Frequently Asked Questions
Below you will find information that might help you understand how to find things or learn about information you might need to know about your city or town.
Assessor's Department
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Assessor's Department
The Board of Assessors is responsible for hearing all initial property appeals. If you feel your home is a) over assessed or; b) disproportionately or unfairly assessed compared to other similar property assessments or; c) taxed incorrectly as a commercial rather than residential property or residential rather than commercial property, you must file an appeal with the Board of Assessors on an approved form. Appeals may be filed with the Board of Assessors after the third quarter tax bill is issued. The third quarter bill is typically issued the last week of December. All appeals must be received by the Assessors on or before the first business day in February. The Assessors will reply to your appeal within three months after the date you filed the appeal.
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The decision of the Board of Assessors may be appealed by filing an appeal with the Appellate Tax Board in Boston. Your appeal must be filed within three months of the Board of Assessors decision. Please note that the Board of Assessors’ notice of decision contains the decision date. This is the key date, not the date you may have received the notice or when the notice was mailed. Contact the Appellate Tax Board in Boston for further information regarding filing requirements.Assessor's Department
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The Board of Assessors annually approves over $175,000 in property tax relief. Relief may be granted because of age, marital status, physical infirmity, or veterans status. Exemptions typically have conditions that must be met. Please contact the Board of Assessors for specific information. All information we request from you is kept in the strictest confidence and is not available to the public. One additional program to pursue is the Town’s program that allows senior citizens to provide a service to the Town in return for a $1000 tax credit. Contact the Department of Elder Services for more information on the program.Assessor's Department
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Assessor's Department
By law, we are required to keep the Record Owner as of January 1st on the top line of the billing for the entirety of the following Fiscal Year. When the new Fiscal Year starts on July 1st of the next calendar year, the old owner’s name will drop off and the current owner’s name will move up to the top line of the billing.
Therefore, a property owner who purchased a property on January 2, 2023 has to wait much longer for the ownership records to roll over compared to an owner who purchased their property on December 1 st, 2023. For both transactions, the file rolls over on July 1st, 2024. In the interim, new owner names will be reflected as a “Care Of or C/O” on the tax bill.