Case Study: County Payment Plan vs. We Pay Property Taxes — Which One Truly Helps Homeowners?

Introduction

Every year, thousands of Texas homeowners fall behind on their property taxes. For many families, this happens because of job loss, unexpected medical bills, rising costs of living, or a major life event. When this happens, homeowners usually want to know:

“Should I use the County’s payment plan, or should I go with a private company like We Pay Property Taxes?”

To help answer this fairly and clearly, we created a real-life case study. On July 18, 2022, we called the Bexar County Tax Assessor’s Office in San Antonio, TX and asked for their exact payment plan terms. Then we compared those terms with what We Pay Property Taxes offers.

This article breaks down what we found—in easy, 9th grade reading-level language—and explores which plan might work better based on different situations.

Part 1: The Homeowner’s Situation

For this case study, imagine a homeowner named Maria.

Maria’s Problem

• She owes $15,000in delinquent property taxes.
• She has received warning letters from the County.
• She’s worried about foreclosure, legal fees, and losing her home.
• She wants a payment plan but doesn’t have much savings.

Maria decides to compare:

1. The County’s payment plan, and
2. We Pay Property Taxes, a private payment plan company.

Part 2: The County Payment Plan Explained

When we called Bexar County, the Tax Office explained the two plans available for homeowners who are behind on taxes.

County Requirement for All Plans

• Homeowner must pay 20% downbefore starting.
• Homeowner must stick to the payment schedule or risk legal action.
• Interest is charged at 2% per month(that equals 24% per year).
• This interest is added on top of existing penaltiesfrom earlier in the year.

For Maria, that means she must pay:

$3,000 down payment

before she can even begin.

County Program #1: Six-Month Plan

• 20% down ($3,000)
• 2% monthly interest (24% APR)
• Pay off the remaining balance in 6 months
• Monthly payment: Over $2,000 per month

This plan moves fast and is very expensive. Most families can’t afford this.

County Program #2: Twelve-Month Plan

• 20% down ($3,000)
• 2% monthly interest (24% APR)
• Pay off the rest in 12 months
• Monthly payment: Over $1,000 per month

This plan is easier than the 6 month one but still may not fit a family’s monthly budget.

Surprise: The Final “Balloon Payment”

Something many homeowners don’t expect is that the County’s 12month plan does not completely pay off the balance.

Each month:

• The payment stays the same ($1,000)
• But the interest keeps being added
• So the balance doesn’t drop fast enough

At the end of 12 months, Maria would still owe:

$2,806.81 due immediately

If she can’t pay it all at once, the County:

• Can begin legal action, or
• Can put her on a new plan, with another down paymentand another 12 months of interest

Part 3: We Pay Property Taxes Plan Explained

Now, let’s look at the private option Maria considers.

Key Features

• $0 down payment in most cases
• 12% fixed interest rate(stays the same the whole time)
• Monthly payments starting as low as $230
• Repayment terms from 12 to 36 months
• No balloon payment
• No credit check
• No prepayment penalty

This means Maria can pick a plan that actually fits her budget—not one that strains it.

Why Does This Matter for Homeowners?

1. No upfront money needed

Maria doesn’t have to come up with $3,000.

2. Smaller monthly payments

Instead of $1,000+ per month, she could pay something closer to $230.

3. No surprise cost at the end

Her payments are fully spread out. No huge $2,800 final bill.

4. Flexible if life happens

If she has a setback, she can work with the company to adjust the plan instead of facing lawyers from the county.

Part 4: Side-by-Side Comparison (Easy Chart)