Despite Paying Q3 Tax Bill in March, City of Framingham Says Some Residents Still Owe For Quarter 3 on Quarter 4 Bill

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FRAMINGHAM – Some residents received tax bills in the mail this week, that showed they owed for quarter 3, even though they paid the bill in March.

The tax bill for quarter 4 were mailed on March 31, but even though some residents had paid their quarter 3 bills in March, the bill showed a past due amount.

The City of Framingham issued a press release on March that that said the City began “mailing third-quarter real estate tax bills today (March 17), and will send out fourth-quarter tax bills Wednesday, March 31.” The press release said both third and fourth quarter bills were due on May 3.

But according to the City’s Chief Financial Officer, if the third quarter bill was not paid by March 12, residents would see an unpaid balance on the fourth quarter bill for the fourth and final quarter bill.

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“We created the tax bill file for the 3^rd and 4^th quarter bills and sent it to the printer on March 12,” said City of Framingham Chief Fianncial Officer Mary Ellen Kelly.

“The third quarter bills were rush printed and mailed on the 17,” said the CFO.

“The fourth quarter bills were run on a regular print cycle and mailed on the 31,” said the CFO to SOURCE. “Anyone who paid the third quarter bill after the 12^th, that payment would not show up on the fourth quarter bill.  That information/date is actually on the fourth quarter bill.”

Kelly stressed that “there are no past due fees charged, the third quarter due does show up in the field that says past due in it, but that is part of the bill template and we could not change it.  Again, NO PAST DUE FEES/NO INTEREST are being charged.”

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“The tax bill amount alone is in the field. No interest, no fees no charges at all for the third quarter bill amounts.  Third and fourth quarter are both due on May 3.” said the CFO.

“The only instance here penalties or interest would appear on the property tax bill would be if the taxpayer did not pay the first or second quarter bill or the prior fiscal year bill,” explained Kelly.

Tax bills were delayed as the City worked to fix a $2.5 million water & sewer deficit before the State of Massachusetts would approve the City’s tax rate, according to the City’s press release.

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