Grace Church Van Vorst in downtown Jersey City, NJ celebrates its 20th Annual Cathedral Arts Festival with an opening Champagne Gala on Saturday, November 14th, 2009. The Cathedral Arts Festival reaches a banner year in its long and cherished history! Founded in 1989, it is the largest and longest-running celebration of artists and the arts in Hudson County. And, the festival has already begun! A series of coffee house performances and open mic events have already taken place as a precursor to the main festival.

The traditional Champagne Gala will officially open the visual art gallery on Saturday, November 14th and will remain open throughout the fall holiday season. The vibrant and stunning visual art gallery, housed in the sanctuary of Jersey City?s beloved and historic Grace Church Van Vorst, remains the heart and soul of this great cultural celebration.

For the 20th Anniversary of the Cathedral Arts Festival, artwork in all media and encompassing all subject matter was considered, including painting, drawing, textiles, sculpture and photography ? all to help showcase two decades of creative excellence. ?Over 327 artwork submissions from over 69 artists arrived after the call to art was sent out?, according to Mark Guerette who leads the artwork submission and selection process.

?Gifts of the spirit have long been celebrated at Grace Church Van Vorst, and creativity has always been a hallmark of our faith community. Many professional artists call our church their spiritual home. Our jury each year is uniquely and intentionally collaborative. We draw upon the expertise of the creative talent within our walls, and we seek out professionals of note from the art world outside our doors, in an effort to bring together a team that is both qualified and committed to assembling an inspiring and salable exhibition of great quality? says Guerette.

All artwork is for sale with a percentage of each sale going to Grace Church Van Vorst. Proceeds from the sale support the operational and outreach activities of Grace Church Van Vorst. These activities include, but are not limited to, religious services and adult education, Grace Van Vorst Community Services (our non-profit, 501c3) and the Grace Senior Center for Healthy Living, which provides various services to the elderly. And, Grace?s Breakfast Plus Program provides hot meals on Saturday and Sunday for the hungry and homeless of Jersey City.

According to Grace parishioner Bayla Kallstrom, one of the founders of the Cathedral Arts Festival, ?Twenty years ago, Grace Church had just completed a renovation which opened up the sanctuary so that it could be used for--among other things--performance, banqueting, dancing, and gallering art. As soon as we recognized the possibilities, we soon discovered that Jersey City was a cornucopia of talent.?

?Originally, the Festival was called the Cathedral Arts Market. It was based on the concept that once upon a time, cathedral spaces belonged to the entire community and served it in many ways--places of worship, socializing, commerce, etc. We wanted to create something that reflected our congregation's theme of "Community, Diversity and Creativity."

?All was capped by an elegant black tie gala in our new sanctuary--quite an accomplishment in pre-gentrification J.C.-- which had great food, champagne, music, and a list of attendees that truly reflected the eclectic, exuberant and varied nature of our community. (One wag referred to our festival as the "jewel in the middle of the swamp".)?

As per The Reverend Nick Lannon, Curate of Grace Church Van Vorst, ?The Cathedral Arts Festival is one of the best ways that we, as a church, can give back to the community. We open our glorious sanctuary to the talent of Jersey City and beyond. Come, appreciate the wonderful art, and help us, as we raise funds, give back to the community in other ways: helping those less fortunate than ourselves, both spiritually and materially.?

Mr. Chi Modu, professional photographer and one of the Wardens of Grace Van Vorst says, ?It's not often that a church, which is primarily known as a place of spiritual guidance and worship in the community is also looked to as a place of artistic expression and creativity. This is only possible due to the uniqueness of the Jersey City community. We are honored to be able to be a source of creative inspiration to the local community and a legitimate venue for both new and established artists to show their work. We look forward to another twenty years of art at Grace Van Vorst in Jersey City.?

Not only does the Cathedral Arts Festival receive participation from local artists, just about everybody from the congregation volunteers in some capacity or another, so it?s truly a great community building event where lifelong friendships are made. Also, local Jersey City businesses have been very supportive of the Cathedral Arts Festival. Major sponsors in the recent past have included Panepinto Properties, Pershing, The LeFrak Organization, Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, and The Provident Bank Foundation among others. Also, a beautiful program guide is put together allowing smaller businesses in the community to advertise in support of the festival as well. Support from the city of Jersey City and Hudson County has been received in the past as well as from local politicians.

