FAQs

Finance/Revenue Department

Q. What is a mill Rate?

A. The tax per dollar of assessed value of property.  The rate is expressed in “mills”, when one mill is one-tenth of a cent ($0.001).

Q. How is the mill rate calculated?

A. The property tax rate is determined by dividing the total budget of the Town by the Net Taxable Grand List that is produced by the Town Assessor. The Net Taxable Grand List is a listing of all of the taxable Real Estate, Motor Vehicles, and Personal Property in the Town as of the assessment date of October 1. A tax rate of one mill produces $1 of taxes on each $1,000 of property assessment.

The voters of the Town of Plainville have the ultimate choice as to what the mill rate will be by their participation in the budget meetings in April and the annual budget referendum in May. Once the budget has been approved, the Town Council simply does the math and sets the rate.

Q. What is Plainville’s current mill rate?

A.  Plainville’s current mill rate for the October 1, 2009 Grand List Year is 28.01.

Q.  How is the tax amount determined?

A.  The mill rate is multiplied by the assessed value of the property to determine the tax amount.  For example, if your property is assessed at $100,000.00, and the mill rate is 26.24, you multiply:
100,000 x .02624 = $2,624.00 yearly tax.

Q. When are the tax bills mailed?

A. The tax bills that are due in July are usually mailed by the end of June.  Supplemental motor vehicle bills are mailed in late December and due in January.

Q. Will I get a tax bill in January for the 2nd half of the real estate taxes?

A. NO, real estate bills, like all other tax bills are mailed once per year, usually in late June (except for supplemental tax bills, which are mailed in late December).

WE DO NOT SEND REMINDERS TO PAY THE JANUARY INSTALLMENT OF REAL ESTATE BILLS.

Q. What forms of payment are acceptable?

A.  Payments can be made by cash, personal check, money order, bank check and credit card (on line or 1-800-2Paytax only).  Please note that there is a service fee when paying a credit card.

Q.  Who are the payments payable to?

A.  Taxes-please make payable to “Revenue Collector”
     Sewer-please make payable to “Plainville Sewer Fund”

Q. Can I mail in my tax payment?

A. Yes, we encourage you to mail your payments.  They should be mailed to: Revenue Collection, One Central Square, Plainville, CT  06062.  Please do not send cash payments through the mail.

Q. Does the tax office accept the postmark on mailed payments as the received date?

A. Yes, as long as the U.S. Post Office postmarks the payment envelope on or before the last day of the grace period, the payment will be considered “on time”.

Q. How do I obtain a receipt if I mail in my tax payment?

A. Send in a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) if you wish to have a receipt mailed back to you. 
 
Q.
Can I get copies of paid tax bills when I am ready to file my Federal and State Income Tax?

A. It is possible to get copies of paid tax bills, but we strongly suggest that you keep your original receipts or cancelled checks for filling tax forms. The Tax Collector’s Office charges a fee of $.50 per tax bill copy.

Q. Can I combine my motor vehicle, personal property and real estate taxes on one check?

A. Yes, one check can be written for motor vehicle, real estate taxes and personal property taxes.

Q. Can I combine my taxes and sewer usage payment on one check?

A. No.  Payments for taxes should be made payable to “Revenue Collector”.  Payments for sewer usage should be made payable to “Plainville Sewer Fund”.

Q. What happens if I get a tax bill for a vehicle that I no longer own?

A. If you transferred the plates from one vehicle to another, you should pay the tax bill for the old vehicle.  Next January you will receive a supplemental bill for the vehicle you currently own, and on the same bill you will receive credit for the amount you paid for the old vehicle.

If you turn in the plates to the Department of Motor Vehicles, you need to provide the Assessor’s Office with two forms of proof that you no longer own the vehicle to remove it from the tax list.  One form of proof must be the plate receipt from the Department of Motor Vehicle.  You should contact the Assessor’s Office for more detailed information.

Q. What happens if I get a tax bill for real estate I no longer own?

A. Please notify the Tax Collector’s Office if you receive a tax bill for property that you no longer own.  The tax office does not receive transfer of ownership information on the same day it occurs.  It sometimes takes a few weeks to get notification of new owners.

Q. What is a Supplemental Motor Vehicle Tax Bill?

A. Supplemental Motor Vehicle tax bills are issued when a vehicle is purchased after October 1st and before July 31st.  For example, if a vehicle is purchased in December 2008 a supplemental tax bill, covering the months from December 2008 through September 2009, will be due in January of 2010.

Q. If there are two taxpayer names on one motor vehicle tax bill, are both taxpayers required to have all their taxes paid in order to receive a release for DMV?

A. Yes.  Both taxpayers must have paid all of their delinquent taxes before a DMV release can be issued to either party.

Q. What if the check I used to pay my taxes is returned to the bank for insufficient funds (ISF)?

A. When a check is returned to the bank for ISF, we must void the tax payment and issue a new bill for the taxes and a “returned check fee” in the amount of $20.00 to the taxpayer.  The new bill will also include any additional late fees that have incurred.

Q. I just bought a property in Plainville, why didn’t I receive a tax bill?

A. If you recently purchased property in Plainville and did not receive a bill, please contact us immediately.  The tax office does not receive transfer of ownership on the same day it occurs.

Q. I just paid off my mortgage.  How do I make sure that the tax bill gets mailed to me and not the mortgage Company?

A. Your mortgage company should inform us of this information, but they don’t always follow through.  If you recently paid off your mortgage and your mortgage company was paying your taxes, you need to call the tax office as soon as possible to let us know.  We will remove the bank code from your account and make sure that you receive a copy of the tax bill.

