Theft of Property Tax Bills Is No Excuse : Finances: Officials say 700 Valley residents whose notices were taken during two mail truck robberies must still pay by Dec. 10.

The Los Angeles County tax collector’s office acknowledged Wednesday that two recent robberies of U. S. mail trucks prevented about 700 San Fernando Valley residents from receiving their annual tax bills.

But don’t figure that provides an alibi for non-payment. The first six-month installment is due Dec. 10, bill or no bill, tax officials said.

The county tax collector and the assessor’s office both verified that the bills were sent out in the first two weeks of October, said Sid Delgado, assistant county assessor.

“Apparently they’ve had some problems out there, but the bottom line is these are annual tax bills and as a practical matter we don’t have the ability to rebill them,” said Dave Collins, the assistant treasurer-tax collector.

“We don’t know who did and who did not receive their bill,” but substitute bills are readily available to property tax owners and can be obtained upon request, Collins said.

Two postal trucks were robbed Nov. 1 in Van Nuys, in the 7000 block of Delco Avenue and the 20200 block of Cohasset Street, postal authorities said. In addition to the hundreds of county property tax bills, more than one dozen Social Security checks were taken as well.

Collins understood but was unsympathetic, saying most property owners are painfully aware of the December and April payment deadlines.

“In the past we have had people who have said they didn’t receive a bill and subsequently never paid the tax,” he said. “That won’t work.”

The only exception to the deadline is if a natural disaster or call-up for military service prevents payment, Collins said. In those cases, bills are due before April 10, after another assessment is conducted or within 30 days of release from active military duty, he said.

Under state tax laws, there is a 10% penalty for late payment for the first six months and an additional 18% annual interest rate payment added after six months, Collins said.