In Michigan, you get two property-tax bills a year — not one

If you’re new to Michigan, your property taxes probably won’t come the way you expect. Instead of one annual bill, most Michigan communities send two: a “summer” bill and a “winter” bill. The summer bill usually comes out around July 1 and is due by September 14; the winter bill comes out around December 1 and is due by February 14. (Some cities set their own due dates by charter — often a little earlier — and a handful of places collect everything on just one bill, so your town may differ.) Here’s the part that trips people up: the two bills aren’t equal halves, and which taxes land on which bill — school, county, state, local, library, and so on — is decided locally, so it varies from one community to the next. Most homeowners with a mortgage never write these checks directly, because the lender collects the money monthly and pays the bills out of escrow. If you do pay on your own, don’t be late: after the due date you’ll owe interest and penalties, and unpaid taxes eventually get turned over to the county treasurer with extra fees. One thing worth knowing: seniors (62+), some veterans, disabled residents, and lower-income owners can apply to defer their summer bill — check with your local treasurer. And if you’re buying or selling, the taxes get split (prorated) at closing, which is another spot where the two-bill system surprises people.