Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Taxes will rise $31 for the average township homeowner.
The Washington Township Council voted unanimously to approve a $12,393,000 annual budget during their meeting Monday night. The average township homeowner with a property assessed at $534,000 will see a $31 tax increase, as well as a $20 increase for school taxes. The effect of the county's budget on local taxes was not yet available. The budget includes funds to bond for several capital improvements, including $43,692 as the down payment to repave Sussex Road, Morgan Court, Grace Court and sections of Ridgewood Boulevard, Hoover Avenue and Crest Place at a total cost of $908,692. A $15,000 down payment for a $300,000 project to repave Colonial Boulevard was also included separately because officials hope to win a Department of …
Thursday, February 21, 2013
The borough will have a property revaluation done this year.
Westwood will undergo a revaluation this year, updating property values for 2014, Mayor John Birkner said this week. The Bergen County Board of Taxation is requiring the borough to have the revaluation done because it has been years since the last one and the economy has shifted in the time since then, according to Birkner. The change in property values has also prompted a large number of tax appeals. There were 197 appeals in Westwood last year — many of which were successful — according to county tax officials. Appealed property values shifted down by a total of $4.8 million in 2012, records show. Revaluations in other area towns also contributed to the need for one in Westwood, according to Birkner. Hillsdale recently completed a …
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Property owners can schedule appointments to discuss their assessments with inspectors.
Property inspectors and appraisers have completed their property revaluation of Hillsdale, according to borough Tax Assessor Patrick Wilkins. Inspectors had to visit every property in the borough and report data like the number of rooms, the quality of kitchens and bathrooms, the type of heating system and whether or not the home includes other items like a fireplace, deck or patio. About 90 percent of property owners allowed the inspectors in, according to Wilkins. "Things have been going very well," Wilkins said. The last of the notices with the new property values went out last week and all residents should receive theirs by Friday, Wilkins said. Property owners can schedule appointments with the appraisers to discuss their assessment …
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Washington Township officials are planning to hold a revaluation next year because of the large number of tax appeals.
Washington Township property owners successfully appealed more than $300,000 worth of taxes this year. Property owners can appeal their tax bill to the county if they believe the value of their home or business is inaccurately appraised. The number of appeals in the township has been increasing each year, and the amount of money refunded has also increased. The township lost about $168,000 in 2010 and $194,000 last year. A spreadsheet prepared by township officials earlier this year estimated that more than $322,000 had been lost to appeals, but the final sum was delayed as the county had to consider the appeals. The council approved the final refunds at their meeting last week, bringing the year's total to about $324,000 in refunds. …
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Representatives from Realty Appraisal Company explained the process to residents Tuesday.
Hillsdale residents who do not allow inspectors into their homes may find the appraised values of their homes go up after a revaluation is finished in the borough, according to home inspector Andrew Duda. Duda and his brother, Mark Duda, explained the revaluation Realty Appraisal Company is performing in Hillsdale to residents during a borough council meeting Tuesday. "If someone refuses to participate, we have to make certain assumptions," Andrew Duda said, implying the home is probably very nice inside. Of the aproximately 1,700 properties inspected in Hillsdale so far, only 14 home owners have turned inspectors away, Duda said. When inspectors come to homes, they will have two forms of identification: one signed by borough tax assessor …
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Hillsdale is currently undergoing a property revaluation. Borough officials said residents should make appointments to make sure the inspectors' information is correct.
Property revaluations are currently underway in Hillsdale, and officials are recommending that residents check the information on their homes' assessments to ensure they are correct. Mayor Max Arnowitz mentioned during a council meeting this week that a previous revaluation incorrectly assessed his home. "You can end up like I did with four garages," Arnowtiz said. Borough tax assessor Patrick Wilkins said residents would be able to make appointments to review their homes' assessments at the Municipal Building once the inspectors are done with the approximately 3,600 homes in Hillsdale. Wilkins estimated the project would be finished sometime in November. Officials also recommended that residents let the inspectors into their homes. …
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Hundreds of Washington Township residents have appealed their taxes, costing the town hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Washington Township officials are planning to have a revaluation of township properties performed due to a large number of tax appeals, but the work will not be able to be done this year, officials said this week. Township Tax Assessor Ray Damiano recently sent letters outlining the township's criteria to appraisal companies who expressed interest in doing the work, but none of them are available for this year, according to Administrator Catherine Navarro-Steinel. The change in property values would not take place until 2014 at the earliest, Navarro-Steinel said. Because the state must review the revaluation, the appraisals must be done by October of the year before the changes take effect. The township's last revaluation was done in 2006…
Friday, August 24, 2012
Washington Township officials said they want to have a revaluation done after 271 residents appealed their property taxes this year.
Property owners appealing their taxes have cost Washington Township more than $687,000 since 2010, not including 65 unresolved appeals from this year. Residents and commercial property owners can appeal the assessed value of their home or business if they believe they are paying for more than it is actually worth. Appeals have been jumped from 105 in 2010 and 117 last year to 271 this year. The amount paid out to appealing property owners has also risen sharply. The township lost about $168,000 in 2010 and $194,000 last year. This year, more than $322,000 has been paid out for county and state appeals so far and 65 more appeals that went to a hearing in July have not yet been resolved. Most of the appeals have been coming from condo …
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
The borough is appraising the value of homes and commercial properties for a tax revaluation.
Inspectors from Realty Appraisal Company are scheduled to begin visiting Hillsdale homes and businesses Wednesday for a borough-wide tax revaluation, according to Councilman Douglas Frank. Hillsdale officials decided to have a revaluation done because too many property owners, including expensive commercial property owners, were successfully appealing their taxes, according to Mayor Max Arnowitz. When a property owner wins an appeal, it ends up costing the municipality extra money because they have to return some local taxes as well as county and school taxes from the town's budget, Arnowitz said. Frank said about 25 percent of residents are expected to see lower taxes, about 25 percent are expected to see higher taxes and about 50 percent…
Friday, July 27, 2012
Hundreds of Washington Township residents appealed their property taxes this year.
Washington Township may be undergoing a property tax revaluation within the next year. This year, 273 township residents appealed their taxes, according to Tax Assessor Ray Damiano. County officials heard appeals during a hearing July 12, though they expect to take at least 12 weeks before they have decisions. Township officials discussed the possibility of having a re-evaluation performed during their meeting this week. According to Township Attorney Kenneth Poller, the process will take about a year to complete and needs to be done by October 1 of the year before, so the change won't be able to take effect until 2014 at the earliest. "We really need to get this ball rolling," Council Vice President Joseph D'Urso said. The last …
chuck
9:01 am on Wednesday, May 8, 2013
concerned Really? Come on. I was there and noticed 5 people who took to task an bloated budget from the mayor and trimmed it. Did you not understand the auditor either? I expect you could do better. If you can, please reveal yourself and run for a seat on the council yourself. The town is waiting.......... more ›