Confused by the New Jersey return address on the envelope accompanying your 2023 East Hampton Town property tax bill? You're not alone.
While it's prudent to be on the lookout for scams, especially those targeting older people, the Newark, N.J., post office box on the town's tax-payment envelope is legitimate, according to the town tax receiver's office. It stems from the town's partnership with Dime Bank in collecting taxes and represents just one of several ways residents can pay.
"That is a lockbox service that Dime Bank uses," Amy Rivera, East Hampton's deputy tax receiver, explained by phone this week. "Last year it went to Dime Bank in Hauppauge. This year, it is going to New Jersey."
According to the town website, the New Jersey-bound return envelopes aren't the only way you can pay your taxes, the first half of which must be postmarked by Jan. 10, 2023.
People can drop their payments off in person or mail them directly to the tax receiver's office at 300 Pantigo Place, Suite 106, East Hampton 11937, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. After hours, they can do so using the mail slot, and a receipt will be sent by mail. Drop-offs can also be made at the Montauk Playhouse, 240 Edgemere Street, Montauk 11954. Payments are also accepted in person at local Dime Bank branches.
There are also online and telephone payment options, though there is a fee of 2.5 percent associated with using credit and debit cards and a $1.75 fee for an electronic check. An online payment link can be found at ehamptonny.gov. The number for called-in payments is 631-324-2770.
When paying with a check by mail, the town recommends property owners send it by certified mail. They should use the enclosed payment coupons, if possible, and, if not, they should clearly write their bill numbers on their checks as a means of identification.
