Recent Articles

Revaluation Appeal Deadline is May 1, 2009

Jonathan M. Bernstein, Esq., C.T.A.
February 08, 2009 02:14

If you live in a town in New Jersey that is having a revalution, the deadline to file your appeal in May 1, 2009.When a town performs a municipal revaluation, the assessment is at 100% of market value. The date of valuation is October 1, 2008. A property owner has the right to challange the...

Assessment Cards Are In The Mail

Jonathan M. Bernstein
February 01, 2009 18:47

Tax assessment cards are now in the mail.Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:4-38.1, every municipal tax assessor, prior to February 1, shall provide, by mail, each taxpayer with the current assessment on the taxpayer’s property and the property taxes that were levied on the property the preceding year....

A State-Wide Reassessment of Homes?

Jonathan M. Bernstein
January 30, 2009 00:23

A Letter from New Jersey Senator Robert Singer (R-30) and New Jersey Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean (R-21) was recently sent to New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine which urged a state-wide reassessment of homes. At first blush, such a proposal seems to violate the New Jersey Constitution's...

New Jersey State Tax Newsletter

Jonathan M. Bernstein
January 28, 2009 18:57

The New Jersey Department of Taxation released the Winter 2008 Quarterly Newsletter this morning. This publication provides a general overview of recent legislation, case law, and administrative policies pertaining to property tax appeals, gross income taxes, sales taxes and the corporate business...

Income Producing Property w/o Income

Jonathan M. Bernstein
January 26, 2009 23:49

The Tax Court of New Jersey recently issued a published opinion, Thirty Mazel et al v. City of East Orange, in which it reconciled the Appellate Division opinion Alfred Conhagen, Inc. v. Borough of South Plainfield, 16 N.J. Tax 470 (1997), with the recent Appellate Division opinion H.J. Bailey Co....

Highest Property Taxes In The Country

Jonathan M. Bernstein
January 24, 2009 00:51

Residents who reside in three New Jersey Counties pay more in real estate taxes as a percentage of homeowner median income than residents of any other county in the United States. Specifically, residents who reside in Passaic County, N.J. pay on average 8.5% of their income in real estate taxes....

New Jersey Property Taxes

Jonathan M. Bernstein
January 14, 2009 22:15

New Jersey property taxes were mentioned throughout Governor Corzine’s State of the State Speech yesterday. One of the first points the governor noted was how, under his administration, an additional 70,000 senior households are now afforded the protections of the Senior Freeze Act. The governor...

$568,000 Tax Bill on Vacant Land

Jonathan M. Bernstein
January 13, 2009 00:02

A developer building at the Penisula at Bayonne Harbor purchased a tract of land in 2007 for $18.5 million. Despite this, the City of Bayonne is taxing the vacant tract of land as if the property is worth a little over $23 million. As a result, the developer must now pay $568,000 in property taxes...

Property Taxes & Contaminated Properties

Jonathan M. Bernstein
January 10, 2009 21:06

Reversing the Tax Court of New Jersey, the Appellate Division on Wednesday adopted the New Jersey Industrial Site Recovery Act (“ISRA”) as the cornerstone in determining whether a tax assessor should value a property by taking into account environmental cleanup costs. As stated by the Appellate...

Chabad of Randolph - Affirmed

Jonathan M. Bernstein
January 05, 2009 22:47

On December 31, 2008 the New Jersey Appellate Division affirmed Chabad of Randolph, Inc. v. Township of Randolph, a case that I have been deeply involved with as counsel for the plaintiff. As a result of this decision, a religious organization will not have to pay property taxes on the property...