| Author |
Message |
    
Joso
| | Posted on Friday, January 19, 2001 - 5:29 pm: |     |
Westsiders are upset that their property has so dramatically increased in value over the past 20 years, that there relative share of the tax burden will rise equally dramatically. But for the town, shouldn't an equally important concern be why Eastside property values have so languished in comparison? Perhaps some of those whom have been so critical of the CCR, Demonstration School, and Springfield Ave. Redevelopment (at least those who live in the westside) will see that the success of these efforts is critical to the long-term viability of the entire South Orange-Maplewood Community. |
Townie
| | Posted on Friday, January 19, 2001 - 6:01 pm: | |
Jose,
I think what you are suggesting will only create more vitriol. What matters is individual property tax assessments. Part of what determines that is neighborhoods, but every home owner should carefully look over his or her assessment. You shouldn't just assume that because you live in the eastern end and you are expecting a tax decrease that your assessment was done correctly. Ask a real estate agent to look at your house and tell you what you could sell it for, realistically. If he or she says it's not worth what the assessment says because you need a new roof, appeal the assessment!
Likewise, if you live on the West side and have reason to believe your property has been overvalued, you have the right to appeal, even if people say you are being greedy. You don't owe it to other people now to pay more taxes than you legally should simply because others may have in the past. Home assessors are human and make mistakes. Why should you pay for those mistakes in higher taxes for the next 10 years?
These other issues -- CCR, Demonstration schools and Springfield Ave. revitalization -- should be discussed on their own merits. |
Ffof
| | Posted on Friday, January 19, 2001 - 9:19 pm: | |
Townie - you are so right...and Joso, the Demonstration schoool is an awesome addition to our district the proof of which will show, eventually, in the NJ magazine rankings. |
Lah
| | Posted on Friday, January 19, 2001 - 10:11 pm: | |
Joso -
I think that many of us on the west side are not complaining that there is a revaluation nor are we complaining that our real estate has appreciated in value. Instead, we are trying to point out that the numbers that we got back are much higher than we could actually sell our properties for (or even what we could have sold them for a few months ago at the height of the market). There is a family near me who put their house on the market as a result of this furor and they listed it well under (maybe by $50K??) their new assessed value. They have yet to get an offer on the house. Most of us on the west side expect a tax increase. We are just asking that it be a fair tax increase. |
Thomas
| | Posted on Friday, January 19, 2001 - 11:22 pm: | |
very well said Joso |
Townie
| | Posted on Saturday, January 20, 2001 - 12:10 am: | |
Ooops! Joso, sorry to have misspelled your name! (My eyesight!) |
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