Q: Where is the office located?A: The Treasurer's office is conveniently located on Bethlehem Pike in Flourtown (next to Dan Helwig's real estate office). There are a few parking spots in front of the building and lots more parking in the rear of the building (which connects to parking behind the adjacent buildings.)
Please observe the "in" and "out" arrows and be very careful when exiting onto Bethlehem Pike. Q: When will tax bills be mailed? A: You should receive your County/Township tax bills in early February and your School tax bills in early July. If your taxes are paid by your mortgage company, bank or credit union, it is your responsibility to fax or mail your entire bill to them as soon as you receive it. It is advisable to make a copy for your records. Q: How can I get a receipt for payment of my taxes? A: If you enclose the entire tax bill and a self addressed stamped envelope with your payment, a receipt will be returned to you. If you do not enclose a return envelope with the proper postage and/or if the "Taxpayer" Copy of the bill is not included, a receipt will not be mailed to you. I keep a file of receipts (that had no SASE) and envelopes (with no stamp), etc. in the office. If you stop in the office during regular office hours I will be happy to look for your paperwork or stamp the "Taxpayer Copy" of your bill as paid.
Q: When are taxes due?
A: Township/County taxes are due June 1st but if they are paid by March 31 there is a 2% discount applied. Taxes paid after June 1, 2010 will have a 10% penalty applied. School taxes are due 11/1/10 but if they are paid by 8/31/10 there is a 2% discount taken. Taxes paid after November 1, 2010 will have a 10% penalty applied. Taxes not paid by Dec 31st will be forwarded to the Montgomery County Tax Claim Bureau for collection. Q: Do you have additional hours prior to tax deadlines? A: Yes, there are extra hours the week before each due date and the office is ALWAYS open on the actual due date. See the Calendar page for more information.
Q: What if I cannot come into the office during regular office hours? A: You can mail your payment, email me if you have a question (see Contact Us page) and/or leave a phone message. If you have a private matter to discuss we can arrange an appointment at a mutually convenient time. I am often in the office when it is not "office hours" but that is the time I spend catching up on paperwork, preparing reports, answering phone calls and recording payments. Please do not come to the office if it is not "office hours", unless we have an appointment. Q: I sold my house and my name is still on the tax bill. Why?
A: The information to prepare the tax bills is received from Montgomery County 4-6 weeks before your tax bill is mailed. Therefore, whatever the records reflect as of mid-December or mid-May will be the information used to prepare the bills. For example, if you sell/buy a house on May17th the new deed may not be recorded until May 27th which is after the information is pulled for the upcoming bills and so the bill will show the name(s) of the former owner.
Q: Do you accept payments postmarked on the due date?
A: Yes, however if a payment is received after the due date and the postmark is illegible or is after the due date it will be considered a late payment and you will owe an additional amount. This office is not responsible
for lost or misdirected mail. To be sure your payment is made on time, please allow ample time for delivery by mail or bring your payment to the office when it is open.
Q. What do I do with bills when I have an escrow account through my my mortgage company?
A. If you have an escrow account you should forward the bill (both copies) To them for payment. Bills will only be mailed to property owner, not a mortgage company. Please keep a copy for your records.
Q: Do you accept credit cards?
A: Yes. The taxpayer must pay a convenience fee of 2.45% of the amount charged. If a VISA checkcard/debit card is used there is a flat fee of $3.95 added to the amount of the tax bill. Payments can be made in the office or over the phone or thorough email or regular mail. I will be accepting online payments in the very near future.
Q: Do you accept cash?
A: No, It is the policy of this office not to accept cash for payment of taxes. Beneficial Bank will provide you with a Bank Check at NO charge if you tell them that it is for payment of taxes.
Q: Can I pay my bill in person?
A: Yes, you can pay your bill during office hours. However, please keep in mind that if you come in on the due date or anytime during the week before the due date, there will more than likely be a line. We have approximately 100 taxpayers per day coming to the office every day during the week before the deadline. I highly encourage taxpayers to pay by mail through the post office box.
Q: Can you change the address on my bill?
