GrovePath wrote:
As long as all goes well - it is just a little troubling with the Trenton news today. Gang violence is a real issue.

MDM wrote:
So I guess in the near future, I will be buying boxes of small plastic trash bags. I re-use my shopping bags as trash liners and for other purposes.

Yvonne wrote:
Time is everything in a fire.

Yvonne wrote:
At the last council meeting a person asked if fire trucks will be able to go down those streets since planters are there. It takes a while to move those planters so will that hamper putting out a fire in a timely manner. That question should have been asked the first time the mall started.

Yvonne wrote:
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Dolomiti wrote:
New Jersey's effective property tax rate is around 2.26%.

JC's effective rate is around 1.6%.

So yes, even after the reval bumps up some people's property tax rate (and lowers others), JC's property tax rate is lower than most of NJ.

So I guess the people downtown who are going from $14,000 to $40,000 should find comfort that they are paying low taxes?

JCman24 wrote:
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I_heart_JC wrote:

we are in P&K every other day. they're our go-to grocer. we will really feel their absence if they close.

Ugh, that would be super depressing. This is going to be one of those neighborhoods where regular stores that sell normal things that people need won't be able to exist. Food desert here we come!

DouglasReynholm wrote:
Exchange Place is very lightly trafficked, easy to close a dead end street.

Newark Avenue could have widened the sidewalks, converted to one lane, and put an ordinance on the number of bars in a zoned area. Thus reducing the Beale / Bourbon Street effect.

Columbus and Grand SHOULD have center barriers for safety reasons, it's a no brainer, yet, radio silence.

After 9 PM, this Newark Restaurant Row turns into a nightmare for residents who have lived in the general proximity for years. How about we close your block and open up bars?

Proposal to close MLK and Central, just the same as prior to closing Newark Avenue, prop up and create new eating and drinking establishments / businesses and make it a car free zone.

More parks = better quality of life.

I am not against the idea, but it needs to be smarter, with a plan and purpose and zoned better. From what I see, Newark Avenue has been closed for 2 years....still has crumbling sidewalks, cheesy planters, a street painted green. Wow. Fabulous.

brewster wrote:
The softness is not attributed to the reval, but to the new construction. And getting hustled by agents means nothing. The biggest challenge to agents in any market is getting the listing. Get a $1m listing and that's a $25-60k payday if you price it properly.

brewster wrote:
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Dolomiti wrote:
Guess what? Property values in DTJC haven't dropped yet. They might not drop at all. As pointed out so many times, supply in DTJC is extremely tight, and demand is very high. Don't hold your breath expecting a huge property tax break in any follow-up revals.

Funny, I was just chatting with a realtor who was saying the single family market is very soft right now. I have a Zillow alert that updates me about listings in the neighborhood, and I watch them post high, then drop. A neighbor's asking dropped from $1.3m FSBO to $1m by a broker.

thor800 wrote:
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bodhipooh wrote:
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thor800 wrote:
The timing couldn't have been worse - most properties were reassessed at the height of the market

This argument shows a lack of understanding about the revaluation and property taxes. Whether it had been at the height of the market, or bottom, it doesn't matter. If the market had been lower, then the property tax rate would have been higher.

The city needed collect X amount of money.

X = (total value of market) * (tax rate)

If (total value of market) is lower, then (tax rate) has to go up, as X is constant in a revaluation.

The only thing that would make a difference is how different areas stack or compare against each other. The almost four year delay in the reval actually helped DTJC, as that period saw an accelerated increase in valuation in areas outside of DTJC, which translated into properties outside of DTJC getting relative higher levies than they would have 5 years ago.

In any case, the timing matters little. The reval was overdue, and DTJC was in for a HUGE increase regardless of when the reval had been completed. Those who claim the timing was terrible because it is a high market don't understand the issue clearly.

No I completely understand the market - DTJC assessed at the highest values ever with no regard for corresponding drop in market value after taxes double and no guidance moving forward.

bodhipooh wrote:
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Dolomiti wrote:
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bodhipooh wrote:
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brewster wrote:
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landshark wrote:
2018 assessments are posted on the NJ website. Vacant land was missing from the previous lists. As I expected look low from the ones I checked downtown.

