Cape May Court House, N.J. – One week before Christmas, Middle Township resident Rita Foss received notice that her home was going into foreclosure. Foss, who never missed a mortgage payment, was shocked and scared. She went to Town Hall looking for answers and was fortunate enough to find Tax Collector Sandy Beasley.
Beasley reviewed Foss’ paperwork and spotted an address error on a tax-service company document. The mistake had resulted in an erroneous lien that put Foss’ home in jeopardy. After multiple calls to Foss’ mortgage firm and the tax-service company it contracted with, Beasley finally slashed through the red tape. Her persistence paid off when the tax company agreed to investigate and confirmed the error.
“It was a very scary time,” said Foss. “Sandy kept calling the company and then giving me updates. She helped ease my mind. I don’t know what I would have done without her. She went above and beyond to help me.”
Beasley might have viewed her efforts as just part of the job, but tax clerk Julianne Calverley knew it was worth acknowledging.
“I said, ‘Sandy, you saved this woman’s home. That’s a big deal!’” said Calverley, who nominated Beasley for Middle Employee of the Month honors. Beasley will be recognized at the Aug. 7 Township Committee meeting.
Beasley has worked for the Township for nearly 30 years and said troubleshooting tax issues is nothing new.
“We have wonderful people living in Middle Township, and my colleagues and I work together to resolve challenges and get to the bottom of problems,” said Beasley. “We will help everyone that comes in here.”
The three-person Tax Collection department takes pride in being able to explain bills to residents who call and stop in, Calverley said.
“If people don’t understand a change, we can break it down for them,” she said. “It’s nice to see the light bulb go on and you know they get it.”
Beasley’s helpful ways extend beyond residents, Calverley said.
“Other municipal tax collector will call Sandy for help with questions. She is the go-to person.”
The Tax Collection Department’s personalized service is an extension of Middle’s neighborly vibe, Calverley said.
“It’s a small town. Everyone kind of looks out for each other.”