The community at Grace Church Van Vorst mirrors the great diversity of Jersey City; performing and visual artists; professionals and trades people; straight and gay; Asian, Black, Latino, Indian, Filipino, and white all worship together in a progressive, inclusive, urban congregation. Creativity permeates all aspects of church life?from innovative multi-media worship to the use of our landmark building as a center for education and performance. Community, Diversity and Creativity are the hallmarks of parish life at Grace Church Van Vorst. Regular services with Holy Communion are held every Sunday at 9:15 and 11:00 AM. All are welcome to attend. The festival will end with the closing of the gallery on Friday, December 4th. It will be a fall extravaganza this year not to be missed.

This Cathedral Arts Festival Champagne Gala Opening takes place on Saturday, November 14th at 7:30 pm at Grace Church Van Vorst ? located at 39 Erie Street and 2nd Street in downtown Jersey City, NJ. Admission to the Gala Champagne event on Saturday November 14 is $40 in advance via www.gracevanvorst.org. Tickets at the door the night of the event will be $50.

Hi

"must give you the amount of heat required by the state codes and the local town or city ordinance." That was your quote.

What does this mean if you are a CONDO like I said in my original post.

Do the same laws apply? Should the heat still be turned on if I am in an 8 unit condo building (converted from apartments).

Chilly here and not liking your unproductive response.

What is the LAW here in Jersey City.

Thanks

FG

It was the FBI....

Just wanted to reply, low's tonight according to Accuweather are in the 40-41 degree range.

Thinking the head should kick in when this low? No?

FG

Hello. I know NYC has rules about when the heat must be turned on.

I think its below a certain temperature or a set date.

Does JC have any sort of rule on this for condo associations, etc.?

It's 6:49 on 10/13 and the temp is now in 54 degrees. Will probably go lower as well.

Room temperature is 72 degrees.

Getting a chill right now and not pleased.

Thanks

FG

I can absolutely CONFIRM Thursdays event. I was at the JC Public Library at the time of the commotion, and everyone in the reading room was like... WHAT THE F is going on out there.

Lots of Sirens... kids screaming... bullhorns... police and ambulances... even fire I think.

Just bad.

Was again at the library today but didn't hear anything.

Frankly... the police need to POLICE these schools...

JAIL. Put em in Jail. And break these GANGS. ITS GANGS folks. And arrest those litterbugs at the same time.

Enough. Remember those window washers and Giuliani? Stop crime with the smallest offense.

We can't let JC go back to the 1960's and 70's.

FG

Hi. It's Friday, September 25. Just checked Chase online and 30 year fixed mortgages are now at 5.0%. Historically, that is GREAT!

It's is a fantastic rate. If you have a mortgage (and a job) above that... by at least 1 point... time to refinance. The savings will be significant.

And if you are a first time buyer... hurry, you will loose that tax credit. It takes two months to close.

Hopefully things are stabilizing.

Also, if you bought at the peak or even up to 2 years ago, appeal your property taxes... as the value isn't the same as it was when you bought.

Jersey City just raised property taxes up 11.25%.

Tea Party anyone?

FG

My guess is there is an overall uptick of Police activity.

There is this Denver/NYC thing going on right now and everyone is on edge.

But the reality is the investigation was botched. Messed up by the folks in charge!

Right now all the Feds got these suspects on is like lying. JOKE! And from the articles I have read, its very flimsy at best.

And frankly, I've joked to friends that my calls are recorded because guess what... BIG BROTHER. Anything Cellular is recorded and if its through the airways... its PUBLIC. Even CELL PHONES! Watch what you say!

This is all hype and non-sense. A continuation of failed Bush Policies of "scare everyone into submission". Funny, its right around UN week. Significance? I BET!

Unfortunately, Obama has taken the same approach as Bush, and we will keep being terrorized by our own Government agencies and police forces.

Wake up people. It used to be Government by the People for the People. Now its something else.

FG

I am just wondering how long it will take till they have to jack hammer up the new pavement to do utility work with the sewers or electrical lines or something else. They will then do a crappy patch and it will be back to potholes in no time and look like hell.

Enjoy the fresh asphalt while you can.

Also there are several areas where they are taking out the new cement and erecting boxes around Bay St. and also at Erie and Newark and where BrickHaus fitness is.

Are they planning stop signs perhaps?

Can we get the trees now? Summer is over and temperatures are getting cooler.

Does anybody know when this project is expected to be done?

