FT. LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – It’s that time of year again. Halloween is gone, Thanksgiving is coming up and Broward County has put their property tax bills in the mail.

More than 430,000 bills are on their way to county property owners which must be paid no later than March 31st, 2013 to avoid penalties and delinquency fees.

Owners who pay early can take advantage of discounts. Those who send in their payments in November are eligible for a four 4 percent discount. There’s a three percent discount for December; a two percent discount in January and a one percent discount in February.

Property owners without mortgages, or those who do not make use of an escrow arrangement, may pay their taxes in a variety of ways. They can go to broward.county-taxes.com and pay with a debit card, credit card or electronic check.

For those more comfortable with ‘snail’ mail, payments should be put in the envelope supplied with the tax bill and mailed to:

Broward County Tax Collector
Processing Center
P.O. Box 11905
Newark, NJ 07101-4905

Be sure to include the tax coupon with your check or there may be a delay in processing. The postmark date will be used to determine the applicable discount amount. Checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank and be in U.S. dollars. Should the check not clear for any reason, the tax payment will be canceled and a return check fee will be charged.

Payments can also be made in person at the county’s Tax and License Section at the downtown Ft. Lauderdale Government Center, at any one of the 77 Wells Fargo Bank Branches in Broward County.

Owners who can afford the full tax amount in one lump sum can spread it out over five partial payments. A $10 processing fee applies to each payment. Each of the first four payments must be a minimum of $100. The final payment must be paid in full by March 31, or the balance due will be subject to penalties and interest.