| Author |
Message |
    
Bobk
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 7:55 am: |     |
We received the results of the Assessor's Review yesterday in the mail. We got only a nominal reduction. So I guess it is going to be off to court.
Anyone else feel this way, or were you all happy with the results of the review process? |
Overtaxdalready
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 9:16 am: | |
Still waiting to hear. Is anything going on in terms of "class action" activity? |
Interalia
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 10:08 am: | |
I also received my 'form letter' which (aside from rubber stamping CV's assessment) stated that Galante was too busy to individually review all of the appeals and that I should take it up with Essex County.
Talk about an exercise in futility! What was the purpose of filing an appeal with the town, meeting the deadline, etc. only to receive a form letter?
Does anyone else feel like they have been had? |
Njjoseph
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 10:20 am: | |
Interalia, I agree. We were assured Galante's office were going to review all requests if received in time. That's not the case? |
Lydial
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 10:37 am: | |
I followed the rules, wrote a letter, supplied comparables, photos, explained that we'd been ascribed sq.footage that we didn't have...the numbers didn't budge. Forget the '50's kitchen -- the extra square footage is indisputable. This assessment review process (at least in my case) was a farce. |
Interalia
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 10:43 am: | |
I am very disheartened. In light of how divisive this whole matter has been, one tries to remain calm and not 'run off at the mouth' in forums like this and become a ranting hot head. However, I am so disillusioned and cynical now (and really angry!). I resented the way this process was conducted from the start and listening, complying (and playing by the TC's rules) was a waste of my time. I don't appreciate the TC's insincere attempts to placate (and apparently mislead) justifiably dissatisfied townspeople. Sorry to wax emotionally in this forum. |
Overtaxdalready
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 10:52 am: | |
Lydia...now I'm really depressed. I haven't heard, but I protested my square footage as well (the property drawing included a room we simply don't have) and also supplied photos. Based on your note I guess I shouldn't expect any adjustment. |
Lydial
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 11:02 am: | |
Interalia, you expressed my feelings exactly - I am disheartened and disallusioned. I really believed that my assessment review would be considered and the concrete errors (i.e. sq. footage) would be corrected. I hoped that the other errors(very old bathroom + kitchen) would further be addressed. Maybe some assessments were adjusted and others were not. Maybe I'm an anomaly. We'll see. Now I have to appeal -- I'm sure that these sq. footage problems will be considered during the county appeals process, but I'll be out even more time and money. |
Interalia
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 11:10 am: | |
Just a thought, but do you think (given the number of appeals to Essex County coming from Maplewood residents) that the County would demand a reassessment? |
Vicdeluca
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 12:51 pm: | |
Below is the letter that was sent to a property owner whose property was reviewed by the assessors. It does not say that Mr. Galante was "too busy to individually review all the appeals" and that it should be taken up with Essex County. The letter can speak for itself.
Additionally, these were not appeals, which are heard by the tax board, but rather assessor reviews that we arranged for. The final count shows that we received about 900 requests for reviews. Of that amount about 400 have been reviewed and decisions made. The assessor team is continuing to review the balance.
We hired professional assessors from other towns to do this review. They are taking the review very seriously and you can be sure that what was sent in was looked at and considered by them.
Dear Property Owner:
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation by expressing your concerns regarding your new assessed value in writing rather than through an individual meeting.
It had been my intention to provide to everyone requesting a review a detailed response that would address each concern individually. However, with more than 800 assessment reviews received, spending the time necessary to write individual responses would have prevented my ability and duty to properly review the actual assessments. Therefore, I have chosen to spend these past few weeks reviewing your concerns and your assessments.
I have attempted to provide as much information as possible by making available a copy of the property record card. This card provides a description of what has been assessed. In addition, I have placed the sales map on the counter in the Municipal Building for review. Reviewing this map is an excellent way to learn the amount paid for homes during the past three years.
After reviewing all the information that you provided to me in your review request, I have determined that the assessed value of your above-captioned property for the 2001 tax year is:
I am enclosing with this letter a finalized copy of your property record card.
Should you choose to appeal this assessed value, you must do so at the Essex County Board of Taxation by April 15, 2001. Tax appeal decisions are based on a property's market value as of October 1, 2000. In order to obtain a tax appeal application, you must contact the Essex County Board of Taxation located at 50 South Clinton Street, Suite 5200, East Orange, NJ 07018, 973-395-8525.
