# Do your property tax payments go to a named person? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 16, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-property-tax-payments-go-to-a-named-person/641212 "2012-11-16T17:04:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-property-tax-payments-go-to-a-named-person/641212/21 "2012-11-17T06:27:54Z")
> [@Darryl\_Lict](#): > > I assume they are dismissing it as the rants of an unhinged crazy person. Yes, like some of us here as well. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-property-tax-payments-go-to-a-named-person/641212/22 "2012-11-17T09:17:50Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > This law was inspired, in part, by investigations into the dealings of the late Secretary of State Paul Powell who died in 1970 leaving behind a closet filled with shoe boxes (and other containers) holding $800,000 in cash, as well as an estate worth several million dollars. Up until that time, it had been customary to make checks payable to the individual office holders. Yes! My paranoia is vindicated! ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-property-tax-payments-go-to-a-named-person/641212/23 "2012-11-17T13:07:57Z")
For our lake cottage in Kentucky, we make the property tax check out to the Sheriff. He’s not the Treasurer, but it appears he’s the official collector. I have to admit that it’s very effective, because I pay that one early. “Shit, the SWAT team has just surrounded the house. Honey, did you pay the property taxes?” I don’t feel the least bit threatened when I write the check for my primary home. “Roger Reynolds, Auditor” just sounds like a weenie. I’ll bet he doesn’t even own a gun. (Actually, I pay my taxes via e-check. He’d have trouble absconding with it since it (presumably) goes directly into the county’s account.) ---
**Author:** ![rivulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rivulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rivulus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-property-tax-payments-go-to-a-named-person/641212/24 "2012-11-17T14:55:26Z")
Here in St. Louis we make our checks out to Gregory F. X. Daly, Collector of Revenue. I though it was odd, too. But it appears to be very common. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-property-tax-payments-go-to-a-named-person/641212/25 "2012-11-17T14:58:40Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > I make mine out to the town I live in, not an individual. That doesn’t make me feel any better about it. 🙂 That’s how it works in this town too. Property taxes, car registrations, even **dog** \* registrations are made out to the town clerk’s office/town tax office. - my fifteen-year-old dog died a week before my 25th birthday, which coincidentally is the same month dog registrations are due so I always paid the $6 to register Princess when I renewed my car registration. The next year the clerk seemed a bit surprised when I said Princess died, until she glanced down at her year of birth. “Oh, she was quite old, wasn’t she?” ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-property-tax-payments-go-to-a-named-person/641212/26 "2012-11-17T16:20:54Z")
My property tax is paid from escrow but I do write my dog license checks to Kristen M. Scalise, CPA, CFE, Fiscal Officer. She’s new - we wrote the checks to some dude for most of the dog’s life thus far. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-property-tax-payments-go-to-a-named-person/641212/27 "2012-11-17T19:13:10Z")
In my county, property taxes are paid to an individual – e.g. Joe Blow, County Tax Assessor. I’ve always thought it was strange. Once I was in a jury pool for a trial with prosecuting attorney Dan Blow. He introduced himself by saying, “Yes, my brother is Joe Blow. Does anyone feel that will influence their opinion in this trial?” He was obviously making a joke, and most of the jury pool raised their hands. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-property-tax-payments-go-to-a-named-person/641212/28 "2012-11-17T19:41:27Z")
Yes, in my area they do. I can’t recall her name right now, but I make a check out every year specifically to her. I always thought that was odd. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-your-property-tax-payments-go-to-a-named-person/641212.md?page=1)