By CRAIG FREILICH

About 1,200 parcels of property in St. Lawrence County are seriously overdue on payment of taxes, but only about one-sixth of them will actually go up for auction next fall if history is any guide.

People whose St. Lawrence County property is on a list of tax delinquent properties headed for possible foreclosure and auction have a chance to redeem their ownership if they pay up by April 1.

could be headed to foreclosure due to failure of the owners to pay property taxes.

A public notice in recent local newspapers listed the properties on which varying amounts of property taxes are overdue and which are subject to a petition of foreclosure filed Nov. 1.

The number of parcels seems large, but it isn’t known if it is indicative of a trend upward or downward or represents a stabilization in tax delinquencies. St. Lawrence County Treasurer Kevin Felt says his department doesn’t keep track of the number of parcels in line for foreclosure for tax delinquency.

Anyone having or claiming a an interest in a property on the list may redeem their ownership by paying all unpaid tax liens on the property,” including interest, penalties and any other charges, by next April 1.

More information can be had and payments can be made to the St. Lawrence County Treasurer, 48 Court St., Canton, NY, 13627-1194.

Those who don’t pay the taxes they owe could see their property up for auction. Those annual auctions, usually in October, typically involve around 200 parcels.