Oh, and now that the paving is done on Jersey Ave, can we get the trashcans back.

Thanks

FG

Walked by the park the other day and it does seem they are making a lot of progress. The walkways look great.

Wasn't the expected opening supposed to be in November?

Do you think there is any way that they could finish off the unaffected areas first, and then open the those areas while the affected areas that need remediation is fenced off?

It doesn't make sense to hold the entire park hostage, keeping it closed because, according to those maps, just a small area has contamination.

Also, as the area is by the basketball courts, I am guessing that the contaminants are from somebody having a BBQ event while playing B-Ball and then just dumping out their ashes on the ground when they left. The report even speculates the ash and soot might be from a BBQ.

Lets finish and open the unaffected areas of the park asap!

FG

OH MY GOD....

I live on 2nd Street right behind his building.

Last night was just aweful. The screaming went like non-stop from like 2 am to well past 6am this morning causing me to wake up on several of occasions.

What is worse is that the screaming is filled with all sorts of profanity that I would not want children to hear and be exposed to. So besides being obnoxious and loud, its also upsetting.

Also, sometimes I hear this person and it sounds like he might be physically assaulting someone inside of the house.

I was thinking of writing a note and dropping it off at the house in question. Saying that if it doesn't stop, the next call would be the cops.

This has just recently started in the past couple of weeks. Not sure what is going on.

FG

It's sad to see another business go under.

However, with those crazy rents for such a small retail space, you would have to sell millions of juice smoothies to just make the monthly rent.... let alone make a profit.

Land lords have gotten greedy.

Have you ridden around a bus in NYC lately, almost every 5th store is empty and available. It's scary.

They are saying that the commercial market is the next shoe to drop. Hopefully it will, and those obnoxious rents will come down, thus allowing the entrepreneur to come back and start business.

Everybody should patronize the new Jacks Toy Shop which just opened up. I went in the other day and they have a nice selection of toys and games. At least they have an advantage. The toy stores in the mall - K-B Toys - went out of business.

Not sure that we should be subsidizing businesses though. I pay enough taxes as it is and not happy about it as my property has declined in value significantly.

FG

Has anybody noticed all the X's on the sidewalks lately?

A LOT. Upon closer examination, the squares with boxes have a lot of hairline cracking going on.

So I am guessing they will then jack hammer those boxes and then pour new cement.

But I am curious as to why this happened? Is the cement that is being used bad? Was the under foundation or whatever its called not done right?

Will the walkways survive ok after the first winter when the expanding and contracting really occurs?

What do you think of the new plaza on Jersey Ave and Newark? The placement of the areas for the trees seems off balance - like a fourth cutout is missing.

Thanks

FG

I really can't wait to see the embankment torn down. Take it down, replace it with middle-to-high end housing and the entire downtown real estate market will receive a major, much needed boost.

Right now having this eyesore does nothing for us. And with JC running major deficits now, the embankment supporters are kidding themselves that they will make the embankment the equivalent of NYC's High Line. And there will be no light rail there either. (same folks will protest that too).

Plus, did you see how much the city is spending on lawyers to defend this thing. I'm sorry. This is my and your tax dollars being wasted. Tear it down, build high-end housing and bring in the tax revenue and lower our freaking obnoxiously high property taxes.

Thanks

FG

I am simply amazed that the cross walks weren't part of the original contract? This just can't be. Who would be that stupid to forget that traffic markings need to be included in repaving projects. I mean they painted the double yellow no passing lines right away.

I find this highly implausible because on 2nd street and Jersey they did one crossing weeks ago... almost right after the paving was done. Then it stopped. I smell something fishy. Maybe there was a stop work order. Did they need to get paid to finish or something?

I saw today after my original posting they came back and finished another section, and two others are like 99% done - just on 2nd street.

Why they couldn't paint a whole intersection in a day is beyond me. It wasn't THAT hot out today... and they had stopped their work by noon.

But please bring back rumble strips and make sure speeders get tickets. The repaved Jersey Avenue should not be the Jersey City international drag strip and raceway.

Thanks

FG

Hello.

Anybody know the status of this? The repaved streets are great. However, work seems to have stopped. I think they repainted just one crosswalk on 2nd street (1 out of 4 crossings for that intersection), but have not seen the rest of the crosswalks finished. I would think crosswalks should be done before school season which is rapidly upon us.

