Frequently Asked Questions

1. Provide a copy of the Bill of Sale to the Assessor’s Office. Copies can be sent via email to assessor@wellstown.org or by postal mail to Assessor, 208 Sanford Rd, Wells, ME 04090. The Bill of Sale should include the seller’s name, buyer’s name, location and description of the unit, date of sale, sale price, and mailing address where the buyer will receive the tax bill. 

2. Apply for a State of Maine title (for units 1995 model year or newer). Applications for a title can be obtained at the town’s Finance & Tax Collection office, at Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicle branch offices, or by contacting the Title Unit in Augusta at (207) 624-9000 x52138. 

3. If you purchased a camper or trailer (including park models) and the seller did not collect sales tax, file an Individual Use Tax Return (IUSE) with the State of Maine. Forms are available online from the Maine Revenue Services website or at the Assessor’s Office. If you purchased a used manufactured home (mobile home), your purchase is tax exempt and you do not need to file an IUSE form. 

By state law, if your unit was in the Town of Wells on April 1, the unit is taxable for the tax year of July 1 – June 30, and you will receive a town property tax bill in the fall. The only exceptions to this are trailers with a current State of Maine registration (license plate) as of April 1 or motorhomes. If your unit is not taxable but you have other taxable property such as a shed or deck, you will receive a bill for only the taxable items. 

Tax bills are not prorated by the town. Buyers and sellers are encouraged to make arrangements between themselves to apportion the property tax at the time of the sale. Taxes are assessed to the owner of record on April 1, however, for your convenience, tax bills are mailed to the current owner at the time the bills are issued. 

You must be a taxpayer in the Town of Wells to purchase a beach sticker. If your unit or other taxable property, such as a shed or deck, was in town as of April 1, you will receive a property tax bill in the fall and you are considered a taxpayer for the purpose of buying a beach sticker. If you brought your taxable property into town after April 1, you will not receive a tax bill for that year and you may not purchase a beach sticker; you will receive a tax bill and be eligible for a beach sticker the following year if your unit is still in town the following April 1. 

Provide a copy of the Bill of Sale to the Assessor’s Office. Copies can be sent via email to assessor@wellstown.org or by postal mail to Assessor, 208 Sanford Rd, Wells, ME 04090. The Bill of Sale should include the seller’s name, buyer’s name, location and description of the unit, date of sale, sale price, and mailing address where the buyer will receive the tax bill. 

If you sell your unit and your Bill of Sale has been submitted to the Assessor’s Office before tax bills are mailed in the fall, the tax bill will be sent to the new owner. If you receive a bill for a unit you have sold, you are responsible for forwarding the bill to the new owner. Tax bills are not prorated by the town. Buyers and sellers are encouraged to make arrangements between themselves to apportion the property tax at the time of the sale. 

By state law, if your unit was in the Town of Wells on April 1, the unit is taxable for the tax year of July 1 – June 30. The only exceptions to this are trailers with a current State of Maine registration (license plate) as of April 1 or motorhomes. Removing your unit from the town after April 1 does not affect your property tax bill nor remove your obligation to pay property tax for that year. 

Yes. You need to fill out an Additional Owner Form, available from the Assessor’s Office. The form must be signed by the current owner and the new additional owner(s). 

Beach stickers are only available to Town of Wells taxpayers and must be used on vehicles owned by or assigned to the taxpayer.

Call the Assessor’s Office at (207) 646-6081, send an email to assessor@wellstown.org, or visit us on the second floor of Town Hall at 208 Sanford Road, Wells, Maine. We are open Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm, and 8 am to 6 pm on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.