BLOG: Property Tax Appeal

Tax Assessors Rejoice! App. Div. Allows Municipal Assessors to Serve as an Experts for Taxpayers Outside Their Municipality

by: Michael Realbuto
5 Oct 2021
A recent Appellate Division opinion in VNO 1105 State Hwy 36, LLC v. Twp. of Hazlet reversed a N.J. Tax Court order barring Theodore Lamicella, the Wall Township tax assessor, from testifying on behalf of a Hazlet Township property owner in a tax appeal. Plaintiff-taxpayer owned property in Hazlet Township, New Jersey tax appeals filed... Read More

Tax Court Reduces Multi-Year Tax Assessments for NJ Shopping Center

by: Michael Realbuto
28 Sep 2021
On September 13, 2021, New Jersey Tax Court rendered a fifty-four (54) page opinion in Green Eagle Property Resources, LP v. Mansfield Township (hereafter “Green Eagle”) that reduced the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, multi-year tax assessments for a community shopping center located at 1885 State Route 57, Mansfield Township, Warren County, New Jersey.... Read More

A Valuation Dilemma: How Should Litigants Proceed When Confronted with an Eminent Domain Claim During the Pendency of a Tax Appeal?

by: Michael Realbuto
16 Sep 2021
While the real estate tax appeal process can ultimately lead to reduced tax burdens for New Jersey property owners, unique situations may arise during the pendency of an appeal that can pose a dilemma for litigants and practitioners. Specifically, a valuation conflict can arise if a property owner is confronted with a potential taking of... Read More

Reminder: Taxpayers Bear a Heavy Burden in Overcoming the Presumption of Correctness Afforded to Assessments

by: Michael Realbuto
10 Sep 2021
The New Jersey Tax Court has, once again, reiterated that taxpayers must produce sufficient evidence of true property value to overcome the presumption of validity that attaches to a county board of taxation’s assessment determination. In Faber v. Toms River Township, a self-represented taxpayer filed a complaint with the Tax Court contesting a judgment issued... Read More

Tax Court Affirms Standing To File An Appeal Under Long Term Tax Exemption Law (“LTTEL”)

by: Thomas Olson
3 Aug 2021
A recent Tax Court opinion by the Honorable Joshua D. Novin examined whether a property owner possessed standing to bring a tax appeal when the property was part of a redevelopment project subject to a financial agreement under the Long Term Tax Exemption Law (“LTTEL”) and whether the Court possessed jurisdiction to adjudicate same. Here,... Read More

Appellate Court: Ensure Your Address Is Current With The Tax Assessor, Or It May Cost You

by: Thomas Olson
18 Jun 2021
The Appellate Division recently decided a case between the City of Newark and IMJ1, LLC, regarding three parcels of property which IMJ1 owned in Newark. The three parcels of property were purchased in January 2017 and were characterized by IMJ1’s counsel as being abandoned. From January 2017 through the present day, IMJ1 never paid the... Read More

Are Property Taxes Too High In New Jersey?

by: Thomas Olson
16 Jun 2021
Pursuant to a recent Wall Street Journal article, a study conducted by the finance company Self found that the average New Jerseyan pays $931,000 in taxes in their lifetime. That ranks as the most of any state in the country. To put it into perspective, pursuant to the same study the average American pays $525,000... Read More

New Legislation: Make The Veteran’s Tax Exemptions Available for Co-Ops and Other Communal Housing

by: Thomas Olson
11 Jun 2021
The NJ Veteran Property Tax Exemption has been frequently discussed on this blog. For example, we blogged a case regarding the denial of a Veteran’s Tax Exemption because the deceased veteran never held a property interest nor had a Veteran’s Tax Exemption on the subject property. The Veteran’s Property Tax Exemption has been around since... Read More

The Process to Appeal Your New Jersey Property Tax Assessment

by: Thomas Olson
property tax appeal process
9 Jun 2021
Although many property owners may believe that their property tax assessments are set in stone, the truth is that property taxes are not fixed expenses. Tax assessments hinge on the assessor’s calculation of the market value of a property, and it is often the case that such calculations are inaccurate or not reflective of current... Read More

Tax Court: Chapter 91 Request Must Be Unambiguous

by: Thomas Olson
1 Jun 2021
Chapter 91, codified at N.J.S.A. 54:4-34, has long been a tool used by municipalities to dismiss tax appeals. Chapter 91 applies to income-producing properties. The tax assessor mails the taxpayer a written request for the income and expenses on income-producing property. Those figures help the assessor determine the value of the property for the succeeding... Read More