Also, are there plans to bring back the rumble strips making them more permanent? I would really like to see these return. Since the repaving, everybody is just speeding down Jersey Ave like CRAZY. I guess that's what happens when there are no potholes and the surface is so smooth.

Also, any plans to add some stop signs? Maybe Third or 4th Street? This would help with the speeders.

Last but not least, Jersey City Police enforcing the speed limit would help... and have a secondary effect of raising revenues for the city which are really needed.

Thanks

FG

I was just curious. There is a section of sidewalk on Newark and Erie Street right outside the building formerly known as the Rocket. It's where the Milano Furniture and Wireless Store is.

Why was this section of sidewalk not removed and replaced with the new cement sidewalk? It sticks out like a sore thumb when compared with the rest of the new cement sidewalks, especially as its such a prominent corner.

Also, on the corner, there are not ramps with the red traction devices. I believe that those are required due to the Americans with Disabilities Act. (which is why all the street corners got replaced - to answer someone else's question). So I am curious why this building was singled out to be able to be left "as is". They need to be forced to comply for the benefit of the community.

Also, are there any plans for those stores that had their basement "vaults" saved to have them cleaned up cosmetically? Maybe paint them bluish gray?

Noticed they started work on the corner of Jersey Ave and Newark in the plaza area. Looking forward to see what this will look like when done.

Thanks

FG

I for one certainly plan on appealing. I do want to add, after I made my statement before the city council, the tax assessor's office did a really good job of following up with me. I got a call the next day and they even sent me the appeals form which arrived a couple days ago. So kudos for the city in promptly following up. Thank you.

Unfortunately the window to appeal for this tax year has passed and the next window opens in February.

I read either here or on Wired JC that there is a website you can go to. www.easytaxfix.com

I tried it last night, and based on recent sales, when I appeal, my taxes should go down a whopping $836 or so bucks. That is real money.

Unfortunately the housing market has collapsed and I am upside down with my mortgage having lost anywhere from $80-$100K in property value.

So... I am looking to save money and overpaying on property taxes is not something I want to do and will be appealing as soon as I can.

I would strongly suggest to anyone who bought property that has declined to also appeal.

FG

Saw this today on MarketWatch online and thought I would post here.

Time to file those tax appeals.

Funny thing is, while other communities hold the line on taxes, Jersey City keeps raising them and spending like there is no tomorrow. Not cutting a thing - like bloated salaries.

FG
--------------

A fresh assessment
Winning a property-tax reduction on your home
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By Amy Hoak, MarketWatch

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Communities are feeling the sting of tumbling property values as more taxpayers appeal their assessments -- and successfully lower their tax liabilities.

Take the Las Vegas area, an area hard hit by price declines. More than 6,000 taxpayers -- including both residential and commercial property owners -- filed appeals in Clark County, Nev., after receiving a notice of value card in December, up from nearly 1,400 appeals received the year before, said Michele Shafe, assistant director for assessment services in Clark County. Of the 6,000 who filed appeals this time around, more than 4,500 received reductions to their assessed value, she said.
Good time to buy rentals

Property prices are down and rental demand is up, says Wally Charnoff, CEO of InvestorLoft.com, which helps buyers determine what they can afford. He talks with MarketWatch's Jonathan Burton about why this is a good time to buy income property, and what to watch out for if you hold real estate in an individual retirement account.

"That's about a 76% success rate for all the appeals that were filed," she said. Many of the reductions hovered around a 30% to 40% range, she said.

That represents a substantial hit for local taxing bodies that have already suffered due to a sharp decrease in sales tax revenue as consumers scale back their spending. One way government is making up for it: County departments will be required to cut 5% out of their budgets as fewer funds make their way into government coffers, she said.

And what is happening in Vegas isn't staying in Vegas: Many local governments around the country are experiencing similar revenue declines -- especially those hardest hit by the housing downturn.

"The property tax is the main source of revenue in a lot of these places," said Chris Hoene, director of policy and research for the National League of Cities. "So any hit to the property tax means that there will be some cuts in services somewhere."

Communities are making cuts to libraries, parks and special events, he said. Many also are instituting hiring freezes in response to lower revenues. And Hoene said that this is only the first or second year of a three- to four-year cycle of declining revenues for local governments.

In general, many communities aren't raising taxes to combat the shortfalls at least in part due to the political fallout that would come with it, Hoene said.

