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Re: What people pay in taxes
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Home away from home
 
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Quote:
As long as the reval is done on all properties at the same time, the recent spurt in home prices should be irrelevant. When done properly, a reval is supposed to erase the inequity that exists between a property taxed at its assessed 1987 value (when the last reval was done in JC) versus one taxed at, say, a 2008 assessed value. If the city has to raise $100 million via property tax, the reval itself doesn't change that amount, but it changes the distribution of that amount among property owners. If your property value has gone up 10% in the past year, so too would the values of all your neighbors' properties. Your share of that $100 million would still remain the same. If the reval is resumed, I suspect they will have to start from scratch.
Posted on: 2014/5/14 13:03
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Re: Air conditioner (window) recommendations
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Home away from home
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Agree on Haier - stay away! Despite the German-sounding name, it's actually a Chinese company. You can't really go wrong with any of the Korean or Japanese brands. I had LG window units before I got central AC, and was pretty happy with it. If I have one bit of advice, err on the high side of BTUs needed to cool the space. You may pay a bit more in electricity, but you'll be glad when it's one of those super-humid 100-degree days.
Posted on: 2014/5/3 12:58
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Re: Illegal Driveway
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Home away from home
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If the city asks, make sure you point out your outrageously high property tax bill, which entitles you to do whatever the hell you want... (And we have a front runner for best thread of the year).
Posted on: 2014/5/1 2:39
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Re: What happened to jclist on 4/30/14?
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Home away from home
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Quote:
Those two threads were surreal. I thought I might have dreamed it all when I woke up this morning, checked JCList and found all traces of them gone. Even if Bochka wasn't a troll, why waste so much time arguing with people in no position to fix your problem or help you with it?
Posted on: 2014/4/30 13:52
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Re: Daniel Wrieden aka 'Queer Eye For The Historic House Guy'
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Home away from home
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Yes, he still works for the city. I believe his job is civil service, so he's dug in for life. God, reading some of those old posts from others brought back really unpleasant memories for me. Everything people have said about their headaches dealing with this guy is spot on. In the end, it was so much easier for me to sell the f*cking historical place to than to ever f*cking deal with Dan again. Not only does he not have a clue and arbitrarily imposes standards mid-project, but he doesn't care if he literally bankrupts a home owner in the process (hey, it's not *his* money being spent). I used to be idealistic and pro-preservation. Now whenever I read newspaper articles about proposals to landmark particular neighborhoods, my sphincter just tightens and I want to scream "Run for the hills, you have no clue what you're getting into!!!"
Posted on: 2014/4/4 13:34
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Re: Looking to Rent a Vacant Lot
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Home away from home
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You can also check with a realtor, they might be in the know. One thing to consider before you rent any vacant lot is to make sure it's not contaminated with anything toxic like chromium. Hudson County is full of these sites. Not sure how you could check that. Maybe check the public records to see what was previously on that lot. If there was anything industrial there in the past, I'd be wary.
Posted on: 2014/3/21 12:52
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Re: Rentals, not condo.
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Home away from home
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Quote:
Having owned a condo in a historic brownstone, I disagree. With an old home, you have to factor in higher maintenance and repair costs, not to mention the cost and headache of complying with preservation standards. It was such a relief to get rid of that place and buy in a new construction high rise, where after four years nothing has broken and I've only shelled out maybe $600: to paint the bathroom and install custom shelving for the walk-in closet. By contrast, the brownstone was costing me thousands a year for sewage issues, roofing, cornice replacement - you name it, I paid for it. It is such a relief now not having to constantly worry about stuff breaking, repair/upkeep costs and vetting contractors. I spend less on heating/cooling because of better insulation, etc. On a per-square-foot basis, new condos are priced well above historic, at least $100 per sq. ft. and I haven't seen that gap narrowing after more than a decade here. Hey, some people love historic character and have the time, money and energy for all that entails. That's great. I'm just not one of those people. I never pick up the cold calls from realtors - or any number I don't recognize. They go straight to voice mail anyway, and I delete them later.
Posted on: 2014/3/20 22:14
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Re: Rentals, not condo.
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Home away from home
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Interesting, because there seems to be a lack of inventory downtown at the moment and prices have returned to the pre-recession highs in some buildings. It's crazy because I'm getting cold calls every week from realtors claiming to have clients interested in my building and wanting to know if I or any of my neighbors are willing to consider selling. I'm guessing developers are leery because interest rates are rising and by the time any project started today is completed, the housing market may have cooled yet again.
Posted on: 2014/3/20 13:30
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Re: Difference renting to individuals vs. corporations
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Quote:
Agree - most NYC landlords don't want to deal with diplomats or consulates, precisely because they'll cry immunity the second something goes awry. A business acquaintance of mine who was attached to the Italian consulate had to ask his bosses to rescind his diplomatic passport and issue him a regular one because landlords were balking when he produced the diplomatic passport as ID. Took him forever to find an apartment, even though he was willing to put in extra for a security deposit.
