Yes. The property owner has until December 31st of the year for which the tax is due to pay with no interest or costs attached. January 1st of the next year the taxes are delinquent. After sufficient notice has been given to the tax debtor, according to law, the tax collector will at the designated time and place conduct a tax sale consisting of properties for which the current year's taxes have not been paid.

Q: Is it legal to add grasscutting and demolition charges to the property tax notice?

A: If a property owner is billed for any such charges, they can be added to the tax notice to be paid along with the taxes. See City ordinances for grasscutting (Code 1958, §§ 14-7, 17-8; Ord. No. 7530, 5-24-83; Ord. No. 9796, 4-28-98) and for demolition (Ord. No. 10,410, 6-8-04).

Q: How can I get grasscutting and/or demolition charges removed from my property tax notice?

A: Grasscutting: The customer must contact the Code Enforcement Department at 318-329-2336. If it is determined that the customer was billed in error, a letter authorizing the adjustment must be executed by Code Enforcement and forwarded to the Tax & Revenue office. Demolition: The customer must contact the Code Enforcement Department and set up a payment agreement. A copy of the agreement accompanied by a cover letter should be forwarded to the Tax & Revenue office before removing the charge.

Q: I owe back taxes on my property. How do I bring them current?

A: If you owe city taxes, call the City of Monroe Tax and Revenue Department - Property Tax Division at 318-329-2367 for a redemption amount. If you owe parish taxes, call the Ouachita Parish Tax Collector's Office at 318-329-1280 for a redemption amount.

Q: How long do I have to redeem my property?

A: You will have three years from the date the Tax Collector's Deed or Adjudication Deed is filed.

Q: I am interested in some property owned by the City of Monroe. How can I purchase the property?

A: (1) A listing of adjudicated property may be obtained from the Tax & Revenue office or from the City of Monroe Legal Department on the 2nd floor of City Hall. The Legal Department can be reached at 318-329-2240.
(2) Contact the Tax & Revenue office (318-329-2220, select Property Tax) to get the amount of taxes, penalties, interest and costs currently due plus the amount for two months in the future.
(3) Go to the Ouachita Parish Tax Collector located on the 1st floor of the Parish Courthouse. Give them the information obtained from step 2 above. There you will obtain the parish taxes, penalties, interest and costs currently due plus the amount for two months in the future.
(4) Head to the Clerk of Court's office located at the opposite end of the hall from the Ouachita Parish Tax Collector's office. Request a Mortgage Certificate and Proces Verbal (an official report of proceedings or facts) on the property. This is the only document that will cost money to obtain. The cost varies from $20 on up depending on the number of names.
(5) Proceed to the City of Monroe Legal Department on the 2nd floor of City Hall. They will calculate the amounts due based on the documents you provide (documents from steps 2 through 4) and go over the entire process with you. If you wish to proceed you will need to bring the funds calculated in order to begin the process.

Q: How do I find property ownership information?

A: You can either contact The Ouachita Parish Tax Assessor's Office at 318-327-1300 or go to the parish courthouse and view the public terminals.

Q: New Owners' Question: (a) Why didn't I receive a tax notice? (b) Am I responsible for paying the redemption amount since the property was sold in the tax sale or is the previous owner responsible?

A: (a) Normally, if there is a change in ownership, the transfer may not have reached the assessor's office prior to the tax roll closing. Therefore, the previous owner and not the new owner receives the property tax notice. (b) You are responsible for the taxes. However, in situations such as this, we advise that you contact the party responsible for the closing of the sale to see if funds were set aside in an escrow account from you and the previous owner to pay the taxes.

Q: Where do I submit a change of address?

A: The change of address has to be done at the Ouachita Parish Tax Assessor's office. The assessor's office is located at the Ouachita Parish Courthouse at 300 Saint John Street in Monroe. 318-327-1300

Q: I paid my property taxes and so did my mortgage company. Will I be refunded?

A: We will refund the second payee. If your tax payment is applied before the mortgage company payment, the mortgage company will receive the refund and you will have to contact them for a refund.

Q: What are the procedures for the tax sale?

A: After all efforts have been made to collect current taxes, we hold a tax sale at 316 Breard Street or another designated location. The prospective taxbuyers sign in and are seated before the sale begins. The Director proceeds by making statements pertinent to the sale and what is required of the taxbuyer if he/she purchases a piece of property. After reading the legal notice as it appears in the paper, the Director proceeds by (1) stating the property owner, (2) the property address with a brief description of the property, (3) the tax sale price and (4) any demolition or grasscutting costs. If a customer is interested in a piece of property, he/she may raise their paddle when the property address and all other information have been read. However, if there is more than one party interested in the property, they do have the opportunity to bid down the interest in the property. Once the sale has ended, the taxbuyer proceeds to the cashier for payment of the property or properties purchased in the sale. When the deeds are filed, a copy will be forwarded to the taxbuyer.

The taxbuyer is responsible for the payment of taxes until the original owner redeems. The taxbuyer is also required to upkeep the lawn if the property is vacant. If the property is redeemed, interest and 5% penalty are added to the amount paid at the tax sale as well as interest on any additional years' taxes were paid by the taxbuyer. If the original owner fails to redeem the property within three years, he/she must go through a lawyer to redeem their property. If the owner fails to redeem within five years, they no longer have any rights to the property. At this time the taxbuyer can file to quiet the title on the property and execute a quitclaim deed.

• Notices will be mailed between the later part of November and the beginning of December of each year.
• The tax sale will be in the month of June after the parish tax sale.

After the tax sale, a certified letter is mailed to each property owner to inform them that their property was either sold to a taxbuyer or adjudicated by the City of Monroe. The owner will receive two additional certified notices over the next two years before he/she can no longer redeem their property through the Tax & Revenue office.

Q: Taxbuyers' Question: Now that I've purchased the property, (a) Can I rent the building or home? (b) If the property needs work, for instance, cutting the grass, boarding up the home or building, and cleaning up the property, are there certain procedures I must follow? (c) Can I move into the house or open a business?

A: (a) Certain legal procedures must be followed in order to take full possession of the property prior to the expiration of the three-year period. Otherwise, one option is to wait until the three year redemption period has expired and then petition the courts to take possession of the property. After the lapse of six months from the date of service of petition and citation, if no proceeding to annul the sale has been instituted, judgment shall be rendered quieting and confirming the title. After five years has expired, the taxbuyer may petition the courts for possession except that the delay for answer shall be ten days instead of six months. (b) Contact the Code Enforcement Department at 318-329-2336. They will inspect and give permission to do the work to the property, if they deem it to be necessary. Immediately following the completion of the authorized work, forward receipts and a copy of the letter from Code Enforcement to the Taxation & Revenue office attention Property Tax so we can collect those funds when the original owner redeems the property. (c) No. See the answer for (a) above regarding taking possession.

For additional information about the laws regarding a property tax sale see Louisiana Revised Statute Title 47. Click here and start at Title 47 Section 2178 for the sale of immovable property.

Click here to view the City of Monroe sales tax packet