New Residents

Welcome to the Town of Duxbury!  We are pleased that you made the decision to reside in Duxbury and hope that you have many years of success and happiness in your new home.

This letter is written as a courtesy to make you aware of the Town’s taxation process as it may not have been discussed with you at your closing: Massachusetts general law requires that Real Estate and Personal Property tax bills must be sent to the owner of record as of the January 1st date immediately preceding that start of the fiscal year. This means that if you had purchased Real Estate or Personal Property in Duxbury after January 1st the tax bills for the following July 1st to June 30th would be in the name of the previous owner and in all likelihood the bills would be forwarded to the previous owner by the post office. All attempts are made to include a c/o for a new owner but the registry of deeds has a minimum 3 month delay in forwarding copies of deeds to the municipalities. Please call the Tax Collector’s office (781) 934-1100 ext. 6001 to have a copy of your bill mailed to you. Massachusetts law states that your failure to receive a tax bill does not invalidate the tax nor the proceedings for collection.

The Town of Duxbury Real Estate & Personal Property tax bills are issued quarterly, but are mailed semiannually. The first two quarters (August 1st and November 1st) are preliminary tax bills and each normally represents ¼ of the prior year’s total annual tax. The second two quarters (Feb 1st and May 1st) are the actual tax bills and reflect your current assessment and the town’s tax rate. Bills are mailed thirty days prior to the above listed due dates. Timely payment requires that the bill be received by the Collector before the close of business on the due date. Postmarks are not acceptable. If a statutory tax falls on a holiday or week-end, the tax will be due on the next business day.

Sign and date your check. Unsigned checks will be returned. DO NOT DATE THE CHECK AHEAD. Checks will not be held by the Collectors for later deposit. A post-dated check that is processed and not honored by the bank will result in penalties and fees and charges imposed by both the bank and the Town. If using electronic bill payments through a bank please include the bill year, type and number to ensure accurate processing. Payments sent without a remittance should be sent directly to the Town Hall, Tax Collector Office, 878 Tremont Street, Duxbury, MA 02332 to avoid a delay in processing the payment.

Interest at an annual rate of 14% per diem is assessed on all payments received after the due dates. Any balance still remaining after May 1st will result in the issuance of a demand bill and an additional $10.00 warrant fee. Bills that remain unpaid will be forwarded to the Deputy Collector, Hobin and Hobin Inc. for additional fees. The Deputy Collector may charge up to an additional $29.00 in fees through its collection cycle.

Continued failure to remit the balance will result in additional costs and the securing of a lien on the property through a tax taking process. Public notice will be posted in a local newspaper and in two public places. An Instrument of Taking will then be recorded at the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds. Foreclosure proceedings will begin at the earliest date allowed by law.

Motor Vehicle excise tax is issued annually to each registration with the bulk of the bills being due in March. Motor Vehicle excise tax bills may be issued during the fiscal year if  you have purchased a new vehicle and/or transferred plates. Boat excise is also issued annually and is also normally due in the spring. Utility bills (water & sewer) are issued semi-annually.  

Requests for abatements and exemptions should be made to the Board of Assessors. Change of Address forms are also available through the Assessor’s office. For more information please call (781) 934-1100 ext. 6010.

To register to vote, obtain birth, death and marriage certificates and dog licenses, please call the Town Clerk at (781) 934-1100 ext. 6004 or see the Town Clerk’s page on the Town of Duxbury website.

To obtain a shellfish permit, please contact Municipal Services at (781) 934-1100 ext. 6002.

For inquiries regarding the purchase of beach/transfer station stickers, horseback riding permits, and payment of boating moorings please contact the Treasurer/Collectors Office at (781) 934-1100 ext. 6001.

Office hours of the Town Hall are Monday 8:00 am to 7:00 pm; Tuesday through Thursday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm; and Friday 8:00 am to 12:30 pm.