The deadline is looming ever near for those with delinquent 2019 property taxes to pay what they owe, and Warren County Chancery Clerk Donna Hardy is pleading with the public to contact her office.

“You still have 598 parcels out there that are delinquent on their 2019 property taxes,” Hardy said.

The majority of what is delinquent, she added, is classified as a homestead, but there are also a handful of businesses and developers that choose to wait until the last minute to pay their 2019 property taxes.

Until the deadline on Aug. 31, Hardy said, the name of the game is making contact.

“We’re on the phone. We’re calling as many people as we have phone numbers for,” she said. “But the reality is, if you’re a first-timer to our system, we may not have a number for you. And some mail is being returned.”

While Hardy said it would be difficult to quantify the total amount of property taxes owed for 2019 in Warren County, she said so far each landowner has been charged approximately $65 apiece in correspondence.

“These efforts include certified mail (notices) that are costing you close to $7 apiece — for those to be returned, it’s really discouraging,” she said. “I encourage anybody who’s reading the newspaper to call us. See if you owe something. See if your name is listed. Go to the Warren County website.

“We have a link there,” she added. “Find your name and if you can’t do that, call us at 601-636-4415, and we’ll tell you if you owe something or not.”

Hardy said it’s not uncommon for landowners, especially those with large parcels of land, to wait until the last minute to pay their property taxes. However, her office’s concern is the individuals who might not be familiar with the process or are unaware that they are delinquent.

“I always worry about the guy who, this is his first time,” Hardy said. “And his property could be taken from him without him even knowing it.”

A complete list of individuals who are delinquent on their property taxes can be found in the Aug. 20-21 Weekend edition of The Vicksburg Post. Vicksburg Post subscribers can view the list online by visiting vicksburgpost.com/epost.