"The majority are not raising taxes, simply because it's a difficult time to do so," he said. Instead, he's seeing a bigger use of fees, which are "much smaller and more incremental... and much more politically palatable to the public."
Why now?

While some areas reassess property values annually, others do only a portion of homes each year, said Jacqueline Byers, director of research for the National Association of Counties. So some homeowners may still have assessed values that reflect, say, 2007 values -- and the discrepancy is evident in rapidly declining markets.

"They're watching the value of their property go down, and their assessment is on a two- or three-year-old value. That's why they're appealing," Byers said. "People are waking up to it and trying to save money."

California's system is somewhat unlike the rest of the country; reappraisals for property tax purposes typically occur when properties change owners or when substantial improvements have been made. But in Los Angeles County, the assessor's office has done a proactive review of assessed values, based on market trends in the area -- a process that also cuts down on the number of appeals, said assessor Rick Auerbach.

The review of 473,000 homes -- bought between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2008 -- resulted in lower assessments on 334,000 single-family residences and condo units, according to a release from last week. The new assessed values reflected an average $1,400 property tax savings for single-family homes and an average $1,100 savings for condo units, the release said. Yet Auerbach acknowledged that other areas in the state have seen even more of an impact.

"Home values have declined and foreclosures are up," he said in the release, "but not to the same extent as in some neighboring counties." And, he indicated, the relief is temporary: "My staff is ready to act quickly and efficiently in reflecting the inevitable turnaround as it did in processing reduced home values," he said.
What to do

Think your assessed value needs adjusting? Areas have different protocols and timelines for appealing an assessment. Below are some tips:

*

Start with the county assessor's office. In some places, you may be able to appeal online, others might require a trip to the assessor's office; some might require an inspection of the property, others might rely on computer models, Hoene said. The process could be relatively quick if it's obvious that a change needs to be made, Auerbach said.
*

Know what homes in the neighborhood have sold for. Prices of comparable homes that have sold in the past six months up to a year will be most helpful to build your case, Byers said. Information can be tracked down online, or get assistance from a local real estate agent, Auerbach said.
*

Remember, assessed value is often not equal to market value. Many times, an assessment is only a percentage of what the home could actually be sold for, so appealing might not be as financially advantageous as you might think, Hoene said. "Find out what it's going to take (to appeal) and what is involved, and judge that against the potential payoff," he added.

Amy Hoak is a MarketWatch reporter based in Chicago.

I wonder if they felt that atomic wings would steal their business when they open up (next week?)

Sux though that we lost another restaurant. We have so few good ones.

I am guessing that it might have been something like their landlord (seeing they were successful) totally jacked up their rent to make it totally unaffordable to do business.

Hopefully someone will take over and another new restaurant will take its place.

Or, maybe the owners are going to take the summer off and then come back in the fall and rebrand the place and introduce a whole new menu. it's possible.

But they didn't go into details as to why they're closing. Although they did hint its probably the economy.

FG

Hi All, after hearing about the tax hike yesterday, I reached out to my Councilman, Steven Fulop who graciously invited me to attend the special hearing of the City Council to address the matter.

On a last minute whim of curiosity, I headed over and attended the council meeting - my first ever and listened.

A lot was talked about with regards to the budget and tax offsets, etc. But a lot was made on the fact that two of the four quarters are larger tax bills, and that the taxes are not even for all four quarters. Apparently this causes confusion and a cash flow problem and the banks require more in escrows, etc.

However, while last year there was a surplus, and that helped offset additional taxes last year, this year which started July 1, apparently we are facing a 42MM deficit. (someone correct me if I misstated)

The council talked a bit about voluntary furloughs, etc. and not even sure that those are legal. But unfortunately, I really didn't hear any discussion about cutting spending.

They opened up the floor and about five persons spoke. Originally I was hesitant to speak but got my will up and did so. I asked the council to consider that property values have declined considerably, and that in my particular case, up to $100K. Making me underwater in my mortgage. And, I was still being taxed at the value back in 2007 when times were better. I asked for a reduction in taxes given the declining values. I also pointed out that taxes are not equitable and that my neighbor is paying like half and that developers are getting deals.

I also asked the council to hold a line and cut spending and stop those special deals. They did indicate I could appeal my taxes and offered to help me in that process.

In the end, for the final vote, nearly all of the council recognized the tough times we are in. However, "the city comes first", and by a vote of 8-1 (with Mr. Fulop the only council member to say no), they voted for the measure.

