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Vicdeluca
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 7, 2001 - 3:49 pm: |     |
Last night the Township Committee approved of two resolutions to hire experts to review the work of Certified Valuations. Those hired were Harry Haushalter, a tax attorney from Mercer County, and Thomas DeMartin, a real estate appraiser from Trenton. The two will work in tandem to complete the review within the next two weeks.
The Township Committee has also been in discussion with State Senator Ronald Rice (who represents Maplewood) about new legislation that would permit the roll-in of a revaluation. The Committee agreed to support legislation that would allow for up to a five year roll-in and would cover all properties in town, those with a value that went up more than the average amount and those with a value that went up less than the average amount. We asked that the legislation leave the mechanics of the reval up to the local governing body, subject to rules and regulations that would be developed by the State Division of Taxation. Senator Rice plans to introduce this bill on Thursday and move it on a fast track. We will know more by Friday. We will be creating models of how the roll-in will actually impact Maplewood residents and will post and distribute that information when it is available.
On Wednesday night at 6:30pm at Town Hall, there will be a workshop on how to read the property record card. Please bring your record card. Thanks to all who helped us get the word out on this short notice. It will be televised and also repeated on Channel 35. I will post the repeat times on Maplewood on-line on Thursday.
The Assessor Review is on-going. We have received about 300 requests for reviews. You should receive a confirmation postcard once we get your request. You will receive a letter from the Assessor when he has completed the review of your property. Requests for a review must be received at Town Hall by 4:30pm on Wednesday, February 14th. |
Waynecaviness
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 7, 2001 - 4:03 pm: | |
Thanks very much for the update. Those are all very constructive steps.
With regard to the hiring of Mr. Haushalter and Mr. DeMartin: is two weeks sufficient time for them to complete a review of CV's work? One would suspect that some, perhaps many, of the errors and/or flaws in CV's work will become evident in the assessors review process, which will be ongoing until February 14th. Does two weeks give them enough time for a proper analysis? |
Chip
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 7, 2001 - 5:40 pm: | |
Two of the residents on Winthrop Place went to town hall requesting appointments with the additional staff only to be told that all of the appointments were booked. If that is true how will we be heard? If not, why is this false information being given out? |
Maggie
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 7, 2001 - 5:55 pm: | |
Mayor DeLuca
Perhaps I'm misinterpreting your post above, but it appears you are saying that Mr. Galante's office will be conducting the individual reviews without giving any residents the opportunity to meet with the review staff in person. I seem to recall an earlier post by you which acknowledged that in some cases a meeting might indeed be warranted and that this would be arranged on a case by case basis. Is this no longer true? |
Papa
| | Posted on Friday, February 9, 2001 - 12:26 am: | |
VIC. you must think the people of Maplewood are stupid . You are saying over and over again that you are just trying to help the people of Maplewood , but we Know what the real truth is .you are trying to cover your ass, but the great number of people in this town can see the truth so why don't you start doing your job and stop worrying about public thinking.....and do the right thing..... PAPA |
Tracks
| | Posted on Friday, February 9, 2001 - 9:44 am: | |
I totally disagree with you Papa. I think He is trying to do his job. And I still have not seen what you think is the right thing. So, why don't you tell us with 20-20 hindsight what the Maplewood TC should have done and what the results would have been. |
Maggie
| | Posted on Friday, February 9, 2001 - 1:12 pm: | |
So, on the one hand, Mr. DeLuca states ...
"You will receive a letter from the Assessor when he has completed the review of your property."
On the other hand, a poster states ...
"Two of the residents on Winthrop Place went to town hall requesting appointments with the additional staff only to be told that all of the appointments were booked."
Does anyone have any information as to what the game plan actually is? Has anyone, as yet, been afforded an opportunity to meet with the assessor's staff regarding their review? |
Buddy
| | Posted on Friday, February 9, 2001 - 6:57 pm: | |
Papa,
The TC is doing a fine job on this issue these days. Were you in Town Hall on Tuesday night? Did you happen to notice that the crowds have dwindled dramatically over the past month?
This thing is coming to closure and the vast majority of townspeople are becoming satisfied with the evaluations and the process. It may have taken the TC a while to get in gear but everything is coming together now. |
Alidah
| | Posted on Friday, February 9, 2001 - 9:28 pm: | |
The impression I get from my neighbors is that the more they learn about this revaluation the LESS satisfied they are with it, myself included.
I don't think this is winding down. People are weighing their options, and ramifications will be seen 6 months to a year from now. |
Dytunck
| | Posted on Friday, February 9, 2001 - 10:18 pm: | |
Alidah,
Now you know why no information was volunteered.
You have got this figured out ali,
Dytunck |
Golden
| | Posted on Friday, February 9, 2001 - 10:40 pm: | |
Buddy:
Yes, there are fewer folks showing up at the meetings. Maybe because they realize that the TC is never going to admit that Certified did a horrible job. They will make Certified's number fit in somehow.
Tracks:
The actions of the TC during the reval should be memorialized in manual form and distributed to every mayor in N.J. titled "HOW NOT TO HANDLE A REVAL".
