Some Hopewell Township property owners are getting a credit on their property tax bill because of problems with the timely delivery of their 2018-19 tax bill, as a result of issues with the U.S. post office in Pennington.
Many property owners did not receive their tax bill in time and some did not receive them at all, according to Hopewell Township officials. This meant many property owners did not pay their third-quarter property taxes until after the due date in August.
Township officials said that while there is no legal requirement for a municipality to send out property tax bills, Hopewell Township does so because many people rely on the bill as a reminder to pay it.
Property owners who paid their taxes after the August due date were charged interest on the unpaid balance. Township officials, however, worked out a plan so that property owners who paid their third-quarter taxes late, but before Sept. 7, will receive a credit on their fourth-quarter tax bill.
As a result, the interest those property owners paid on their third quarter tax bill will show up as a credit on their fourth quarter tax bill, officials said. The amount due for the fourth quarter will be less than it would have been.
“This has been a very trying process,” Hopewell Township Administrator Elaine Borges said. “It has just been a very difficult situation.”
In a resolution adopted by Township Committee last month setting out the plan to refund the interest as a credit on the fourth-quarter tax bill, officials filed an official investigation with the post office regarding the late mailing of the tax bills.
In a related move, municipal officials are conducting a survey to collect data on the delivery of mail in Hopewell Township. So that residents may take part in the online survey, officials have created a link on the township website that leads to the survey. The website is www.hopewelltwp.org
