Question: Can I use my online banking service to pay my tax and water bills?

Answer:

You may, but please realize that when you pay your bills using your bank’s on-line bill payment service, the Collector’s portion of the bill (remit slip) is not enclosed with the check. Upon receipt of the check (which typically is approximately a week or so after you make the payment on-line with your bank), we must then research which account to apply your check to, and print a new bill. This wastes City resources. Posting errors occur when the memo portion of your bill has a typo or contains incorrect or no account information. When you enclose the remit slip with your check and return both in the envelope provided with the bill, City dollars are maximized as payments are processed by our bank’s lock-box service.

When using your bank’s on-line check writing service make your check payable to:

City of Somerville Real Estate Tax, or

City of Somerville Personal Property Tax, or

City of Somerville Excise Tax (with name of person, year, and bill number in memo field), or

City of Somerville Water. DO NOT COMBINE PAYMENTS!

For Real Estate and Personal Property tax PUT YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBER AND PROPERTY ADDRESS IN THE MEMO SECTION OF THE CHECK. Real Estate and Personal Property account numbers have eight (8) digits. Water Account numbers have nine (9) digits. NO TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS PLEASE. If your account number begins with a zero(s) type the zero so that the account number has the appropriate 8 or 9 digits.

The City of Somerville will not reduce interest charges or fees that accrue as a result of your typographical errors and/or omissions, or combined payments.