I understand taxes are going to go up a lot on many downtown properties, but there is a big difference between 1.7% and 2% (or 2.2% as I believe Bodipooh speculated in some of his earlier missives).

The fact is we just don't know what the rate we will be, the only thing we can say is that if the appraisals are done correctly a $1 million house downtown should end up paying 4 times as much as a $250,000 place in the heights. Now if the heights house is actually valued at $500,000 (extended over the whole heights), it 'reduces' the downtown home's tax to only twice what the heights house is paying.

If you have been watching the market in the past two years it is not just downtown prices that are on the boil.

Robin.

The way house prices have appreciated over the past couple of years will naturally lead to a fall in the tax rate, otherwise they are going to be collecting double the taxes they were previously.

Bodipooh bandies this 2% figure about, but it is based on nothing more than his own speculation.

1 or 2 family houses in the heights are now worth $400,000+, every one or two family in Journal Square is now worth $600,000+, if they all pay 2% the city would end up with too much money!

Robin.

A very tall person could probably hit their head, you are right.

The way they have pruned it is horrible though, destroyed the whole spread of the tree, will take many years to return to its former beauty.

Robin.

The city [I assume it was they] severely pruned the large cherry tree in front of my house in Hamilton Park today. The work if not slaughter, is at least butchery, none of the other trees on my block seem to have been touched, odd.

Being a cherry tree, it wasn't tall enough to interfere with any power lines; it wasn't obstructing the sidewalk, or otherwise problematic.

Any ideas why this would be done?

Robin.

In England the scouts have admitted girls for many years now, surprised they are still gender seggregated in USA.

My brother's troop has about 15 boys and 7 or 8 girls.

Robin.

GrovePath already told you all what to do, get a Kodi box.

Robin.

Property taxes are deductible...for now.

One of Trump's numerous and ever shifting plans and promises is to eliminate it!

Robin.

Flooding means you don't want to have a basement in that location, so that is a positive

Robin.

All these reasonable explanations won't count for shit when they show a massive church across the street.

Perception of bias is all that will matter.

Robin.

I discovered that Blue Lotus has been sold, and will be reopening as an Indian restaurant. The new owners are tbe folks who run the Indian in the Newport Mall food court.

Robin.

Blue Lotus 'Closed for Renovations', another restaurant bites the dust in that spot.

The food was great, best Indian I have had in Jersey City, but prices were high.

Robin.

I am yet to encounter a decent, or even passable, Real Estate Lawyer.

Most transactions don't require one, save the money.

Robin.

In my experience, marked parking spots lead to worse use of available space, as the spots are marked out huge. The spots on central avenue in the heights being a case in point, you could fit 50% more cars in without those official metered spots.

Often when you see someone parked badly it is because cars have moved around since they first parked. I think most people get it, and park tight.

Robin.

Suzy,

There is enforcement of parking permits in Paulus Hook, I see wheelclamped cars almost daily. You honestly have't seen any?

If you had complained about zone enforcement in Hamilton Park or Harsimus Cove, I'd agree enforcement is light (but does still happen). Paulus Hook however is the one district where they are on top of this.

I challenge anyone without a permit to park in Paulus Hook for three days without getting clamped.

One explanation in our different experiences could be due to specific streets? Perhaps the blocks you focus on the peripherary of Paulus Hook and not patrolled?

Robin.

So the slates were split, two got in from the teacher backed slate, and one from the reform slate. How does that leave the balance on the board of Ed? Does Lyles have enough support?

JERSEY CITY Board of Ed Three-year term (3):
Angel L. Valentin -- 16,308
Sudhan Thomas -- 16,033
Luis Felipe Fernandez -- 13,534
Gina Verdibello -- 12,815
Matthew Schapiro -- 12,615
Asmaa Abdalla -- 11,252
Mussab Ali -- 6,290
Natalia Ioffe -- 5,389
Mark Rowan -- 4,231
Kimberly Goycochea -- 3,736

Robin.

Who is behind this?

Time for conspiracy theories...

Robin.

Stay clear of any dealer on 440 or Communipaw, they are con-men without exception.

Robin.

Can't the painter stand on the fire escape while painting it?

Robin.

They were my favourite bike shop in Jersey City, friendly and communicative.

Robin.

He beat the man with a large black bird?

Robin.

Trump is such a disaster now, Democrats should beware he is not forced out leaving space for a credible challenger to move in. Such a last minute change would give a huge bounce to the republicans.

The democratic campaign staff must switch gears and figure out how to keep Trump in place until the election.

Robin.

Has anyone checked the chicken levels at Shoprite?

Robin.

Bodipooh is correct, when you apply for a parking permit they have a database of all buildings with parking, you are only allowed a street parking permit if your building does not have parking or if you present a letter from the building saying the parking deck is full and there is no space available for your vehicle.

Hamilton Park parking has gradually been getting more difficult, a lot of spaces are out of action due to construction at the moment, so hopefully it will get better.

Robin.

You need a zoning lawyer, not an architect.

Jon Campbell 973-748-7474.

Robin.

Art House used to do them right downtown in Hamilton Park in the old hospital building.
Unfortunately they moved all the way over to the west side of Journal Square.

Robin.

"enforcement", as in manual enforcement by police officers, is a solution proposed by those who don't really want a solution.

The structural changes proposed by Elsquid are precisely what is needed and will achieve much better results than calling for additional manual enforcement, which will have fleeting impact at best.

Longer term, the path to vastly reduced traffic deaths is clear. Speed cameras, red light cameras, radar; the pieces are all there for full enforcement.

How long before every car has an embedded transponder and its speed is monitored at all times and available instantly to the police?
How long until driving a car without computer supervision and oversight is illegal?

Robin.

Thanks for the response Brewster.

It wasn't the actual appraisal in terns of appraised value that caused tbe problem, tbe value and cash ratios were fine, rather it was that the appraiser reported that the boiler wasn't working and BOA said flatly "if the boiler isn't working, we can't make the loan".

I know for a regular mortgage the place has to be habitable, I don't consider these kind of problems to make the place inhabitable, as I am planing to rehab.

I am hoping some lenders are more liberal with such assesments. Maybe someone offerring "non-conforming" loans like BCB as mentioned upthread?

Robin.

Anyone recommend a mortgage lender that is not so strict regarding condition of the property?

I had a mortgage fall through with Bank of America because the appraiser pointed out the boiler wasn't working.

I don't care about the boiler, or about a roof leaking, as I am going to rehab the place.

I don't want a 203k, just a lender that will not kill the deal over these issues.

Robin.

Off topic - but that gas station is the worst in Jersey City, ridiculously high prices, slow attendants, long lines.

They even charge $2 for air.

Avoid.

Robin.

Isn't "leaking gas" what a stove burner is supposed to do when it is on?

Do you mean that it doesn't auto-ignite?

Robin.