Frequently Asked Questions

The Summer tax is billed July 1. Payment is due by the last business day of July—usually July 31. An optional 8-payment plan is available with payment #1 due in July.

All payments to the City Treasurer’s Office MUST be accompanied with the payment stubs, coupons or invoice[s] in order to avoid misapplication of money to wrong account or head. Tax payments specially the monthly installments, MUST be accompanied with the pre printed [bar coded] coupons.

Payment coupons can be picked up at the Treasurer’s Office or you could request them by mail by sending postage paid self addressed envelope, after you receive your tax bill. Any payment made after the due date will incur interest charge at 9 % per annum on the delinquent amount.

The Winter tax is billed December 1. Payment is due by February 14. After February 14, a 3% late payment interest is charged. The last date payments are accepted at the Treasurer’s Office is the last working day of February each year.

All unpaid balances are considered delinquent on March 1 and turned over to the Oakland County Treasurer for collection. After March 1, payments have to be made directly to the Oakland County Treasurer in Pontiac. Revised Statements are provided by the Ferndale Treasurer’s Office for the month of March only, after which the County Treasurer starts generating their own invoices. Contact Oakland County Treasurer at (248)858-0611 or (888)600-3773.

How is tax information obtained?

Call the Treasurer’s Office 24-hour hotline at 888-600-3773 to get tax information. Ferndale Assessment and Tax Information is available also on the website:  http://ferndalecity.is.bsasoftware.com

A copy of the tax bill can be obtained from the Ferndale Treasurer’s Office for a $1 fee. To have a copy faxed, the cost is $1 for the bill copy, $3 to fax and $3 convenience fee to use a credit card to pay in advance of the faxing process. We also take requests by mail for copies. Please provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope along with the $1 copy fee.

What is the proper mailing address for payments?

City of Ferndale/Attn: Treasurer’s Office

300 E. Nine Mile Road

Ferndale, MI 48220

• Credit Card Payments (248)546-2370
• Questions about amounts on the tax bills like:
  • Special Assessment Information (248)546-2370
  • Copies of Outstanding Invoice (248)546-2376
  • Water Bill inquiries (248)546-2374

What is a special assessment?

Special Assessments are charges for city-performed services billed to individual properties. Examples are grass and weed cutting, trash & curb clean up, or boarding and securing the property. An invoice is mailed to the property owner for payment. If the invoice remains unpaid within the stated time on the invoice, the invoice amount plus interest is rolled to the property taxes in July or December and becomes a lien against the property until paid in full.

Payments for Special Assessments can be mailed to the Ferndale Treasurer’s Office at 300 E. Nine Mile Road; Ferndale, MI 48220. Please include the invoice with your payment and the invoice number on the check.

Water bills are sent every 3 months. The payment due date is on the bill. After the due date, a 10% late fee is assessed.

The City of Ferndale accepts checks, cash, money order, debit or credit cards. Payments by cards (VISA and MasterCard only) incur a convenience fee of 3% on the charged amount with a minimum of $3 per transaction to cover the bank charges. The City offers an ACH automatic account withdrawal for water accounts with no additional fees. The ACH form is available at the Water Department at City Hall or on the City’s web site.

Because there was no response to the original billing notice, a courtesy notice is sent as a reminder that payment is still due.

The City does assess delinquent water bills twice a year to property taxes. At that time, it becomes a lien against the property.

Who to contact for water account information?

Call the Water Billing Department at (248)546-2374.