Hope everyone is getting ready for a wonderful spring! A reminder that April is when the Town & County Tax bills are due in Lewisboro. For those who pay property taxes to us directly (rather than through escrow), please be on the lookout for your tax bill which will be coming to you later this month, March, by mail. This 2024 Town & County bill can be paid starting on April 1 and is penalty-free when received by or before April 30, 2024. [We are hoping everyone can pay without penalty so please call us if you are unsure about what to do: 914/763-3100. The bill itself has instructions on the front and helpful tips on the back. This information can also be found on our website].
On April 1, our ONLINE payment portal opens (www.lewisborogov.com/receiveroftaxes) for those of you who would like to pay your tax from the comfort of your home or office. Also starting on April 1, you can come to the Tax Office with your entire bill from 9-5 on weekdays at 11 Main St. in South Salem—this allows you to get your stamped receipt immediately.
If you prefer to mail in your payment, please use the Tax Office address of PO Box 412, 11 Main St., So. Salem, NY 10590 and include both your check and the entire bill in your envelope. [We will detach the lower stub for our records and return the stamped upper half to you for your files.]
DEADLINES MATTER: we strongly recommend that if you are mailing your payment that you go to a United States Post Office and witness the Postal Clerk place an April 2024 official postmark on your envelope. If your payment envelope were to come in after 4/30/24, an official, legible, and timely US Postal Service postmark would protect you against having to pay a penalty. But metered mail postmarks (from Pitney Bowes or Quadient/NeoPost, for example), are NOT acceptable for this purpose under New York State’s Real Property Tax Law (RPTL).
Know that placing your envelope in a postal mailbox does not guarantee you a timely postmark. Consider paying earlier in the tax month if you can because it allows you to confirm that your payment has been successfully received on time. Deadlines need to be taken seriously when it comes to property taxes as the late penalties are prescribed by the laws of Westchester County and under State law cannot be waived once the deadline has passed. The back of your bill shows the late penalty schedule.
IMPORTANT: We do not recommend using your bank’s personal online checks for tax payment as your bank sends these payments to us without a US Postal Service postmark leaving you at risk of the late penalty if the envelope arrives after the deadline passes. Using this method, especially later in the month, is not advised. Unfortunately, the penalty applies if received after the deadline without a postmark even if you ordered the check prior to 4/30!
TIPS: Before you mail, please be sure to sign your check and make sure it is made out for the exact amount due, with the written-out amount matching the numeric amount and by putting the cents in both sections. Please do not detach the stub at the bottom of the bill—mail or bring in the entire bill. It is a good idea to put a phone no. and email on your check in case we need to reach you. If there is a problem with your check, it is important that we can reach you quickly so that you have time to resolve any issue prior to the deadline passing.
If you have satisfied your mortgage and no longer have an escrow account, it is crucial that you let us know to mail you a bill—please email us with this information: taxrec [at] lewisborogov.com, or drop in to the office to fill out a form, or send us a quick update in the mail.
If you have not done so yet, you can sign up for E-Mail bills at our site—you will still get the bill in hard copy through the mail, but it is a helpful extra reminder for you. Here is the site to register for EMAIL BILLS: www.lewisborogov.com/receiveroftaxes.
If for whatever reason, you do not receive a bill by the end of March, call us immediately: (914) 763-3100. You are responsible for timely bill payment under the law even if you do not receive a bill.
For those who pay their taxes through escrow via your lender, once your bank or mortgage co. pays on your behalf, we will mail you a receipt. Please keep for your tax records.
Sending our very best wishes to all our residents—and we look forward to seeing those of you who are coming into the office in April to pay. Remember that if you have questions that are related to your assessed value or exemptions and possible future eligibility, you’ll need to contact the Assessor’s office directly, not the Tax Office. The Assessor’s office is at 79 Bouton Road in South Salem, and she can be reached at: (914) 763-3034. Happy Spring!