BAY MINETTE, Alabama — Baldwin County property owners have paid more than half of the $118 million assessed for 2011, and redemption rates are comparable to previous years, according to Revenue Commissioner Teddy Faust.

As of Thursday, $61.1 million has been received. Taxes are due Dec. 31, which is a Saturday. Faust said payments will be accepted until Jan. 2 without penalty. If received by mail the envelop must be postmarked no later than Dec. 31.

Faust said there were no geographic areas or property use designations which have shown significant tardiness in payment.

“As to the location of tax payments and the economic issues, I really cannot pinpoint any particular sector that is affected more than the other,” Faust said. “Tax receipts seem to have been coming in earlier than in the past. I do not sense that property taxes are of a great economic concern for property owners at this time.

“We have a lot of work yet to do. We are trying to get payments posted and disbursed sooner than in the past which helps property owners who need to know their payment was received.”

Tax bills were mailed in October. Faust said about 10 mail trays were returned due to incorrect addresses. Each tray hold about 500 letters.

“Approximately 5,000 tax bills have been returned,” he said. “As of Friday, approximately 1,500 have been re-mailed to a different address. The clerks check our records for updated addresses as well as the white pages on the internet.”

Tax bills are mailed as a courtesy, he said. It is a property owners responsibility to make sure taxes are paid whether or not they receive the courtesy notice.