What defines real estate taxes?
Definition of real property. "Real property", "real estate" and "land" include not only the land itself but all buildings and improvements thereon, and all fixtures and rights and privileges appertaining thereto.

Please read carefully to see the changes for payment of property tax bills—

Tax bills are mailed to the OWNER(S) on record for Real Estate property in the City of Oak Creek. If you are not the owner of the property described on the bill you receive, please forward it to the owner or return it to the City Treasurer’s Office. For any properties sold or titles recorded after October 2011, we will make every attempt to forward current tax bills to new owners. If you are the current owner of property in the City of Oak Creek and did not receive a tax bill, it is your responsibility to find out the amount of property tax due and when the tax bill needs to be paid. To find out how much you owe – you may check our web site, www.oakcreekwi.org , or contact the Treasurer’s Office.

Wis. Stats. 74.09 Property tax bill and related information -
(6) Effect of Failure to Receive. Failure to receive a property tax bill does not affect the validity of the general property taxes, special taxes, special charges and special assessments levied or the collection of delinquent general property taxes, special taxes, special charges and special assessments.

CHECK(s): make payable to Treasurer, or to City of Oak Creek. Checks are processed and deposited as quickly as possible. The City reserves the right to reject any and all checks or certified funds FOR ANY IRREGULARITIES, including but not limited to being improperly dated, completed or endorsed and; if returned to the payer unprocessed, the City is not responsible for taxes not immediately processed or that become delinquent or for interest and penalties on delinquent taxes. The City does not accept third party checks except for checks from mortgage companies or banks specifically in payment of property tax. Personal Checks must include Name & Address. DO NOT STAPLE and DO NOT COMBINE with any other payments. CHECKS RETURNED from the bank for any reason are subject to a $25.00 recovery fee and payment is void. Full replacement payment, plus a separate recovery fee, must be paid with certified funds, and must be received by the original due date to avoid additional charges.

ESCROW ACCOUNTS: Some mortgage companies send escrow checks to a third party tax service before sending them to the City. We generally process checks the same day we receive them. To see when your escrow payment was received, please check our web site or call your bank to verify timely payments. Escrow checks made payable to taxpayers must be endorsed by those taxpayers.

BY MAIL - Your tax bill will be returned with a receipt.

• ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 31st ONLY: Please use the return envelope (to West Allis P.O. Box) enclosed with your tax bill. This service is FREE to the City and Taxpayer and SAVES TAX DOLLARS.
• ON OR AFTER FEBRUARY 1st to: Treasurer, City of Oak Creek, P.O. Box 27, Oak Creek, WI 53154-0027.

Payments by mail are TIMELY if ALL of the following criteria are met:

• It is mailed to the City of Oak Creek in a properly addressed envelope,
• Postmarked before midnight of the last date prescribed for making the payment, with postage prepaid, and
• Is received by the proper official not more than 5 days after the prescribed date for making the payment.

IMPORTANT: December 31st is not a due date and; therefore, to ensure a receipt dated in December, payments by mail must be received in our office on or before December 29, 2010. Payments postmarked by December 31st and received within 5 business days after December 31st will be receipted as January; however, the reference note will reflect a December postmark.

TRI CITY BANKS - (In person at the following five Oak Creek Locations Only) THROUGH JANUARY 31st ONLY.

A RECEIPT and IMMEDIATE REFUND for OVERPAYMENT (with proper ID), is given at the bank. CHECK and CASH is accepted. Bring your tax bill to one of the following locations:

• Free standing branches: 6400 S. 27th St., and 2555 W. Ryan Rd. Mon. thru Fri. 9am-6pm, Sat. 9am-12 noon; except, Dec. 24th 9am-12 noon; closed Dec. 25th and Dec. 26th; Dec. 31st 9am-12 noon; closed Jan. 1st and Jan. 2nd.
• In Pick ‘n Save stores: 8770 S. Howell Ave., 6462 S. 27th St. and 2320 W. Ryan Rd. Mon. thru Sun. 10am-8pm; except, Dec. 24th 10am-2pm; closed Dec. 25th; Dec. 26th 10am-8pm; Dec 31st 10am-8pm; closed Jan 1st; Jan 2nd 10am-8pm.
• Each location is trained in taking tax payments. The payment information is recorded on your tax bill and will be returned to you as your receipt. A copy of this information is forwarded to the City the following business day; payments are entered using the actual date of your payment (i.e. you pay on December 31st; we receive the information on January 3rd and enter the payment using the date of December 31st).

DRIVE-UP 24 HOUR DEPOSITORY – Your tax bill will be returned with a receipt. It’s located at City Hall on the east side of the south parking lot. CHECKS or CERTIFIED FUNDS ONLY. Payments placed in the depository on or before midnight December 31st will receive a receipt dated in December.

CREDIT CARD (phone or internet)

CITY HALL - IMPORTANT CHANGES for DECEMBER and JANUARY.

• Limited Payments Hours will be Monday through Friday, from 8am to 3pm. Use the Tri City Bank option for in-person payments after 3pm.
• Treasurer’s Office, will be CLOSED on December 23rd, December 26th, December 30th, December 31st and January 2nd. There will not be any special tax payment hours at City Hall on December 31st. When City Hall is closed, you may use one of the other available payment options.
• CHECKS or CERTIFIED FUNDS will ONLY be accepted. (Use the Tri City Bank option for cash payments).
• EXPECT DELAYS. To avoid waiting in this long line, please take advantage of one of our other convenient payment options.