Posted on: 2014/3/17 22:45
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Re: Teased about clothes, Jersey City man whacks friend across face with beer bottle
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Home away from home
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Quote:
Or flannel shirts.
Posted on: 2014/3/9 23:16
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Re: NY POST: Jersey City is reaching for the sky
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Home away from home
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Quote:
Gare Montparnasse? No way. It's right next to that hideous edifice known as the Tour Montparnasse. Neighborhood is very bland in a city known for great neighborhoods. Now the Gare Saint Lazare...very nice area, though the Eighth does tend to be snooty.
Posted on: 2014/3/7 13:52
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Re: Bayonne: Man astounded by bill for 4 stitches at ‘most expensive hospital in America’
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Home away from home
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Quote:
I have Aetna, too, and noticed that there aren't very many hospitals in northern NJ in network. Billing shenanigans may have something to do with it. A couple years ago, I had to have surgery. Thank goodness it wasn't an emergency, so I chose to have it done at NYU Langone. It couldn't have gone more smoothly. I think the only bills I saw were $200 for my share of the anesthesiologist's services, and a little bit here and there for lab tests. Aetna forbids balance billing - i.e., hospitals and doctors can't come after you for the difference between their contracted rate and their list price. A couple of coworkers have had surgery at hospitals around here and ran into balance billing, which took months to fight/untangle. Thank goodness most major NYC hospitals are in network. I kind of shudder to think what my bills would look like if I had a life-threatening emergency and couldn't make it across the river.
Posted on: 2014/2/26 15:02
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Re: Need opinions on condos that I am looking at
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Home away from home
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Quote:
No, not in Jersey City. A lot of municipalities in the Midwest automatically reassess the value of a property whenever it sells. They really ought to adopt that methodology here, that way you won't see the crazy disparities in taxes that you see here.
Posted on: 2014/2/26 14:43
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Re: Need opinions on condos that I am looking at
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Home away from home
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Quote:
Not quite true. Your taxes shot up because the building was converted. When you resell, it'll stay the same for the next owner. The building the OP was referring to was converted well before the boom - in the 1990s, I think - that's why the taxes are low. If he buys there, the assessed value of the property won't change, but the taxes may go up if the city raises the tax RATE (which applies to everyone), or if the reval ever happens.
Posted on: 2014/2/26 14:38
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Re: Need opinions on condos that I am looking at
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Quote:
No. The taxes are lower at 264 9th because the condo conversion took place well before real-estate bubble, so the assessed value doesn't reflect current market conditions. As Kelcey pointed out, you're going to have to factor in the possibility of the taxes going up if and when the reval takes place. In general, historic buildings that were converted to condos in the last decade are the worst tax deal. They usually have no abatement and they're assessed as though they're new construction. On top of that, you may end up paying more in upkeep simply because something is always breaking in an old home. With newer high rises, ask if they're on an abatement and when it expires. In the latter part of the abatement period, you may start to see tax increases as the taxes are gradually "normalized."
Posted on: 2014/2/26 14:33
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Re: Domino's
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Home away from home
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I haven't ordered from Domino's since college. I don't like their pizza, but so what? Plenty of people seem to, and they're obviously meeting some sort of need in the market or they wouldn't be opening a downtown location. I saw Domino's making multiple runs to my building on Super Bowl Sunday. I'm sure they were hustling orders out the door, which I doubt any of those artisanal pizza places could do as quickly or efficiently. If you're looking to order a half dozen pizzas to soak up the beer at a Super Bowl party or to serve to a bunch of six-year olds at a birthday party, ordering from Domino's makes sense. Not every meal you eat - nor every restaurant that opens downtown - needs to be an epicurean delight. Sometimes people, even the gentrifiers, need something cheap, fast and filling.
Posted on: 2014/2/23 18:22
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Re: "Deeded" parking in a condominium garage?
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Home away from home
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Yikes. There's no easy way to handle this. Does the association have an attorney? Best to seek his/her advice on this. No matter what you guys decide, there are going to be people unhappy with the outcome. Based on the wording of the master deed you provided, it sounds like unit owners would need to prove in their own deeds that they were indeed assigned a specific parking spot with their respective units. Because the parking spaces are designated as "limited common elements," it's not really deeded parking, per se. In my building, the deeds for the parking spaces are separate from the condo unit, and I even get a separate property tax bill from the city for the parking space. This means owners can sell their condo units and parking spaces to different buyers, if they wish.
The bylaws for your building may allow you to make alterations to the usage of limited common elements, although that may require some sort of super-majority vote of unit owners (two thirds or three quarters). You need to check the master deed carefully. Again, I'd consult with an attorney well versed in NJ condo law.
Posted on: 2014/2/18 19:40
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Re: Check your roofs
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Home away from home
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Quote:
Because when that snow hardens and then flies off while the car is in motion, it could cause serious damage to another car and possibly an accident. I was on the Turpike extension last month and saw a chunk of ice fly off the roof of a van and crack the windshield of the car behind it. Not a small crack either - but a spider web. I was driving one lane over from the car that got nailed and missed getting nailed myself by inches.
