Officials at the county tax assessor’s office are making preparations to collect on about $108,000 in delinquent property taxes.

Diane Thompkins, chief clerk, said the delinquent property tax list is printed in today’s paper, and those who have not remitted their annual property taxes stand a chance of losing their property during the annual delinquent tax sale, which is traditionally held on the “courthouse steps.”

This year’s sale is set for May 17 at 10 a.m.

Thompkins said roughly $108,700 of the $11 million in ad valorem taxes billed in October 2010 has yet to be collected.

“They have until 10 a.m. the morning of May 17 to pay those taxes,” Thompkins said. “We would prefer that they didn’t wait that long. Once it is paid, we will take their name out of the paper.”

On the day of sale, Thompkins said they will auction of the properties starting with the amount of taxes and interest due and they increase in increments of $20.

“The person gets a certificate of sale,” she said. “It would be three years that the people have to redeem it. The people do get a tax deed.”