Sincerely,
Edward N. Galante
Tax Assessor |
Vicdeluca
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 12:56 pm: | |
Below is the letter sent out to those property owners whose reviews have not yet been completed:
Dear Property Owner:
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation by expressing your concerns regarding your new assessed value in writing rather than through an individual meeting.
It had been my intention to complete all requests for review by March 1st. However, with more than 800 assessment reviews received and the time needed to perform a thorough review of each request, it was not possible. To date, your property has not been reviewed. I expect that the remaining reviews will be completed by the end of March at which time you will receive a response from me on the results of the review.
Since your request has not yet been reviewed, the assessment postcard you will soon receive will not reflect the results of any review. Nonetheless, if after the review is performed I determine that an adjustment is warranted, the Township will work with you to present the change to the Essex County Board of Taxation and agree to a settlement.
In the meantime, should you choose to appeal your assessed value, you must do so at the Essex County Board of Taxation by April 15, 2001. Tax appeal decisions are based on a property's market value as of October 1, 2000. In order to obtain a tax appeal application, you must contact the Essex County Board of Taxation located at 50 South Clinton Street, Suite 5200, East Orange, NJ 07018, 973-395-8525.
Sincerely,
Edward N. Galante
Tax Assessor |
Njjoseph
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 1:04 pm: | |
Thanks, Vic, for posting the letters. They clear up quite a few issues! |
Interalia
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 1:33 pm: | |
I received neither of those letters over Mr. Galante's name. The first two paragraphs were the same and did in fact, state that due to the large number of assessment reviews received he could not address each one individually (and obviously, the point is that each one needs to be addressed individually). Ergo, he was too busy to individually review each request .
The third and fourth paragraphs advise that Mr. Galante has reviewed the property record card (which I question and was the purpose of my request!) and based on that review has confirmed CV's assessment. He further advises that if I choose to appeal the assessed value of my home I can go to the Essex County Board of Taxation.
What did I misinterpret? |
Njjoseph
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 2:15 pm: | |
Interalia, the above two letters do not say he could not address each review individually.
In the first letter, he stated that he could not provide individual responses, i.e. the specifics, to each homeowner, so a form letter would be his method of responding.
In the second letter, he stated that roughly half were complete, but you would get a new postcard even if yours weren't completed. If you got this letter, you would assume your review wasn't complete, and the postcard would not reflect a new assessment based on the review. You would receive a new postcard at the end of March, and he would work with you to appeal to the county. However, if you choose not to wait until the end of March, you could appeal now, on your own.
If you received a letter that was not the same, what was the text that differed? Maybe Vic needs to know this. |
Bobk
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 2:17 pm: | |
Mr. Mayor:
Thanks for your input. I don't think anyone doubts the sincerity of Mr. Gallante's efforts. I know that either Mr. G or one of his team admeasured our house during the process. Obviously it would be impossible to write a personal letter to all 900 property owners.
Reviewing 900 properties ain't no walk on the beach. |
Livinwestwless
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 2:34 pm: | |
In defense of the process---
I can only speak for myself, but my review (which was also based on overstatement of square footage) resulted in a significant reduction and a reasonable assessment. Finally! |
Lydial
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 4:16 pm: | |
I received the first letter from Mr. G. with a copy of my prop record card. After a meeting with CVI, an assessment review and countless phone calls why has my incorrect square footage still not been addressed?
As far as I know no one has ever come out to remeasure the exterior of my house. Much of the sq. footage problem doesn't require remeasuring, it just requires acknowledging that I don't have rooms and basement and attic that CVI recorded improperly.
I wish I could talk to some one who could explain how they reviewed my information and the assessment came out exactly the same. |
Joancrystal
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 5:18 pm: | |
We did not receive a letter from Mr. Galante but we did get a Notice of Property Tax Assessment in the mail today which included a lower assessment than the one given on the property record card we obtained from Town Hall when this review process started. I don't know if this was the result of our review request or some class action that happened to affect our property.
I assume we wil be getting a letter from Mr. Galante under separate cover. |
Nakaille
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 5:33 pm: | |
Joan: was your new, lower assessment in the ballpark for what you honestly think you could get for your house? Just curious.
Bacata |
Maggie
| | Posted on Thursday, March 1, 2001 - 7:51 pm: | |
Does anyone have any information as to the protocol used by the Assessor's Office in it's review process? For instance, were requests looked at in the order of their receipt by that office? I would be interested to know since I hand-delivered my packet in the AM on February 1st and received my letter today which stated that my request was one of those that they didn't get to. |
|