So folks. Get ready for increased taxes. Tax and spend, tax and spend. What made things crazy is walking home, there were more citizens at the Groove for Grove concert than voicing their concerns over increasing taxes at a time when we can least afford them.

So this is my report. While I've been a blue-dog democrat all my life, I'm starting to get that anti-tax itch. (as in I've had enough with the taxes).

I implore the city and council to do everything they can to keep costs down and to cut pork where possible.

Thanks.

Fletcher

here is the NY Times Article that I referenced.

Tax Bill Appeals Take Rising Toll on Governments
by Jack Healy
Wednesday, July 1, 2009

provided by
The New York Times

NYT070609.jpg
Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Gus Kramer, a California assessor, said those appealing taxes say: "When can I have my refund check? I need to feed my family."

Homeowners across the country are challenging their property tax bills in droves as the value of their homes drop, threatening local governments with another big drain on their budgets.

The requests are coming in record numbers, from owners of $10 million estates and one-bedroom bungalows, from residents of the high-tax enclaves surrounding New York City, and from taxpayers in the Rust Belt and states like Arizona, Florida and California, where whole towns have been devastated by the housing bust.

"It's worthy of a Dickens story," said Gus Kramer, the assessor in Contra Costa County, Calif., outside San Francisco. "These people are desperate. They know their home's gone down in value. They've watched their neighborhoods being boarded up. They literally stand in there and say: 'When can I have my refund check? I need to feed my family. I need to pay my electric bill."

The tax appeals and reassessments present a new budget nightmare for governments. In a survey conducted by the National Association of Counties, 76 percent of large counties said that falling property tax revenue was significantly affecting their budgets, said Jacqueline Byers, the association's research director.

Officials in some states say their property tax revenue is falling for the first time since World War II.

The recession has already taken a significant toll on states' budgets, as rising joblessness, a weak business climate and a drop in consumer demand have cut sharply into receipts from taxes on sales, personal income and business earnings.

The pain at the state level is trickling down to county and local governments. To compensate, about 10 percent of large counties are raising the tax rates associated with home values to minimize the revenue loss, the county association said.

Even so, most counties simply have to absorb the lost revenue. Municipalities are laying off workers, renegotiating labor contracts, freezing salaries and cutting services.

The revenue losses are coming as homeowners prod towns for new assessments, and as municipalities conduct regular revaluations of their real estate. While declining residential values weigh heaviest on many governments, the value of commercial real estate is also sliding as businesses shut down and move out of storefronts or shopping malls.

Property taxes are meted out by a disparate patchwork of cities, towns, counties, and school and fire districts, all with their own rules. Because tax formulas vary widely county to county, not every decrease in assessed values automatically lowers a household's property taxes.

But officials across the country say there is no question that the number of appeals has risen from the usual trickle to a flood.

In suburban Atlanta, thousands of people lined up at government offices to file their requests for reassessments before a March 31 deadline. In parts of Ohio, appeals have multiplied fivefold. Tax lawyers in the northern suburbs of New York say they have never been so busy, and some towns have hired extra employees to sift through the paperwork and are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal fees to deal with the cases in tax courts.

The call for counties to acknowledge the falling price of homes is loudest in states where taxes are highest, or the housing crisis has hit the hardest.

"We've been absolutely getting killed," said Robert W. Singer, the mayor of Lakewood Township, N.J., and a state senator, whose town is setting aside $2 million to pay tax refunds to homeowners. "We've never had this before. Usually they're undervalued. Now, everyone's overvalued."

The appeals are not just coming from individual homeowners. Condominium associations and entire subdivisions are pushing for new tax assessments, as are companies that own office towers, industrial parks and shopping malls.

New Jersey, which has the nation's highest property taxes, has been besieged by tax appeals from homeowners like Peggy Tombro, whose rambling home in Bound Brook is assessed at a value of $1.8 million but is languishing on the market with an asking price of $1.3 million. Her taxes are increasing to $53,000 a year.

"I don't know what else to do," said Ms. Tombro, 63, who has gone back to work selling antiques to pay her tax bill.

In the Inland Empire of California, near Los Angeles, Joylette Lynch, 70, is challenging the assessed value of her home as she tries to scrape together $1,158 a month to pay her mortgage, taxes and other bills. Her two-bedroom house in a community for older residents was worth as much as $280,000 three years ago, but houses on her block are now selling for less than $100,000.

