The Mayor and Township Council have announced that strategic relief will be extended to taxpayers during the #COVID19 pandemic.
A second quarter “relief period” will be provided through June 30, 2020 for those residents seeking relief for timely payment of property taxes, as well as water and sewer bills due for the second quarter, 2020.
Second quarter property tax payments that are due on May 1st and are usually provided a ten-day grace period; and for township water and sewer bills that were due on April 15th and were provided a grace period through May 15th, will now be included in the extended “relief period.”
Due to extenuating circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the governing body will waive interest charges on late payments for the “relief period,” that is, from May 1st for property taxes and from April 15th for water and sewer bills, to June 30th, 2020.
While every effort to pay property taxes, water, sewer charges and fees by the due date should be made, thus allowing the township to efficiently provide essential services, it is recognized that some residents are facing unprecedented difficulty due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The township governing body has adopted a resolution establishing the rate of interest for second quarter property taxes due on May 1st, and water and sewer payments due on April 15th, 2020, but unpaid for a period through June 30, 2020, to incur zero percent interest for the period ending
June 30, 2020.
If, by June 30th, those payments that were due should remain unpaid, then the percentage rate applied to the delinquent payment(s) will be applied retroactively to the May 1st, 2020 date for taxes, and the April 15th, 2020 date for water and sewer. The usual rate of interest for delinquent tax, water and sewer payments is as follows: 8% on the first $1,500 of delinquent payment; 18% on the amount in excess of $1,500; and an additional penalty of 6% per annum in excess of $10,000.
The Mayor and Council are limited by strict state and federal guidelines in providing relief to taxpayers under the current State of Emergency. We are facing unprecedented events in our history and the Mayor and Council continue to seek every legal means of relief for our residents.