Need legal help with your Divorce?
More help now available in Portland
The Volunteer Lawers Project
will have volunteers available at Portland District Court to help people fill out family law paperwork and answer questions about service,
case management, etc.
Courthouse assistance will take place on the following Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.:
- Thursday, June 7th, June 21st and June 28th
- Thursday, July 19th and 26th
- Every Thursday in August and September
Location: ground floor Portland District Court - Newbury Street entrance.
Property
Tax and Rent Refund:
File Now!
If you own your own home or pay rent, and have high property taxes or rental payments, you are probably
eligible for a money refund from the State of Maine.
Again, more money will be paid out and more people will be eligible. Major
expansions to the program in 2005 included:
- Maximum benefit increases from $1,000 to $2,000.
- The old maximum income cap is gone. (However, the payment formula imposes a "de facto" income cap of $80,750
for individuals and $105,750 for multi-member households.)
- A renter can count 20% of rent as "tax."
- Only the first $3,250 of tax (for single person), and the first $4,250 of tax (for multi-person household),
will be considered in the rebate formula.
- Applications will be accepted from August 1, 2007 to June 2, 2008.
As in prior years, only those whose 2006 property tax (or 20% rental cost) exceeds 4% of their 2006 income
will be eligible.
If you are close to meeting this test, the State encourages you to apply, to find out if you are eligible.
Very low-income seniors can qualify without meeting these tests.
Get more details on
the 2005 legislative changes from the Maine Municipal Association
Places to get application forms:
Read more details
about the program on the
Maine Revenue Services site. You can also go there to
i-file your application,
check on the status of your application, or to e-mail
Revenue Services with your questions.
Community Action programs are beginning to take applications for low-income energy assistance (LIHEAP).
LIHEAP agencies remind you to make your appointment early and then to keep your
appointment, if you can, to avoid having to wait weeks or months to get in.
