News 12 at 6 o'clock, March 1, 2010

AUGUSTA---The clock is ticking. If you don't pay up, the city could be auctioning off your property.

The city of Augusta is hoping to make money off delinquent property owners to help fill budget gaps. The last auction, held in January, yielded $35,000. City leaders gave property owners a warning for failing to pay their taxes, and the ones who couldn't or wouldn't write a check lost their land.

Augusta is going much bigger this time around. $900,000 worth of property will go to the highest bidders tomorrow. It's all part of a new push to get abandoned property back on the tax books and avoid furloughing county workers at the same time.

"I paid mine," said homeowner Grace Stewart. "Thank God I paid it."

Grace is counting her blessings as the city prepares to auction off delinquent property to the highest bidder.

"And that's not right. It's not right," she said. "And they go home and say they are going to church on Sunday."

Even as Grace pays her taxes, she says avoiding the auction block is hard in this economy.

"It can very well be me," she said. "It took me a little extra time to get the money."

Tax commissioner Steven Kendrick says time is running out.

"We're turning over every rock and looking in every corner in our office to make sure that we find and make people accountable for paying these taxes," he said.

One thing is clear: many of these properties have been abandoned and treated as junkyards. They will take some investment.

The good thing is, the tax sale of 70 properties is expected to bring in $175,000.

"With a budget like we have in our county now we need $175,000 every time we can find it," Kendrick said.

Being able to collect taxes on these properties is part of a larger plan to make up a citywide $5 million shortfall.

"We pay the taxes that are outstanding and we've got a brand new taxpayer, who is obviously interested in paying, who will pay in future years," Kendrick said.

Cleaning up property and collecting taxes...call it city business going on even in tough times.

"It has been rough for me," Grace said. "I thank God that he allowed me to get the money to pay my tax."

The auction is tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock at the Augusta Municipal Building.

To find out what properties are on the list, visit arctax.com. It's not too late to pay your taxes until your property is sold.