Overview
The Tax Collector is responsible for the billing, collection, reporting and enforcement of municipal taxes for the Township of Pemberton. Tax bills are mailed annually in July. Property taxes are due on February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. Failure to receive a tax bill does not exempt you from paying taxes or the interest due on delinquent taxes. The Township of Pemberton does permit a 10 day grace period. Please be advised that the State of New Jersey DOES NOT allow the Tax Collector to acknowlege postmarks, therefore, the taxes must be received in our office on or before the 10th. Should the 10th fall on a weekend or a legal holiday, you will have until the next business day to make payment. Payments may be made by check, cash, or money order. As a statutory officer of the State of New Jersey, the Tax Collector is obligated to follow all State Statutes regarding property tax collection, including billing, due dates, interest on delinquent tax payments and tax sale procedures.
Assessments
The Tax Collector is responsible for the billing and collection of taxes. The Tax Assessor is responsible for establishing the taxable value of your property. Any questions regarding the assessed value of your property should be directed to the Tax Assessor, Maureen Francis at 609-894-3312.
Appeals
Taxpayers may file an appeal if they want to dispute the assessed value of their property. Appeals must be filed by April 1st of the current year with the County Board of Taxation. Appeals for added or omitted assessments must be filed by December 1st of the current year. Appeal forms and information is available from the Burlington County Board of Taxation, located at 49 Rancocas Avenue in Mt. Holly. You may call the office of the Board of Taxation at 609-265-5056.
Due Dates & Interest
Interest charged on unpaid taxes on any taxes remaining unpaid by the 1st day of February, May, August, and November are subject to interest at the rate of 8% per year for delinquencies up to $1,500 and 18% for delinquencies over $1,500. Please note that once a delinquency reaches the 18% threshold the account must be paid up to date before interest reverts back to 8%. Pemberton Township provides a 10 day grace period for paying your taxes, however, on the 11th day, interest is charged from the actual due date of the 1st. It is also important to note that the date of receipt by the Tax Collector, not the mailing postmark, is used to determine the delinquency date. Any account with a current fiscal year delinquency together with accrued interest totaling in excess of $10,000 is subject to an additional 6% year end penalty if not paid by December 31st. Call the Tax Collector at 609-894-3367 to determine the correct amount of interest to submit with any delinquent tax payment prior to sending the payment.
Tax Sale
The Tax Collector is required by state law to hold a tax sale each year for the prior year's unpaid municipal charges. Municipal charges include, but are not limited to, water, sewer, trash, maintenance liens and taxes. Your property is not sold at the tax sale; a lien is placed on it. The lien holder pays the debt owed to the municipality by the assessed owner of the property in return for a guaranteed interest rate on the amount paid when the lien is redeemed. The tax sale certificate that is issued is the detailed receipt of what the lien holder purchased at the tax sale; most lien holders record their liens at the Burlington County Clerk's Office to insure redemption of the lien if the property is sold. Clear title cannot be issued for a property with recorded liens on it. At the tax sale, most liens are sold to a third party, on occasion there is not a third party interested in purchasing the lien and the lien is struck off to the municipality. If a lien is held by Pemberton Township they may begin foreclosure proceedings six months from the date of the tax sale. The lien holder also has the right to pay any municipal charges that are billed to the property once they are delinquent, and add them to the lien balance. Liens MUST be redeemed in full with guaranteed funds through the Tax Collector's office. Assessed owners of property are ultimately responsible for the municipal charges even if you are escrowing for taxes through your mortgage company.
Property Tax Relief Programs
Senior Freeze Eligibility Requirements -- click here
NAME AND ADDRESS CHANGES
The Tax Assessor's office is responsible for records of ownership. All name and address changes for tax records must be made through their office. The Burlington County Clerk's office forwards new deed information to the Tax Assessor's office on a regular schedule which is used by the Township to update property records. The Tax Collector's office changes tax records by weekly update from the Tax Assessor's records. You may download the change of address form to send to the Tax Assessor by clicking here: Change of Address Update Form