General Laws of Massachusetts - Chapter 59 Assessment of Local Taxes - Section 57 Bills for taxes; due date; interest; amounts overdue

Section 57. Except as otherwise provided, bills for real estate and personal property taxes shall be sent out seasonably upon commitment in every city, town and district in which the same are assessed, and shall be due and payable on July first of each year for all purposes except the calculation of interest as provided in this section. If any betterment assessment or apportionment thereof, water rate or annual sewer use charge added to such tax, or more than one-half of the balance of any such tax as reduced by any abatement, remains unpaid either after November first of the fiscal year in which it is payable, or after the thirtieth day after the date on which the bill for such tax was mailed after October first, interest at the rate of fourteen per cent per annum, computed from October first, or from the date the bill for such tax was mailed if mailed after October first, shall be paid on so much of the unpaid amount as is in excess of said one-half of such balance. If the whole or any part of such tax remains unpaid after May first of such fiscal year, in addition to the interest as aforesaid, interest at such rate shall be paid on so much of the balance of such tax not so paid as does not exceed one half of such tax as reduced by any abatement and computed from April first of such fiscal year. Not later than April first of such fiscal year a notice shall be sent out showing the amount of such tax which, if not paid by May first, shall bear interest computed from April first. Bills for taxes assessed under section seventy-five or section seventy-six shall be sent out seasonably upon commitment, and shall be due and payable on the thirtieth day after the date on which the bill for such tax was mailed for all purposes except the calculation of interest as provided in this section. Taxes shall bear interest as hereinbefore provided in this section with respect to real estate and personal property taxes generally; provided, however, that if a bill for any such taxes is mailed on or after April first of the fiscal year to which the tax relates and remains unpaid after the thirtieth day after the date on which such bill was mailed, interest at the aforesaid rate, computed from the date such bill was mailed, shall be paid on so much of the tax that remains unpaid. In all cases where interest is payable it shall be added to and become a part of the tax. Interest which pursuant to this section shall have been added to and become a part of any tax other than a tax reassessed under section seventy-seven shall be waived by the collector if the amount of such tax, exclusive of such interest, is tendered to him within thirty days after the bill for such tax is first sent. A first actual real estate tax bill sent out for fiscal year 2008 or any subsequent year pursuant to this section shall contain a statement that there exists a delinquency if any tax, betterment assessment or apportionment thereof, water rate, annual sewer use, or other charge which may constitute a lien is overdue for more than 90 days. Such delinquencies shall not include amounts due relating to fire service, electric, water or sewer use in any city or town served by more than 1 independent municipal or district fire, electric, water, sewer, or joint water and sewer district or in any city or town served by an independent municipal or district fire, electric, water, sewer, or joint water and sewer district that is not principally domiciled in that city or town.

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Last modified: September 11, 2015