A: Yes, but the change must be submitted at least 1 month before the next billing period in order for it to be updated in the County's records. As of June 2010 the Board of Assessment Appeals requires that all requests MUST be in writing. Requests must not only include the parcel number, property address, property owner's name(s), old mailing address and new mailing address but also MUST include a phone number, reason for the change and notification if the domicile has changed. Or if you provide me with the above information, I will be happy to take care of it for you.
Q: Can you change or delete a name on my bill?
A: No, names cannot be changed - unless it is truly a misspelled name. The name on your bills comes from the County records which match the deed to your property, therefore the name on your bill cannot be removed or changed unless a new deed is recorded. The name of a deceased person can be removed - but only from the bill not the deed - if you provide me with a copy of the death certificate for that person. However this only changes the name on the tax bill and not on the deed. If you have a decree showing a name change (i.e. taking back a maiden name after a divorce) I can also use that to change the name on the bill.
Q: What is the fee for a tax certification?
A: The fee is $25. Tax Certifications are required for the refinancing and resale of a property. They are usually requested by the agency handling the transaction such as a title company or mortgage company. Please mail a check payable to "Bonny Davis" with your request. A tax cert will not be delivered without payment. Faxed requests should include a copy of the check and requested information. Mailed requests must include a postage paid envelope if hard copy is required. Many requests for Tax Certifications are made with the expectation that the tax cert will be processed and returned within a day or two. I do try my best to do so but that is not always possible. Please remember that the position of Treasurer is not a full-time position and issuing a tax certification is a service provided by the Treasurer but is not the main responsibility of the job – collecting the taxes is. Depending on when your request is received by our office, you should allow at least a week for processing (and at least 10 business days during the busiest tax payment deadlines and holiday weeks.) I will return your requests to you as quickly as possible but cannot promise an immediate turnaround. I work on tax certifications in order of closing date and/or the date the request was received. If you did not indicate a date for your settlement or refinance, please provide me with the closing date so that I can process your request in a timely manner. Please be sure to leave the property address and/or parcel number plus your fax and phone numbers in your message. Please remember to include a self-addressed stamped envelope for documents you need returned by mail. If you need expedited service - please contact my office. Thank you.
Q. How is assessment of my home determined?
A. The Township does not assess homes, this is done at the County level. Questions on this matter should be directed to the Montgomery County Board of Assessment Office at 610-278-3761. Good Morning America recently had some very informative information recently and you can find a link to that article on the "News" page of this website.
Q. What is an Interim Tax Bill?
A. Interim tax bills cover the period that a change in assessed value of a property was effective. This affects properties that had increase in property value due to an addition, pool, garage, fireplace, sunroom, central air, deck, kitchen or other renovation or alteration. It also affects properties that had a decrease in property value due to an assessment appeal, exemption, fire or water damage, subdivision, etc. For example; the assessment for a property might change in January but the tax bill mailed in February still has the old assessment. Therefore, an interim tax bill will be sent once the Board of Assessment forwards the change in information to the Treasurer. An interim bill will be calculated and sent to property owner to cover the time period that was billed under the incorrect assessment. This bill may not be received by owner for several months after this assessment is done.
Q: I would like to know how soon we can expect to be able to pay online?
A: I have been researching the various methods of online payment.Since the taxpayer has to absorb whatever fees are charged, I am looking for the program that would charge the least in fees. Most of the methods will cost the taxpayers quite a bit and therefore I'm not sure how many people would actually take advantage of the option if they have to pay excessive charges to do it. What most people do as an alternative to paying online is to set up a bill payment through their bank and then a few days later I get a check from the bank. However, the main problem with this vs paying online is that it does not happen immediately and the taxpayer must set this up a few days or a week before the due date so that it arrives at my office on time. Also, with either method the bill does not get mailed with the payment. Then if the taxpayer wants a receipt they still have to mail the bill to me anyhow or stop into the office to have their bill stamped as paid. I have found in this "paperless" society that it is still all about having a paper trail!
Frequently Asked Questions
| ||||||
