Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said today that 136,516 property owners will receive notice that they owe a total $201.2 million in unpaid taxes for the property-tax installment that was to have been paid in early March.

Pappas advised taxpayers who receive the delinquency notices to pay the amount due quickly to avoid further late-payment penalties. State law sets the penalty for delinquent property taxes at 1.5 percent per month.

Yearly, the Treasurer's Office collects $8 billion in two installments of $4 billion each. The Office invests the money, then distributes it to 1,600 taxing agencies across Cook County such as municipalities, school districts, police districts and fire districts. The due date for the first installment for tax year 2002 was March 4, 2003, and the second installment will be out later this year.

Pappas said that the latest delinquency notices will begin arriving this week. She urged recipients to pay during May to avoid another 1.5 percent penalty once June 1 arrives. The delinquency notices will reflect the 1.5 percent penalty for payments not received by March 4.

Payment can be made at any of LaSalle Bank's 120 branches or at the Treasurer's Office, or mailed in the return envelope that will come with the delinquency notice, Pappas said.

To avoid paying more later, pay now, Pappas said. Penalties add to the bill, and those who don't pay face the long-term possibility of having their unpaid taxes sold at auction or even losing their property.

A payment check should include, on its face, the taxpayer's name, address, Property Index Number, telephone number and any e-mail address.

Taxpayers can check the Treasurer's website (www.cookcountytreasurer.com) to determine whether their taxes are paid, which can be especially useful to persons whose mortgage companies are supposed to pay their taxes out of an escrow account.