Real property tax bills for 2014, originally scheduled to go out before the end of the year, will go out by the end of February, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor announced Wednesday.

Had it not been delayed to resolve appeals associated with the 2013 bills, it would have brought property tax bills up to date for the first time since a 2006 lawsuit by St. John owners objecting to the increase in St. John property values in relation to the rest of the territory.

In December, officials with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor said 458 taxpayers on St. Thomas, 402 on St. Croix, and 505 on St. John asked for informal appeals of their property assessments. (See Related Links below)

Owners who pay within 30 days of billing will get a 5 percent discount, according to the statement from Lt. Gov. Osbert Potter. The 2014 bills for owners who have filed appeals that have been resolved will reflect adjusted amounts. If the appeal is unresolved, the bills will be adjusted once they are resolved, according to the lieutenant governor’s statement.

Anyone with questions or concerns about tax issues can call the tax assessors office at 1-340-776-8505 on St. Thomas, 1-340-776-6737 on St. John, and 1-340-773-6459 on St. Croix.