City Ave District Special Assessments

Pay your special assessment bill online

What is the City Ave District Special Assessment?

City Avenue Special Services District of Philadelphia and Lower Merion is an independent municipal authority organized under the Pennsylvania Municipality Authorities Act of 1945, the City of Philadelphia Ordinance 030716 (approved on March 23, 2023), and a Township of Lower Merion resolution (approved November 19, 2003). The Pennsylvania Municipality Authorities Act, the District’s enabling law, allows the District to impose an annual assessment on each benefitted property within the service area. This assessment is determined based upon the cost of the improvements and services provided, and the “assessed value” of each property (53 Pa.C.S.A. §5607(d)(27)). As an owner of property within the District, you are obligated to pay this charge.

Why is my property charged an assessment? What are the boundaries of City Ave District?

Every property owner with a taxable property assessment within our District boundaries receives an assessment bill on an annual basis. To view our District boundaries, visit our District Map.

Is this assessment the same as Philadelphia or Lower Merion real estate taxes?

No. The special assessments charged by municipal authorities are different and separate from your locality’s real estate taxes. You will not receive our assessment bills through Philadelphia or Lower Merion, and you will not be able to provide payments to us through them either.

How is my assessment calculated?

The Act requires the District to use a property’s assessed value for taxable purposes, as determined by the City of Philadelphia OPA for Philadelphia properties or Montgomery County for Lower Merion properties, as the basis for calculating the District’s assessments.

Your annual charge was computed by calculating the proportion of the value of all real estate taxes on your property in 2024 to the value of all real estate taxes on all properties within the District (including the value of real estate taxes on property owned by non-profit organizations) in 2024, then multiplying this proportion by the District’s 2024 assessment to all properties in the amount of $1,987,945.00.

My assessment is under appeal or has been reduced on appeal; is this reflected in my assessment bill?

If the certifiable taxable assessed value of your property is reduced on appeal, the District will allow a credit against this property’s next annual charge only if a request for a credit stemming from the certified reduction in the property valuation is received within the calendar year to which it applies. You may send the requests by mail to our office or by email to accounting@cityave.org.

I’m a residential property owner, do I still have to pay?

Only owner-occupied residential properties who have submitted a Homeowners Waiver Application to the District may be exempt from the assessment. To see if your property is eligible for this exemption or for a copy of the application, please email accounting@cityave.org.

When is my assessment charge due?

The 2024 assessments are due March 31, 2024.

Please note that if the bill is not paid when due, municipal liens will be filed against your property and additions, lien filing fees and lien satisfaction fees will be added to your balance and interest, and penalties will be added thereto at the rate of .5% per month or fraction of month from April 1, 2024, until the bill is paid, and other legal action may be taken.

I haven’t received my bill.  What should I do?

The 2024 Statement of Charges Assessed for the City Ave District was mailed out at the beginning of February 2024. If you have yet to receive a statement and would like a copy emailed to you directly, you can submit a request at accounting@cityave.org.

Please note that failure to receive the assessment bill does not absolve a property owner from their obligation to pay the bill in a timely manner. Review your mailing or email address with us at accounting@cityave.org.

Can I change my mailing address? Can I receive my bills through email instead?

Yes, please reach out to accounting@cityave.org to give us your preferred email/mailing addresses. If you did not provide us with a mailing address, we use the default mailing address from the City of Philadelphia website (for Philadelphia properties) or the Montgomery County website (for Lower Merion properties).

How do I pay the assessment?

We offer three ways to pay:

1. You can pay online through our third-party vendor MuniciPAY. Fees are 2.65% for credit card transactions or $1.50 for an ACH debit. If you owe assessment charges for multiple properties in our District, you are able to add all properties to your cart and checkout once.

• NOTE: To pay the $1.50 ACH debit fee, you will need to switch to the “Pay with E-Check” option at checkout.
• Please enter your bank account number and 9-digit routing number carefully. Any typo will result in a $25 returned deposit fee.

2. You can mail your payment to our office at 1 Belmont Ave, Suite 700, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004.

• Make checks payable to “City Avenue Special Services District”.
• Write your property address or parcel ID on the check.
• If you received a paper bill, include the bill’s stub in your mailing.
• If you use our enclosed envelope, be sure to affix first-class postage to the envelope.

3. You can pay in-person at our office between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

• Note that if a bank or mortgage company escrows funds for this assessment charge, forward your annual assessment bill to them for processing.

Can I get a receipt for my payment?

Upon request, we can provide no-charge receipts to property owners for payment of assessments via email. Please send your request for a receipt to our email accounting@cityave.org.