Terence S. Graff, CTC
Tax Collector
Phone: (856) 697-2100 ext
2
Fax: (856) 697-9255
Buena Vista Township
Tax Collector’s Office
890 Harding Highway
P.O. Box 605
Buena, New Jersey 08310
Email:
buenavst-taxcollector@comcast.net
Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Any question concerning:
School Tax - call (856) 697-0800
County & Open Space Tax – call (609) 645-5820
Local Tax - call (856) 697-2100 *815
Richland - Fire District #1 – call (856) 697-0868
East Vineland - Fire District #2 – call (856) 692-7747
Newtonville – Fire District #3 – call (609) 561-5593
Milmay – Fire District #4 – call (609) 476-2020
Collings Lakes – Fire District #5 – call (609) 561-9614
General Information
The Tax Collector's Office
has many responsibilities; which include some of the following:
1) Collecting and receiving all current or Delinquent Real Estate Taxes
2) Enforcing collection of
delinquent taxes by Tax Sale
3) Keeping and Maintaining Property Tax Records
4) Property Tax Deductions
5) The Printing and Mailing of Property Tax and Added/Omitted Tax bills
Buena Vista Township is a Calendar Year Municipality; our budget year runs
from January 1st through December 31st. The bills are
comprised of taxes from various entities; county, school, municipal, and
fire districts. Tax bills are mailed annually in June, and contain four
payment stubs.
Due Dates:
Taxes are due February 1st, May 1st, August 1st and November1st. There is a
ten (10) day grace period. (N.J.S.A. 54:4-66)
Postmarks:
Postmarks will not be accepted.
Interest:
Interest will be charged at the rate of 8% on the first $1,500.00 of
delinquency and 18% on any amount of delinquency over $1,500.00. (N.J.S.A.
54:4-67)
Penalty:
Any
balance owing as of December 31st, in excess of $10,000 will be assessed a
6% year-end penalty.
Receipts: To receive a receipt for payment, please include the entire
bill along with a self-addressed stamped envelope. No receipt will be sent
unless a self-addressed stamped envelope is included.
Mortgages: If you have a mortgage company escrowing for taxes and
they do not receive a copy of the tax bill from the Tax Office it is your
responsibility to see that they get a copy.
Change of Mailing Address: Please submit all changes of mailing
address to the Tax Assessor on a separate piece of paper with your
signature.
Do not make changes to your bill.
Appeals: Appeals for regular billing must be filed by April 1 of the
current year and appeals for Added and Omitted Assessment must be filed by
December 1 of the current years. Forms may be obtained by notifying the
County Tax Administrator at (609) 645-5820, or mail at: Atlantic County
Board of Taxation, 5909 Main Street – 2nd Floor, Mays Landing, NJ
08330 (N.J.S.A. 54:4-63.11.
Duplicate bill fee: The duplicate bill fee is $5.00.
Note to New Owners
Tax bills are to be given to new owners upon the sale of the
property. Failure to receive a tax bill does not relieve the owner from
paying property taxes an interest will be applied to all late
payments. Please contact the Tax Office if you need a copy of your tax bill.
Added/Omitted Assessments
Added assessments
are for new structures, additions, and alterations that enhance the value of
a property.
Omitted assessments
are for farmland rollbacks and sale of exempt properties.
These
assessment values are determined by the Tax Assessor and approved by the
Atlantic County Board of Taxation.
These
bills will be distributed annually in October, and due on November 1. They
have the same grace period and interest rates as the regular tax billing
installments.
Tax Relief Programs
There are several property tax relief programs offered to help
defray the cost of property taxes for homeowners.
Senior Citizen/Disabled Persons Deduction
This deduction
is offered through the municipality, and if qualified an individual may be
eligible to receive $250.00 a year off their property taxes.
Qualifications…
1) Must make under 10,000 a year
EXCLUDING social security; if married total combined income cannot exceed
$10,000 excluding social security.
2) You must of owned the property as of
October 1, of the pre-tax year, and be residing at the residence.
Example: If applying on February 1,
2008 for the deduction, you must have owned the
property as of October 1,
2007
3) Must be 65 years old or permanently
and totally disabled as of December 31, of the pre-tax year.
4) Must of been a resident of New Jersey for the 12-month period preceding October 1, of
the pre-tax year.
In Addition to the
general qualifications; surviving spouse of a senior or disabled person
must…
1) Not have re-married
2) Reached 55 by
December 31, of the pre-tax year AND was 55 at the time of death for the
deceased spouse
3) Be a surviving spouse of a person who was receiving the deduction at the
time of their death.
Veteran Deduction
This deduction
is offered through the municipality, and if qualified an individual may be
eligible to receive $250.00 a year off their property taxes.
Qualifications…
1) Be legal
owner of or have a fractional interest in the property for which deduction
is being applied
2) Be Owner of
record as of October 1, of the pre-tax year, and be a citizen and resident
of
New Jersey.
3) Have an
honorable discharge or release under honorable circumstances from active
service in time of war in some branch of the armed forces.
In Addition to the general qualifications; the widow of a veteran or
serviceperson…
1) Be the
surviving spouse of a veteran whom was honorably discharged, or who met
death while on active duty in a branch of the armed forces.
2) Prove that
the deceased was a citizen and resident of
New Jersey at the time of their death.
Veteran Exemption
Totally
Disabled veterans may be "exempt" from paying property taxes, if they have
been declared totally disabled due to injuries that were sustained during
active war time, in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Property Tax Freeze Re-imbursement
The property
tax freeze, (PTR) is a state offered program, for senior and disabled
persons; where once you file, the original year on your PTR Form becomes
your base year, and any time that your property taxes increase, the
following year the state will reimburse the homeowner the difference they
paid between the base year and the filing year.
Example:
Base year 2005: $2580.00 Paid in Property Taxes
File Year 2006: $2700.00 Paid in Property Taxes
$ 120.00 Amount Paid to you
from State
File Year 2007 $3000.00 Paid in Property Taxes
$ 420.00 Amount Paid to you
from State
Basic
Qualifications…
1) You must
have owned and lived in your home since before January 1, 2003
2) You must
have lived in New Jersey continuously since before January 1, 1996 as either
a homeowner or a renter;
3) Must have
been age 65 or over, OR
receiving Federal Social Security disability benefits as of December 31,
of year prior to filing
Example:
First time filer, files form on March 1, 2008
Must of been
65 as of 12-31-06
As the state
is reimbursing the difference of 2006-2007 tax year.
4) Meet annual
income requirements, which change year to year
For more information on the Property Tax Reimbursement Program:
a) To ask questions: 1-800-882-6597
b) Check status of filed application: 1-800-882-6597
c) To listen to information or to order an application:
1-800-323-4400
Homestead/Credit Rebate
The Homestead
Credit/Rebate Program provides credits or rebates for homeowners and tenants
who occupied their principal residence in
New Jersey on October 1, paid property taxes on that dwelling
either directly or through rent, and whose gross income for the entire year
does not exceed certain limits.
Only New
Jersey residents who were either homeowners or tenants on October 1,
2007, are eligible for a 2007 homestead credit or rebate.
Homeowners and tenants file different applications according to their status
on October 1:
