EL PASO, Texas -- It is a list no one wants to be on; the 50 most delinquent taxpayers in El Paso.

"What we do is once the taxes become delinquent in February, we run a list of the top 50 delinquent tax payers and those are the ones that we go after first," said Juan Sandoval, El Paso’s tax assessor.

Sandoval provided KFOX with the list of those that sit with huge balances and are at least five months late.

"We pay a lot of attention to those high dollars accounts," Sandoval said.

It’s no surprise many of those high dollar accounts are in the automotive industry, many of them in bankruptcy. Truck stop company Flying J sits at the No. 1 position, owing the tax office over $700,000.

Bankrupt Heritage Automotive is also in the top 10, not coughing up over $200,000. Auto supplier Delphi is close behind owing just a few thousand less.

"If they go into bankruptcy we will collect the taxes and some interest but it just takes a little bit longer," Sandoval said.

But since those businesses are in bankruptcy, the city and state should see those funds eventually. But what about the businesses that don't have bankruptcy protection, and simply aren't paying their taxes?

The property owners at the Big 8 Foods on the 1400 block of George Dieter are about to be served a lawsuit for not paying their taxes.

A company named Big 8 Foods Ltd. at the location owes over $134,000. We contacted Lowe's Big 8, they said the company listed is the old company that they bought it from, and that company is just their landlord.

“We do not have any knowledge of their outstanding tax issues," the statement read in part.

KFOX could not get a hold of the landlord.

"We are preparing a lawsuit or in the cases of a business, personal property account, we've already started the procedures to seize the business and collect the taxes," Sandoval said.

Same goes with Thrifty Car Rental. They owe over $168,000. KFOX contacted Thrifty; they're pointing the finger elsewhere. They said the debt is owed by an old franchisee who once owned a shuttered location by Bassett Place Mall.

Whoever owes, the bottom line is that the taxes aren't paid, interest is growing and lawsuits are coming.

"If we have to go there, we'll go there. Taxes are going to be paid," Sandoval said.