"If the house is not worth what I bought it for, why am I paying the same amount in taxes?" she asked.

Ms. Lynch, meanwhile, lost her job at a Bed, Bath & Beyond this year, and is behind on her mortgage payments. Shaving a few hundred dollars off her annual tax bill of $4,300 might not keep her out of foreclosure, but it would help, she said.

"Everything's in God's hands now," she said.

Officials say stories like these are common as unemployment hits 9.5 percent and people seek to trim their budgets. Appraisers and assessors, normally concerned with land values and comparable sales, are becoming ersatz crisis counselors.

Jeff Furst, the appraiser in St. Lucie County, Fla., said a 62-year-old man recently walked into his office and described how his wife had been laid off and his salary had been cut in half. He was struggling to pay his taxes and looking for relief, Mr. Furst said.

"We're hearing from people like this every day," Mr. Furst said. In St. Lucie, which sits along the Atlantic, property tax revenue is expected to fall 20 percent, and tax appeals are 10 times as high as they are normally. "Most people are going to see a significant decline in their tax bill."

Mr. Kramer, the assessor in Contra Costa County, said homeowners started swamping his office with requests for new assessments in December. As many as 500 people would call in one day. His voice mail message now begins: "If you're calling to request an informal review of your property value due to the declining real estate market."

Contra Costa has now reduced the recorded value of more than a third of the 350,000 privately owned properties in the county.

Lisa Driscoll, the county's budget director, said property tax revenue had been growing about 8 to 9 percent a year but was now projected to decline 5 percent next year. The county has cut $50 million from its budget to offset the decline in real estate and other taxes.

Bonnie Grassley's house in Fort Pierce, Fla., reflects the rise and fall of the broader economy. Its assessed value topped $153,000 in 2006, as Florida's housing market caught fire. Now, it is worth $77,500.

Though her tax bill is only $150 a month, Ms. Grassley is out of work, spending her savings, and says she hopes a reassessment will save a couple hundred dollars a year.

"My home means everything to me, and it's all I really have," Ms. Grassley said. "I'm determined to keep it, come hell or high water. It's a terrible way to lose your home, just over taxes."

Time to throw one of those "TAX TEA PARTIES" on the steps of city hall. Or better yet, maybe at Liberty State Park in the Morris Canal or something like that.

Unfortunately I bought my small 545 sq ft condo back in August of 2007 for $339K downtown here in Harsimus Cove. Now, at best, based on going to a lot of open houses, the best I could get if forced to sell would be like approximately 100K less.

Property values have fallen off a cliff. And now they want to raise property taxes? Property taxes need to come down dramatically. For my 545 measly square feet, I pay approximately $5K... with a big payment just yesterday to avoid the City's threatened "Tax SALE". Bastards.

No more deals for developers. No more PILOTS. How about a city wide tax readjustment for EVERYONE. It pisses me off when I look at the online tax rolls and see others who have had their place for a long time are paying nothing for taxes while I get raped.

Something has to be done. And for a start, JC needs to freeze new spending and stop giving sweetheart deals to developers.

When will the people revolt against the ever increasing taxes. I feel I am taxed to hell already. And given the fact I lost my job back in October with the financial markets collapse, that doesn't help either.

I'm getting taxed at a rate that reflects much better times two years ago. Not the distressed times we live in now. What can I do?

Anyone see the article in the New York Times? Time to appeal all property taxes.

Anyway. Just my own personal thoughts.

FG

Hi.

I walked by Hamilton Park today actually, and I think I know why.

If you look closely, there are big black plastic tubular pipes / drainage things... not sure what they are called, close to the fencing.

I read, they are adding a drainage system to the park. It apparently will run under where the walkways will be.

Thus the big ditch which I also saw today.

The good news is it seems they are making progress.

I am also wondering about the pile of wood chips. I guess they sent the downed trees through the shredder. Are there any plans for the wood chips?

I would love to take some away to add to my back yard.

FG

Also noticed that in some instances, the new walkway doesn't go right up to the buildings.

Could this be because of some basement issues with some of the older buildings?

I walked on that side of Newark that they are doing the construction on and you can see where some of the spray painted markings have question mark signs marked close to the building and then outlines.

I agree with previous poster that having the old cement in certain areas and then these areas close to the buildings appear to make it look like a half-ass'd job.

If there is a problem with the property owners, is there a way to compel them to allow the new walkways all the way up to their door/facade?