Posted on: 2014/2/15 2:08
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Re: Super bowl kick off party at westin. Today? 8pm? Any info?
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Home away from home
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Quote:
I live close enough to the Hyatt that it wasn't big deal to throw on my coat and hat to check it out. It was a pathetic enough event (even the cops sounded disappointed) that it probably discouraged people from going out in even colder temps later to "welcome" the Seahawks.
Posted on: 2014/1/27 1:26
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Re: Super bowl kick off party at westin. Today? 8pm? Any info?
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Home away from home
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The welcoming event at the Hyatt for the Broncos was pretty lame. Why invite the public if all they're going to be able to see is "team bus #5" carrying Broncos support staff? Thanks to the all the security theater and and the Ring of JCPD Steel surrounding the Hyatt, the first buses carrying the players basically pulled right up to the hotel door. And with all the TV trucks parked in a line right outside the hotel, the public saw squat.
Posted on: 2014/1/27 0:45
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Re: Asian Food Market on Route 440
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Home away from home
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Quote:
I don't think I've ever seen anyone tip for that, but I don't like fish, so I hardly ever visit the fish counter. It would definitely surprise the other customers if they were Asian. Asians, especially first generation, hate tipping, and when they do they're usually pretty stingy. Fish cleaning isn't a service they would consider tip-worthy. I have arguments with my parents whenever we go out for dim sum. They always insist on leaving a 10%-15% tip. I or one of my siblings will sneak back and throw extra money on the table.
Posted on: 2014/1/19 14:15
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Re: Asian Food Market on Route 440
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Home away from home
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Stupid question: where exactly on 440 is this? I rarely go to that end of JC. Is this the strip mall complex where Lowe's and PC Richards are?
Posted on: 2014/1/10 19:28
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Re: Porta Pizza Coming To DTJC
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Home away from home
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Quote:
I was at Porta last week and asked about their JC plans. They anticipate a Mediterranean-inspired menu but, no, it won't be a replica of the AP location. For starters, the chefs will be different, so whoever they hire for the JC restaurant will have his/her own ideas. The March opening mentioned in that last link sounds rather ambitious and perhaps unrealistic given JC's rich history of delayed openings for new businesses. We'll be lucky if the grand opening happens by Labor Day weekend.
Posted on: 2014/1/8 13:34
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Re: What company is ringing doorbells?
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Home away from home
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It's the end of the month, so it could be PSE&G reading meters. They try to catch people who live in the row houses downtown before everyone leaves for work because most meters are installed in inaccessible areas.
Posted on: 2013/12/31 13:43
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Re: $300 in cash, gifts stolen from car in Jersey City lot
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Home away from home
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Quote:
OMG, that is so true! Even though I now have a car, I still schlep over there on foot with my granny cart if I need anything from Shop Rite or Bed Bath & Beyond. I'm convinced that no good can ever come of parking in that lot.
Posted on: 2013/12/30 21:52
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Re: Porta Pizza Coming To DTJC
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Home away from home
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I love Porta - well worth the schlep down the shore, especially for the dayboat octopus! I do wonder how they'll do in that particular location on Newark Ave., as Two Boots and Roman Nose are literally just steps away. In any event, if this is true, it'll be a welcome addition to the nabe.
Posted on: 2013/12/26 21:17
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Re: Tips for the movers
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Home away from home
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The last time I moved, I tipped $30-$40 per mover, with the guys doing all the heavy lifting getting a bit more. I also fed them - big box of donuts and coffee in the morning and for lunch I ordered pizzas. They seemed to be happy with that. My advice is go with what you can afford in cash tips and throw in at least one meal for these guys.
Posted on: 2013/12/24 13:50
Edited by JadedJC on 2013/12/24 14:05:39
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Re: 30-Year-Old HC Man Killed in Short Hills Mall Car Jacking
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Home away from home
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Quote:
Yes, I got that. Just making an additional point that things aren't so cut and dried in the legal system; those who can afford it can buy their way out of a vehicular homicide charge even in a supposedly tough-on-crime state like Texas. Don't get me wrong, the four scumbags in this carjacking should be fully prosecuted and given maximum sentences - I have no sympathy for these losers.
Posted on: 2013/12/22 16:34
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Re: 30-Year-Old HC Man Killed in Short Hills Mall Car Jacking
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Home away from home
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Quote:
And you do know it was whites who BOUGHT them, yes? They wouldn't have been sold if there wasn't a market for them in the first place. A bit like blaming Colombia or Mexico for the problem in the drug trade - the supplier wouldn't exist without the demand. Surely as a vociferous advocate of the free market, you understand such a basic relationship.
Posted on: 2013/12/22 16:26
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Re: 30-Year-Old HC Man Killed in Short Hills Mall Car Jacking
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Home away from home
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Quote:
Zero chance as well in Texas. There was that white teenage snot who killed four people while driving drunk. All he got was probation after his attorney successfully used the "affluenza" defense: the kid was too rich and spoiled to know the difference between right and wrong.
Posted on: 2013/12/22 16:20
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