| Author |
Message |
    
doublea
Citizen
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 800
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 2:12 pm: | 
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What's the time table for the revaluation? i.e, when does the BOT intend to take action? When will the appraisal co. be selected? |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 447
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 2:27 pm: |
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ROFLMAO. Sorry. Was there something in a recent BOT meeting that suggested this was actually going to happen? With an election coming up in a few months, I can't imagine this will get much airtime in the near future.
But with Dish Network, I don't get to watch BOT meetings, so maybe someone did mention it recently... |
doublea
Citizen
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 801
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 2:34 pm: |
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Earlier this year, Essex County ordered South Orange to have a revalution completed by 2008. |
Rastro
Citizen
Username: Rastro
Post Number: 448
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 2:58 pm: |
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On, I understand that. I just can't imagine anything getting done in a prospective election runup. What BOT member would even bring this up, given it is a political hot potato(e)?
I can already picture the anti-incumbent flyers... |
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 1799
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 4:18 pm: |
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Spot has a PhD in Conflicts of Interest.
Spot says "Mary wants you to pay more in taxes"
 |
argon_smythe
Citizen
Username: Argon_smythe
Post Number: 453
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 - 1:54 pm: |
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Some people's taxes should go down in a reval.
Anyone care to speculate which parts of town will benefit?
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woodstock
Citizen
Username: Woodstock
Post Number: 828
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 - 2:09 pm: |
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Me! (I hope)
More seriously, I'd guess Newstead and whatever the area between Ridgewood and Wyoming is called would benefit the most, whereas Montrose would likely be hit the worst. Look at property value changes over the past 10 years and you'll} get a pretty good idea of who is going to get hit the hardest. |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 6832
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 - 2:20 pm: |
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There was an article about this a couple of months ago in the Star Ledger which used South Orange as an example. With the exception of Montrose, the areas that will see reduced taxes seem to be along the South Orange border, expecially Tuxedo Park. |
doublea
Citizen
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 802
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 - 2:42 pm: |
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It's not just a matter of one area vs. another area. In my case, the houses on either side of me have been completely redone from top to bottom, and sold for about $100,000 more than I could get for my house, and my house is assessed for $100,000 more than either house. This amounts to $5200 more in taxes for my house, which could be sold for $100,000 less.
This is why the Essex County Board of Taxation ordered SO to do a revaluation. Take a look in realtor.com and compare prices and taxes. They're completely out of the range of reasonableness. In fact, assessed values in South Orange were more out of line than any other municipality in Essex County, as I recall.
Woodstock and I were asking for a reval, to no avail, before the County stepped in. They made it easy for the local officials, who now can use Essex County as an excuse, to do what they should have done themselves. |
mrosner
Citizen
Username: Mrosner
Post Number: 1593
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 - 2:56 pm: |
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Doublea: All revals in the state are done only when ordered to do so. A reval is very expensive. As unfair as you think your taxes are now, there will be hundreds who will think they were screwed after they get their new tax bills.
As easy as it is for you to say it is the fault of local officials, I don't see why anyone other than the state should dictate when a reval should be done. I have said in public and on MOL that a reval should be done, but as we have seen in other towns it is a political nightmare.
For those who do not know, a reval will cost several hundred thousand dollars to do. |
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 1803
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 - 3:10 pm: |
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Mark,
Silly question, since the county (or state) is mandating it, will they PAY for any it? |
doublea
Citizen
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 803
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 - 3:11 pm: |
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mrosner: As I've said before, and this is based on personal experience, it's mainly Essex County where revaluations cause the most consternation. This is because for way too many years Newark went without a reval, and it had a chilling effet on other municipalities in the county.
Other counties order revals on a regular basis, and in general they're done without all the hulabaloo experienced in Essex. Earlier this year the Star Ledger ran a story in which it quoted an Essex County member of the Board of Taxation as saying they were going to be more aggressive. The order to South Orange and Montclair to do a reval is a result of Essex County acting more like other counties.
When do you expect the BOT to begin dicussing the reval? |
cmontyburns
Citizen
Username: Cmontyburns
Post Number: 557
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 - 3:24 pm: |
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People are furious before the reval, and people will be furious after the reval. As long as taxes are tied to perceived property values -- and not a more appropriate barometer, such as incomes -- there will be a lot of this "But my neighbor has a much better kitchen than I do and I pay $5,000 more!"
The current system only encourages people to either not update/upgrade their homes, or to do work without obtaining building permits -- neither of which benefits the community. |
doublea
Citizen
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 804
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 - 3:32 pm: |
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mhd - To answer your question about who will pay, the municipalities are supposed to initiate a reval. It's only when they fail to do so that the county steps in.
This is one of the costs of home rule. It has been suggested from time to time that the state step in and do the revals on a regular basis, but the municipalities want to retain control. It's really not a mandate, since it's the way municpal, school and county taxes are assessed.
Earlier this year one state senator even said if someone wanted to sue for the way assessments are done so inconsistenty throughout the state, they would probably have a good chance of winning.
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argon_smythe
Citizen
Username: Argon_smythe
Post Number: 457
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 - 8:55 pm: |
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The reality of the situation is, no local politician who has any interested in being reelected will proactively initiate a reval. Therefore county threat of lawsuit is the defacto impetus to get the ball rolling.
cmonty has a good point. I'd add to it that people also wouldn't be so furious if the taxes weren't so dag-blammed high in the first place.
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doublea
Citizen
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 805
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 - 9:17 pm: |
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argon - I agree with your comment about the high taxes. SO has a tax rate of $5.560 per $100 of assessed value. This is a very high tax rate, and it's what makes disparities in assessments really bothersome. Multiplying the tax rate times the difference in assessments of comparable houses results in some very large differences in terms of absolute dollar amounts. This is further compounded by the annual 6% tax increases each year.
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SOLIFER
Citizen
Username: Solifer
Post Number: 10
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 1, 2004 - 10:31 pm: |
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Dirst of all I dont think Essex county has any right to order a reval when they can't clear a the tree from SO Ave since Sun. I think that Dick Codey's Inspector General first top should be Essex county and then South Orange.
Where does Our Tax dollar go.
Is it a coincidence that I can't see thtowns budget on the S O site. (Page error) |
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