People wait hours to meet property tax deadline in St. Louis County

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - Property taxes in St. Louis County are due before the end of the year. 

People piled in to the Revenue Collectors Office in Clayton on Tuesday. 

"I actually paid my taxes Nov. 30, but the system is showing I have a balance due," Peggy Taylor said as she waited in line. 

She was back for the second day in a row to try and make sure she met the midnight deadline. 

"Yesterday I came, and the lines were outside. So today is much better. They're organized," she said. 

By the middle of the day Tuesday, wait times were estimated to be about two hours in Clayton and up to three hours at the St. Ann location. 

"At some point in time, we'll have to cut off the line just because we'll have to get through the number of folks that are already in line," County Director of the Department of Revenue Tony Smee said. 

Smee says several hundred people came in person on Monday to the Clayton office and the St. Ann office. But people can also pay online or mail in a check as long as it is postmarked by Dec. 31.

If someone mails in a check, they might notice a late fee pop up online until that check is processed. Smee says the county receives mail as late as February and March that might be postmarked in December. 

"We will go back, and even if their account shows a late fee on it because it hasn't posted yet, we will reverse that late fee," he said. 

People can pay online up until midnight to avoid a late fee.