Real Estate & Personal Property Taxes

Waterville property owners now have the ability to pay current property taxes online with a card. As with in-office card payments, there will be a 2.5% service charge added to the payment amount. This service is offered through the State of Maine's online payment portal. Please contact the Waterville Finance Office with any questions.

If you have recently purchased property in the City of Waterville, please notify the Assessor's Office and the Finance Office with the correct name, address, and mortgage holder(s) so that tax bills may be sent to the proper person(s). Also, if you have any questions about the valuation of your property, please contact the Assessor's Office.

The tax year for the City of Waterville starts July 1st each year and ends June 30th the following year.

For billing purposes, an assessment date of April 1 is used to determine the owner of the property. If a person owns property on April 15, but sells it on May 15, the owner on April 15 will receive the tax bill. The same procedure applies to the Lien process.

In July, property owners and mortgage holders are sent a 30-day Notice when taxes have not been paid in full for the current tax year. The Notices are sent by certified mail. The Notice informs the owner that taxes are due and includes the amount of taxes due and any accrued interest. The Notice also states that if taxes are not paid in full by the end of the 30 days, a Lien will be placed on the property. A Lien is a document that is recorded with the Registry of Deeds stating that taxes are owed on the property. It is valid for 18 months from the date of filing. Mortgage holders are also sent a copy of the Lien at the time it is filed with the Registry of Deeds. If taxes are not paid in full within 18 months of the filing of the Lien, the City will foreclose on the Lien and take possession of the property.

Example

A property owner was billed $1,000 in property taxes in July 2000 with payments due in October 2000, December 2000, March 2001, and June 2001. The owner pays $250 in October and $250 in December but then forgets to pay the remaining $500 in March or June. In July 2001, the property owner was sent a 30-day Notice stating that the $500 plus interest is due in full within 30 days of the date of the Notice. The owner pays all but $100 which is due within 30 days. A Lien would then be filed with the Registry of Deeds and a copy sent to the Mortgage holder. The Lien states that $100 in taxes plus interest plus Lien fees are due to the City of Waterville. The property owner does not make payment in full by February 2003. The Lien would mature or expire. The City of Waterville forecloses on the property and the property would then belong to the City.