On Monday, Feb. 3, Town of Wilton officials notified residents about printing errors on second installment tax bills sent to Wilton residents and property owners.
In an email sent through the town’s Civic Plus e-alert notification system, Wilton’s Manager of Assessing and Tax Collection Hollie Rapp said there were two errors on the tax bills — the first was an indication that payments made online were were free when the town reinstated a $1.95 fee for ACH (electronic check) payments; the second error listed the wrong address for where check payments should be mailed, listing a Hartford lock-box address instead of the Town of Wilton’s Tax Collector’s office.
It was the second such email sent to taxpayers regarding printing errors on tax bills. Rapp first emailed residents on Dec. 14, 2024, about the ACH fee error. That first email did not mention the mistake about the lock box address.
Town officials published a legal notice about paying second tax installments and also emailed it to property owners via the e-alert system on Oct. 30, 2024. That notice included correct information about the change from a lock box address to the Town Hall address for anyone mailing payment. The notification was highlighted with red font.
The legal notice also included a line about fees for ACH payments: “The most convenient way is to pay online, please visit www.wiltonct.gov and under Resident Action Center, click on Online Payments. There is a small fee of $1.95 per transaction (or per name) when paying by ACH/Bank Account Transfer, or a 2.95% of $2.95 fee (whichever is greater) when using a debit and/or credit card.“
In Monday’s notice from Rapp, she wrote that while bills incorrectly stated that payment should be mailed to the Hartford lock-box address, the return envelope enclosed with the bill was printed with the correct address for the tax collector at Town Hall, where all tax payments are processed. All tax payments should have been mailed to the Town of Wilton, Tax Collector, 238 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897.
The Town previously passed through ACH charges to residents but halted the practice in 2019 after the town changed check processing vendors. The fees were reinstated this year, but printed tax bills did not inform residents of the change.
The Board of Selectmen discussed the errors and the ACH fee reinstatement during its meeting Monday night. Selectwoman Kim Healy objected to the fees being reinstated this year without the selectmen’s knowledge or approval, and she advocated for refunding any fees charged because tax bills and the original legal notice did not state fees would be charged. However, the selectmen did not vote on any new action.
Taxpayers with real estate and personal property listed on Wilton’s Oct. 1, 2023 Grand List were required to pay the first installment of taxes due on or before Aug. 1, 2024. The second installment was due on Jan. 1, 2025, and would be legally accepted without interest if paid on or before Feb. 3, 2025. Supplemental Motor Vehicle Tax Bills were also due on Jan. 1, 2025, and legally accepted without interest if paid on or before Feb. 3, 2025.
In both emails informing taxpayers about the errors, Rapp apologized for any confusion and wrote that if anyone had any questions or concerns before making an online payment they could contact the Tax Collector’s office by calling 203.563.0125 or via email.
Perhaps on 2/3 the Town notified SOME taxpayers about errors on tax bills. I didn’t get one, and I’m on numerous local lists.