Q. What happens if I don’t receive a tax bill in July for my Vehicle? **

A. Please contact the Tax Collectors office as soon as possible.  If your vehicle was registered in Plainville after October 1, 2008, but before July 30, 2009, you won’t receive a tax bill until January of 2010.

Q. What happens if I don’t receive a tax bill for my real estate? **

A. Please contact the Tax Collector’s Office as soon as possible.  If you recently purchased the property, it is possible that the Tax Collector’s Office has not been notified of the change of owner, and the tax bill may have been sent to the prior owner in error.  Another reason that you have not received a tax bill could be that a mortgage company may have requested your bill in error.

Q. What happens if I don’t receive a tax bill for my business? **

A. Please contact the Tax Collector’s Office as soon as possible.  The reasons for not receiving a tax bill for you business are many.  You may not have filed the proper paperwork for your business with the Town of Plainville, or we may not have your correct mailing address.

**Please Note:

Failure to receive a tax bill does not invalidate the tax or interest due.  As owners of property, taxpayers are responsible to know when their taxes are due.  Failure to have received a bill does not exempt the taxpayer from payment of all taxes and all interest charges and collection cost, per Connecticut General Statute 12-130 and 12-146.  Interest is charged to all late payments.  There are no exceptions to this policy.

Q. How long should I keep my tax payment receipt?

A. It is recommended that you keep tax payment receipts for 15 years.

Q. Are discount programs available for veterans, elderly or totally disabled taxpayers?

A.  Yes, there are discount programs available for veterans, elderly and the totally disabled.  Please contact the Assessor’s Office for more information.

Fire Marshal's Office

Q
. Are blasters required to have a permit from the Fire Marshal?

A. Yes.  A permit to transport, use and purchase explosives is required before any blasting is performed.

Q. Do I have the right to be notified of blasting operations in my neighborhood?

A. There is no regulation requiring persons to be notified that blasting is occurring in your neighborhood.  Each blasting operation is unique.  Blasters are required to conduct a pre-blast survey within certain distances to adjoining property.  This survey may or may not be required on homes in the area depending on the amount of blasting to take place.

Q. My house shook during a blasting operation nearby, what do I do?

A. Call the Fire Marshal's Office if you have a concern about the blasting taking place.  Most blasting operations do cause some seismic and air blast vibration.  All blasting operations are monitored by the Fire Marshal and they do require pre-blast surveys and seismic readings of nearby buildings to determine safe levels of ground and air movement.

Town Clerk's Office

Q
. How do I find the deed to my property?

A. The Town Clerk’s office has the referenced volume and page in the Land Records computer indexing system which we will guide you in locating when you come into our office.

Q. How do I find a plot plan for my property?

A. If a plot plan has been filed you may obtain that in the Building Department.

Q. How do I find out if there are any liens on my property?

A. The Town Clerk’s office maintains a computer index from 1989 forward.  There is a public computer which the staff will assist you in using.  Records on this system are filed by the recorded name and not property location.

Q. How do I get a license for my dog and what is the fee?

A. Dog licenses cost $8.00 for spayed or neutered dogs and $19 if they are not spayed or neutered.  Proof of a current rabies vaccination and proof of spaying or neutering is required at the time of licensing.  Regardless of when the license is purchased, it expires on June 30th of each year.  If your dog is in our computer system, a reminder is sent out annually.

If you unfortunately no longer have your dog please notify our office so we may update our records.

Q. Where can I get a copy of my birth certificate?

A. The Plainville Town Clerk’s office can issue certified copies of certificates if:
      1. The person was born in Plainville, or
      2. The mother resided in Plainville at the time of the birth.

Birth records are not open for public inspection in accordance with section 7-51 of the Connecticut General Statutes.  You may request a copy of your own birth certificate, your child’s, your spouse’s and your parent’s.  Grandparents may also request a copy for their grandchildren.

Certified copies are available in two sizes:  the full size is 81/2” x 11” and is a full copy of the original document; the wallet size shows the birth name and date only.  Both are acceptable legal documents with the raised seal.

Q. If I live in Plainville, but I am getting married in another town, where do I apply for my marriage license?

A. You apply in either Plainville (your town of residence) or in the town where you are getting married (the town of occurrence).  The license is good for 65 days and the fee is $30.

Q. I do not live in Connecticut, but I am getting married in Plainville.  Where do I apply for my license?

A. The Town of Plainville is the only place where you can apply for your license.

Q. I was married before.  What name do I use for my new marriage license?

A. Whatever your legal name is at the time of application is the name you should use.

Q. Does the Town Clerk change my name for me once I am married?

A. No-there is no provisions for the Town Clerk to do this.  If the bride decides to change her name once she is married, she must contact Social Security Administration, Department of Motor Vehicles, banking institutions, etc, where her name would require a legal change.  A certified copy of the marriage license is proof that the name change request is legitimate.

Following her marriage, if the bride owns property in Plainville she can file a Change of Name Certificate on the Land Records for a $53.00 fee.

Q. How do I register to vote?

A. The Plainville Registrar of Voters will accept your Voter Registration application.  If the Registrars are not available, the Town Clerk’s office is happy to issue and accept the application.

Q. How can I become a Notary Public?

A. The Notary Public Manual and the Application for Appointment As Notary Public are available in the Town Clerk’s office.  Upon completion of the paperwork, the application is forwarded to the Secretary of the State along with a non-refundable fee of $60.00.  Appointments are for a 5-year term.

Q. Where can I get a document notarized, and what do I need to bring with me?

A. The Town Clerk’s office performs notarial services during regular business hours.  If the notary does not know the signer personally, Connecticut law (Section 3-92a(9)) requires the signer to have at least two forms of identification containing the individual’s signature, at least one of which contains the photograph of the signer, or a physical description.

Please note the Plainville Town Clerk’s office has a policy not to notarize a document that will be recorded in our office.