Delivery of tax bills

# (1)

As soon as the tax duplicate is delivered to the collector of the taxing district, as provided in R.S.54:4-55, he shall at once begin the work of preparing, completing, mailing or otherwise delivering tax bills to the individuals assessed. He shall also prepare and mail, or otherwise deliver to the individuals assessed, a tax bill for such following first and second installments, computed as provided in R.S.54:4-66 or section 2 of P.L.1994, c.72 (C.54:4-66.1), as appropriate.

# (2)

When any individual assessed has authorized the collector to mail or otherwise deliver his tax bill to a mortgagee or any other agent, the collector shall, at the same time, mail or otherwise deliver a duplicate tax bill to the individual assessed and shall print across the face of such duplicate tax bill the following inscription: "This is not a bill -- for advice only."

# (3)

The validity of any tax or assessment, or the time at which it shall be payable, shall not be affected by the failure of a taxpayer to receive a tax bill, but every taxpayer is put on notice to ascertain from the proper official of the taxing district the amount which may be due for taxes or assessments against him or his property.

# (4)

Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, the third installment of current year taxes shall not be subject to interest until the later of August 1, the additional interest-free period authorized pursuant to R.S.54:4-67, or the twenty-fifth calendar day after the date that the tax bill for the third installment was mailed or otherwise delivered. Any payment received after the later of August 1, the additional interest-free period authorized pursuant to R.S.54:4-67, or the twenty-fifth calendar day after the date that the tax bill for the third installment was mailed or otherwise delivered may be charged interest back to August 1. The tax bill shall contain a notice specifying the date on which interest may begin to accrue.

b. As provided in subsection a. of this section, a mortgagor as the individual assessed for property taxes or other municipal charges with respect to the property securing a mortgage loan, may authorize the tax collector to mail or otherwise deliver his tax bill to a mortgagee or servicing organization. This tax authorization form shall be assignable in the event the mortgagee or servicing organization sells, assigns or transfers the servicing of the mortgage loan to another mortgagee or servicing organization.

c. The tax collector of the taxing district shall, upon receipt of a written request from a mortgagee or servicing organization on a form approved by the commissioner, mail or otherwise deliver a mortgagor's tax bill to a property tax processing organization. The commissioner shall provide by regulation for a procedure by which the tax collector of a taxing district may request the Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs to review the appropriateness of the request to mail or otherwise deliver a mortgagor's tax bill to a property tax processing organization.

d. If a mortgagee, servicing organization, or property tax processing organization requests a duplicate copy of a tax bill, the tax collector of a taxing district shall issue a duplicate copy and may charge a maximum of $5 for the first duplicate copy and a maximum of $25 for each subsequent duplicate copy of the same tax bill in the same fiscal year, the actual charge being set by municipal ordinance. The commissioner shall promulgate regulations to effectuate the provisions of this subsection d. which regulations shall include a procedure by which a mortgagee, servicing organization, or property tax processing organization may appeal and be reimbursed for the amount it has paid for a duplicate copy of a tax bill, or any part thereof.

e. As used in subsections a., b., c., and d. of this section, "mortgagee," "mortgagor," "mortgage loan," "servicing organization" and "property tax processing organization" shall have the same meaning as the terms have pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1990, c.69 (C.17:16F-15).

Amended 1973, c.69, s.3; 1978, c.136, s.22; 1990, c.69, s.9; 1991, c.75, s.36; 1991, c.89, s.1; 1991, c.410, s.1; 1994, c.32, s.1; 2007, c.62, s.33.