St. Joseph County Veterans Services

St. Joseph County Veterans Services, the county veterans service officer's office, helps veterans and families claim federal and Indiana benefits and helps disabled veterans file State Form 12662 for the 2026 property tax deduction and credits by January 15, 2027; Veterans Service Officer Nina Padilla, (574) 235-9978.

Also called: county veterans service officer, CVSO, claims help, South Bend, Mishawaka, IC 10-17-1-9, Nina Padilla, State Form 12662, January 15.

For: Veteran or service member, spouse, child, survivor.

Where it applies

Written for the jurisdictions listed here.

St. Joseph County, INCounty

Every Indiana county employs a county veterans service officer (IC 10-17-1-9); the Indiana entry explains the office and the free claims help it gives. St. Joseph County's page names the officer: "Nina Padilla, Veterans Service Officer... Phone: (574) 235-9978." The 2026 deduction and credits. House Enrolled Act 1210 of 2026 replaced Indiana's disabled veteran assessed-value deductions with a 100% deduction for total disability and $350 and $250 credits, from 2027 tax bills. File State Form 12662 with the County Auditor by January 15, 2027 for taxes due in 2027; a totally disabled veteran who had the old $14,000 deduction must file again to get the new 100% deduction, or the county applies only the $250 credit. The Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs says State Form 51186 "is no longer used", and the service officer can complete the form's Section VIII certificate. See the Indiana entries on the 100 percent deduction and the $350 and $250 credits. Read the date. The county site refuses automated fetches, so this rests on the Internet Archive's capture of May 26, 2026; call before visiting.

Thresholds

Thresholds for St. Joseph County Veterans Services
Gate	Rule
Veterans, dependents and survivors	Any veteran, dependent or survivor in St. Joseph County can use the office. No rating is needed.

Sources

Updated

Last updated 2026-10-24.

What changed then:

Summary reworded.
New official source added: “Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs, Disabled Veteran Property Tax Benefits ("SF 51186 is no longer used"; read 2026-10-23)”.
New official source added: “Department of Local Government Finance, Veterans Deductions and Credits FAQ (August 12, 2026), Section 4, questions 3 and 5”.
And 4 more changes.

Request an update

Out of date, a broken link, or something else wrong? Say what you found, and an editor checks it against the official source.

Disclaimer

VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.