Not quite sure why redoing walkways can't be done right in Jersey City.

FG

I think everyone should be FIRED.

JC's Animal Control and all these guys are just incompetent.

You know... in WW2... German Officers said they "Were just following orders".

They got hanged in the gallows... following orders was NO EXCUSE.

And now OUR OWN public officials are saying they are just following orders....

Established in the 1970's? Come on.

Please...

TIME TO FIRE THESE FOLKS....

No more following blind, STUPID and out dated orders

FG

Hi...

When I purchased my place in August 2007, I used this gentleman. I thought he was professional and did a good job. His rates seemed reasonable and we closed just a few days after the requested closing time. (hang up on the other side).

Attorneys, Jersey City
Sabato, Vincent E


Description - Attorney
Services - Real Estate closings, Mortgage closings, Business sales & purchases
Website - www.realestateclosings.net
Address - 264 Newark Ave, Jersey City, New Jersey ( NJ ) 07302-2366
Telephone - (201) 653-6977

With regards to refinancing, I've refinanced already once to 5.75% and that was about a year ago at this time. I worked directly with Chase, and the costs were very minimal and didn't need an attorney as I was an existing customer. They just changed the rate and I was good to go. Same terms... 30 year fixed. No prepayment penalties... all conditions same as before.

Good luck.

FG

Hi, if these raids were conducted in Greenville and Lafayette....

And the "New Jersey State Police helicopter roared over Jersey City this weekend where a crackdown on violence and drugs led to 50 arrests by city police working with a large task force of federal, state and county law enforcement."

Why was the helicopter on Sunday doing all sorts of looping downtown over Harsimus Cove and Hamilton Park?

Were they looking for something suspicious? Are they doing set up for a future crackdown downtown?

Seems odd that all the police activity and arrests took place in other areas of Jersey City, but that the noisy helicopter gets to disturb all of Jersey City residents?

Is this an intimidation thing? Like spend about two hours and do loops around the neighborhood and scare the dealers sort of thing (and annoy the taxpaying regular citizens) sort of thing?

Just curious as to the complaints about the helicopter this Sunday were downtown.

Thanks

FG

P.S. There is a great blog / user group on why Bank of America sux.

Go here

http://www.bankofamericasucks.com/

Hi Jersey City...

I have to let you know what happened to me today and hope you ALL will move ALL your business away from Bank of America.

In reviewing my financials, as I do every Saturday morning on a weekly basis, I noticed that out of NOWHERE, and for NO REASON WHATSOEVER, Bank of America / FIA Card services reduced by half my credit line from $45,000 to $22,500 on my supposedly premium Fidelity Visa Signature Card product that I pay a fee for.

This was done despite the fact that as of 2/27/09, my Experian credit score is 765 and my FICO score is around the 740 or higher mark. Which are EXCELLENT credit scores. Also, I have never been late paying my bills, EVER, and have never defaulted on anything since I first established credit twenty years ago in 1989.

Then, while on my inquiry call, the credit representative who was ?helping me out? subsequently reviews my credit again. Not a problem. I did mention that I was recently laid-off, and well what happens next? SHE CUTS MY CREDIT LINE AGAIN TO?.. $1,000, pushing my debt to credit ration upwards of 50%, which would negatively affect my credit score. I AM NO SCHMO.

This is completely outrageous. The fact of the matter is that this account originally started off as an MBNA account and was opened in April of 2000 and transferred to the Fidelity card product in March of 2008. I have been an MBNA/Bank of America customer since November 1991 and have never had any problems.

This action is really over the top by Bank of America / FIA Card services, especially considering that Bank of America has received TARP funding from the taxpayer ? which includes you and ME.

And, I have a Bachelor?s Degree AND a Master?s degree, and am 38 years old. As such, Bank of America just lost a valuable long-term customer, and I am writing you to ask that you stop business with Bank of America.

I am telling a friend, and another, and another, and I have written letters to President Obama, my Congressmen and Senators and to members of the Banking Committees and the press about this outlandish action.

Really for Bank of America, this was bad. They should drop your tag line of ?Bank of Opportunity?. Because taking away $44,000 in credit from a long-term customer is not providing opportunity. Also, it?s not Higher Standards either. Shame on them.

I STRONGLY encourage everyone to move their business away from Bank of America. ASAP.

Sincerely Upset and Pissed Off,

FGJCNJ1970