• Introduction
• Duties of the Office of Receiver of Taxes
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Contact the the Reciever of Taxes

Important Information from the Tax Office

Introduction

Judith A. Crawford, The Receiver of Taxes, welcomes you to the Town of Beekman Tax Office.

The Tax Office is responsible for the collection of school and property taxes for approximately 4,530 parcels.  All powers and duties of this office, as well as collection procedures, are statutory and defined in the New York State Real Property Tax Law.

My deputy, Margaret Woolley, and I welcome any inquires pertaining to collection policies as well as general tax information. We offer our assistance to residents, realtors, lending institutions, title companies, and other entitites that may require tax information. The tax roll is available for public inspections.

The hours of the Tax Office vary, so please call ahead. For information on dates and additional hours, please contact the Tax Office.

Back to top

Duties of the Office of Receiver of Taxes

The Town of Beekman is a Town of the first class. Collecting officers in Town of the first class are known as Receivers of Taxes. This is a four-year elected position. Before entering upon the duties of the office, it is required that all tax collecting officers take and subscribe the Constitutional oath of office. In addition, an official undertaking or bond, which guarantees the faithful performance of the office, must be executed and filed in the Town Clerk's Office.  Once the Receiver has taken the oath and executed the bond, she becomes the insurer and guarantor of all moneys, securities, papers and records that the law provides shall be in her custody.

The Receiver of Taxes collects the General Property Taxes in January. The bills are mailed in early January. The tax bill covers the period of January 1st. - December 31st. Payments can be made upon receipt of bill through Februry 28th, without penalty.* If they are paid after February 28th, there is a 2% penalty thru March 31st. From April 1st thru April 30th, there is a 3% penalty. From May 1st thru May 31st, there is a 4% penalty, plus a $2.00 delinquent fee. After May 31st, the Unpaids are turned over to Dutchess County. 

          *By Town Board resolution, seniors with the senior exemption have 5 additional days to pay. Property tax penalty free.

The Property Tax bill contains levies for the Town, County, Fire District, and any special districts. In addition, if school or water bills are unpaid, they will be re-levied on the Property Tax Bill. If a previous owner was receiving an exemption, a payback amount may also appear in the bill which covers the time period that the new property owner enjoyed a previous owner's exemption to which they were not entitled. Please contact this office if there are any questions regarding the amounts due.

The Beekman Tax Office also collects school tax for the Arlington Central School District. School Tax Bills are mailed in early September. The due date is specified on the bill. After said date a 2% penalty is due until the end of the collection, which is usually the first week in November. All unpaid School bills are turned over to Dutchess County. They may be paid at the County until the re-levy date. After that date, all unpaid school bills are levied on the following Property Tax Bill with a 7% penalty.

Payments made in person can be made by check or cash and are accepted in person at the Tax Office which is located in the Town Hall. Payments can also be made by mail to: Beekman Tax Office, 4 Main Street, Poughquag, NY 12570. Please do no send cash through the mail.

To assist our elderly and disabled residents, third party notification of tax bills is offered. Property owners who are disabled or 65 years of age or older , and own a one, two, or three family home, may designate an adult consenting third party to receive duplicate copies of tax bills and notices of unpaid taxes. In order to receive this service, one must fill out a third party notification form RP-923, which is available in the Tax Office.

Many residents have their taxes escrowed with lending institutions. The County updates bank codes prior to each billing cycle. It is the lending institution's responsibility to notify the county of any additions or deletions of accounts. Many banks contract with Tax Service Organizations (TSOs), which are agencies that service escrow accounts for the banks. These organizations provide us with a listing of their customers and their identifying account numbers. The larger organizations do this primarily by computer disc. In the event that a resident received a bill that should have gone to the bank, it is still the responsibility of the bank to call for that bill. If the bill should have gone to the homeowner, but went to the bank, it is the homeowner's responsibility to know that taxes are due. Please call our office immediately and we will issue you a duplicate bill. The failure to mail a statement or the failure of a property owner to receive a statement will not affect the validity of the taxes or interest prescribed by law. (New York State Real Property Tax Law §922). If you should have received a bill, but have not during the first week of September and January , please contact this office for a duplicate bill.

Back to top

Frequently Asked Questions '

1.  I never received my bill, or received it late, do I still have to pay the penalty?

Yes, the failure to mail a statement or the failure of a property owner to receive a statement will not affect the validity of the taxes or interest prescribed by law (New York State Real Property Tax Law §922). In addition, neither the Receiver of Taxes nor any other official has legal authority to waive statutory penalty charges. These are fixed by the Real Property Tax Law. If they are waived, the collecting officer will be personally responsible. As all records are audited by State examiners, there is absolutely no discretion in this matter. The Constitution and the law of  the State mandates the procedure.

2. If I mail my payment on the due date do I have to pay a penalty?

New York State Real Property Tax Law §925, provides as follows: "Payment of  taxes by mail, when enclosed in a postpaid wrapper (envelope) properly addressed to the appropriate collecting officer and is deposited in a post office or official depository under the exclusive care and custody of the United States Post Office shall, upon delivery, be deemed to have been made to such officer on the date of the United States Postmark on such wrapper. The provisions of this section shall not apply in the case of postmarks not made by the United States Post Office. A postage meter postmark is not a postmark made by the United States Post Office and, therefore, is not within in the provisions of Real Property Tax Law §925. Payments can not be deemed timely because of a postage meter postmark date on an envelope containing a tax payment (Op. New York State Comp. 69-170).

If taxes are not received until after the due date, they are not paid until after the due date unless they fall squarely within the provisions of section 925 of the Real Property Tax Law, and the penalty must be added and collected. No Town official or employee can waive the penalty (Op. New York State Comp. 68-626).

3. Do you accept payment with credit cards?

Yes, but not in person. I have entered into an agreement with Official Payments to enable tax payers to use any major credit card to pay their property or school taxes. These payments may be made by phone or by using the Internet at www.officialpayments.com. If you choose to use this method to pay your taxes, there is a convenience fee of approximately 3% of the tax bill added to the transaction. This money goes to Official Payments not to the Town of Beekman. There is no cost to the Town for providing this service. This service is available during certain times of my collection. These times will be stated when payments are made.

4. Can I pay my taxes in installments?

The Town of Beekman and Arlington Central School District do not accept partial payments. The property and school tax bills must be paid in full in one payment.

5. Can I pre-pay my taxes?

No, the warrant constitutes the mantle of authority for the collecting officer to receive the taxes. Therefore, the warrant must be regarded as the instrument which empowers the collecting officer to begin the collection. Collection authority can not begin prior to the date of the warrant.

Back to top

Contact the Receiver of Taxes

Mailing Address:
4 Main Street
Poughquag, NY 12570
 
Telephone Number:
845-724-5300 ext 226
 
Fax Number:
845-724-3399
 

Back to top