The issue of what the TC- Mayor could have/should have done has been beaten into the ground, and is not worth going over. At this point you either feel they are doing a great job (your taxes are being reduced) or they are less than competent (your taxes are being raised). No arguments will likely change either side. |
Nakaille
| | Posted on Friday, February 9, 2001 - 11:38 pm: | |
There actually are people in Maplewood whose taxes are rising quite significantly who feel, after reviewing the spreadsheets, that the process is essentially fair and that the TC has done a reasonable job under very difficult circumstances. They post on this board, too. Are they happy to have $4000+ increases? No, of course not. But they understand why it is happening and have come to terms with it without feeling they have to kill the messengers or go to war against the other townsfolk. Nice to see some grownups around town.
Bacata |
Eb1154
| | Posted on Saturday, February 10, 2001 - 12:06 am: | |
Dytunck,
Please don't tell me that you are one of those people who feel that there is or was a conspiracy to hide something by the TC. I may not have agreed with your opinion but I thought you were above that conspiracy theory. I will grant you that CV didn't release the numbers the way they should have but I don't think the TC is to blame for that. The TC has expressed their dissatisfaction with CV on the way they handled the public relations and agreed the numbers and info should have been given out to the people and they acted upon it when they were made aware of the facts. |
Octofoil
| | Posted on Saturday, February 10, 2001 - 12:53 am: | |
Bacata,
Two things: First, I don't understand you. Even when the principle embodied in your message is sound and morally correct, as is almost always the case, you seem to have to dig, insult, threaten or bully (for example, "Nice to see some grownups around town", or "we'll sue..and we'll win" or "if you don't like it, get a loan". Why?
Whether one agrees with you or not, your posts typically have an element of underlying rationality. Why cheapen them and detract from your message like that?
This is not to say that you should be all warm and fuzzy to everybody, but perhaps more emphasis on principled reason rather than "mess with me and I'll breaka da face!" would help get your point across.
Second: Yes, there are people in Maplewood who have gotten comfortable with the revaluation. Thats great for them. If only there were more of them! In fact, we all probably wish we were like them. I know I do. It would save those of us who have problems with the revaluation a lot of time and trouble.
Look, I can't speak for the rest of them, but I promise you, I'm not unhappy with my reassessment because I want to be. I would much rather be spending my time doing almost anything else than worrying about and contending with this thing! Why am I unhappy with it? It isn't because of the amount of money by which my taxes are going up. In fact, I would be delighted and thrilled to pay those taxes (even if I do have to get a loan) if indeed my home was worth what CV/Galante say it is. The problem is that it ain't. Not by a long shot. Not by at least $150,000 (as confirmed by independent appraisal). So, I have to appeal and hope the process works like its supposed to.
I'm not at war with anyone. I'm not trying to kill the messengers. I'm just trying to rectify mistakes. The posts on this board lead me to believe that there are others in Maplewood like me. |
Bobk
| | Posted on Saturday, February 10, 2001 - 7:06 am: | |
Many who attended previous TC meetings are now watching on TV. I bet Ch.35's ratings in Maplewood were higher than the SuperBowl.
Basically on TV you see and hear better and if you are not going to speak, why go?
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Franny
| | Posted on Saturday, February 10, 2001 - 8:05 am: | |
Octofoil - I'm not going to the TC meetings anymore because I'm tired of arguing. I've got a house that went up over $120,000 in 18 months (I bought in '99) I've shown comparables, measurements, assessments until I was blue in the face. I'm waiting until the numbers are approved and I'm letting the lawyers do their thing.
Independant audits aren't uncommon and usually are influenced politically. That's what my lawyer says at least. |
Buddy
| | Posted on Saturday, February 10, 2001 - 8:33 am: | |
Golden,
My taxes are going UP and I feel that they are doing a great job now.
So how do you explain that? |
Nilmiester
| | Posted on Saturday, February 10, 2001 - 10:54 am: | |
Cause they are your "buddies". |
Golden
| | Posted on Saturday, February 10, 2001 - 11:01 am: | |
Buddy,
How could anyone possible know why - you would have to explain that yourself.
As I previously posted, it is MY opinion that the TC did a poor job concerning the reval. Yes, they are taking steps to make corrections- but that was only after an huge uproar from a large group of residents as shown by the two open meetings. If you are satisfied with your reval and the actions of the TC thats fine.
My criticism of the mayor and TC stands. As our representatives they should have realized that doing a reval after 20 years might not be an easy
task. Do you know that Certified recently completed a reval for Wall Township and the numbers were so off base that the Mayor put the reval off for one year, and that decision was not based on public pressure. Suppose you were unable to go to the TC meetings or did not have an internet service - how would you know what was being done by the TC. Did they place a simple open letter in the town paper giving update information . Did they send a mass mailing to each resident advising them of the process - no.
If this situation were played out in the corporate world, our TC (except G.R.) would now be out selling pencils. |
Dytunck
| | Posted on Saturday, February 10, 2001 - 11:42 am: | |
eb1154,
Certitied didn't want to release the methodologies or data because it would expose them as incompetent. The TC was MUCH more forthcoming with data. Jerry in particular.
TC Conspiracy? No. Maybe covering their tracks now, though because of an embarrasing bungle. Hiring the rubber stamps to "Certify" Certified is not the way this should go. It should be deferred until the TC and the citizens are convinced that the revaluation is fair.
And I do not mean that it's "unfair" for my taxes to go up and yours to go down. I mean that a proper revaluation would be fair, so that my increase is accurate and your decrease is accurate.
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