Assessments & Taxes

Michigan law requires assessors to set the assessed value of all property at approximately 50% of what the property would sell for on the open market. As property values increase and decrease, assessments are adjusted to reflect the changing market.

Contrary to popular belief, the local assessor is not a "tax assesor". Assessors do not assess taxes, they appraise property and determine its value so that value can be placed on the assessment roll in accordance with Michigan Law. Assessors, who typically visit property and appraise it early in the year, have no idea what the property tax rate - approved by voters - will be by tax time later in the year. Assessors do not raise assessments in order to increase taxes. Assessments are strictly controlled by law, and are separate from the property tax rates approved by voters.

The county's Equalization Department performs an annual study to review property sales in the township and compare the actual sale prices to the assessor's appraisal. They inform the local assessor of their findings, which determines the amount of adjustment to be made to assessments throughout the township. The assessor must then determine the amount of adjustment on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis, based on sales in that area.

IF YOU PURCHASED YOUR PROPERTY LAST YEAR, ITS TAXABLE VALUE WILL BE ADJUSTED THIS YEAR TO EQUAL ITS ASSESSED VALUE. MICHIGAN LAW REQUIRES ALL ASSESSORS TO ADJUST A PROPERTY'S TAXABLE VALUE TO EQUAL ITS ASSESSED VALUE IN THE YEAR IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP. AFTER THIS INITIAL ADJUSTMENT, AS LONG AS YOU OWN THE PROPERTY, ITS TAXABLE VALUE CANNOT INCREASE MORE THAN 5% PER YEAR.

Property Tax Bills

Property Tax Bills are mailed twice each year. The State Education Tax bill, as well as the county's tax bill, is sent out on July 1 and is payable through September 14 in order to avoid any interest penalty. Winter Property Taxes (township, local school taxes) are payable from December 1 through the end of township business hours on the last day of February. Mayfield Township cannot accept  past-due property tax payments and has no authority to waive any part of the tax, penalty, interest, or any other related fee. Contact the COUNTY Treasurer for delinquent tax information.

Drop Box Payment

A drop box is located at the main entrance to the Mayfield Township Offices. Prepare your payment as if you were going to mail it, then deposit your payment in the drop box at your convenience. Do not deposit cash in the drop box.

Checks

Please write your telephone number and your Property I.D. Number on your check for reference. Payment will be recorded on the date received - not the date it is postmarked or the date the check is written. Payments deposited in the drop box at the main entrance of the Township Hall are posted the day they are removed from the box. Do not deposit cash in the drop box. Checks are accepted only as a conditional payment. If not honored by the bank, the tax is unpaid and subject to penalties and interest.

To Pay by Mail
Make checks payable and mail to:

Mayfield Township Treasurer, 1900 N. Saginaw Rd., Lapeer, MI 48446.

To Pay in Person

Bring your tax bill to the Township Offices along with payment. Office hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. A drop box is available at the main entrance to the Township Hall for after-hours payments.

Errors and Omissions

Please examine your tax bill closely to ensure accuracy. Please notify our office of any errors as soon as possible. Clerical errors, mutual mistakes of fact and omitted homestead exemptions may be corrected at the July or December meeting of the Board of Review, provided the township is notified of the error prior to the meeting. After this meeting is held, errors on the tax bill cannot be corrected until the following year. Failure to receive your tax bill does not waive interest and/or penalties.

Name and Address Change Requests
Change of name and/or address should be promptly reported. If you have sold your property and received a statement in error, please forward the statement to the new owner or return it to the Treasurer's Office with correction(s) of name and/or address.

Since assessments are required by law to be set at 50% of market value, they will continue to change if the sale prices of homes and property in the area change. As long as you continue to own your property, however, the taxable value on which you pay taxes, is capped and cannot increase more than 5% in a single year, even though your assessment may increase by unlimited amounts. The cap that prevents taxable value from increasing more than 5% (or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower) is set each year by state officials and is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Taxes are levied on Taxable Value NOT Assessed value.

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To Learn More About Tax Exemptions For Homeowners:

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Reading Your Assessment Notice:

However, many assessments are based on sales dating back to more than a year ago. So, today's market values may not affect the current assessment, until much later.