239 Montgomery: Assessed at 375k but the neighboring property the same size has a land assessment of 765k

63 Mercer: Sold in 2016 for 3mm but assessed at 774k

208 Columbus: Sold in 2015 for 1.45mm but assessed at 727k

131 Morgan: Sold in 2016 for 1.98mm but assessed at 775k

I've been saying for a while the land valuations were going to be a mess. Clearly they don't use comps for empty land and they use an ass-backwards subtractive system for developed land.

I had thought that since abatements are not on the land, just on the improvements, that we would see tax increases from abated properties. Solomon said no that's not the way it works. Funny, huh?

I hate to ever entertain, or partake in, conspiracy theories, but given the history of shenanigans related to this reval, and the powerful vested interests, one can?t help wonder if this botched implementation is perhaps a way to further delay the implementation of the reval results.

Too Machiavellian??

Or, it just doesn't make sense.

The reval is done. Property tax changes are already getting rolled out. They won't roll everything back because of issues with vacant lots.

You seem to miss the point: lots of improved lots are seeing wildly different valuations, even when located immediately next to each other or within the same block. The point that some are making, including myself, is that assigning completely different values to the built upon lots opens the door for a legal challenge that could potentially delay, or stop, implementation of the reval results.

How can the valuation company, or the city, justify that which defies logic or reason? That is, how can two lots (of similar size) in the same vicinity have totally different values?

bodhipooh wrote:
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brewster wrote:
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landshark wrote:
2018 assessments are posted on the NJ website. Vacant land was missing from the previous lists. As I expected look low from the ones I checked downtown.

239 Montgomery: Assessed at 375k but the neighboring property the same size has a land assessment of 765k

63 Mercer: Sold in 2016 for 3mm but assessed at 774k

208 Columbus: Sold in 2015 for 1.45mm but assessed at 727k

131 Morgan: Sold in 2016 for 1.98mm but assessed at 775k

I've been saying for a while the land valuations were going to be a mess. Clearly they don't use comps for empty land and they use an ass-backwards subtractive system for developed land.

I had thought that since abatements are not on the land, just on the improvements, that we would see tax increases from abated properties. Solomon said no that's not the way it works. Funny, huh?

I hate to ever entertain, or partake in, conspiracy theories, but given the history of shenanigans related to this reval, and the powerful vested interests, one can?t help wonder if this botched implementation is perhaps a way to further delay the implementation of the reval results.

Too Machiavellian??

Adonis wrote:
Seems like Federal tax law is simply becoming compliant with NJ tax law.

Hypocrisy indeed.

dr_nick_riviera wrote:
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I_heart_JC wrote:
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dr_nick_riviera wrote:
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brewster wrote:
Nice post El. I might point out that some of the forces like HPNA back then were actively hostile to local commerce, doing whatever they could to push out the little storefront businesses. So many storefronts were converted to condos!

Indeed, this is Yvonne and the NA's real legacy. They drove out local businesses that served many to preserve parking for few wealthy homeowners in the area. The sad thing is, now that those spaces have been turned to condos, we can never have that level of local retail in the residential neighborhoods again.

You can see that they haven't changed at all. Look at all the HCNA members that came here to gloat when they successfully forced Prato out of their space. We'll never have the version of Jersey City El and I feel most people want as long as these corrupt groups are allowed to have unchecked influence.

except....Prato is still in their space, happily doing business.

Except...they very clearly state on their website that they will be closing that location and moving to 374 4th st in the village. Presumably the space will transform into a real estate office, nail salon or daycare.

135jc wrote:
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Dolomiti wrote:
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135jc wrote:
Really? This successful model?
https://www.denverpost.com/2017/07/11/ ... rcent-higher-murder-rate/

Since marijuana does not send users into homicidal rages, nor does it encourage users to steal rampantly to pay for it, it makes no sense to claim that Colorado's homicide rate increased slightly because marijuana was legalized.

Did u bother to read the article?

135jc wrote:
Really? This successful model?
https://www.denverpost.com/2017/07/11/ ... rcent-higher-murder-rate/

Yvonne wrote:
The shoe has not dropped, when we get our new bills, there will be a note stating all taxes must be paid ... with a November date. Those who do not have a mortgage but limited income will not be able to pay and many homes will go into lien. Before the reval, normally 2,000 homes are in lien.

LoraJ wrote:
My mortgage company pays my taxes. Will they be the ones to get the new tax amount from the city?

Monroe wrote:
Sales tax-regressive.

Airbnbb tax-bad for homeowners.

Pot tax won't happen anytime soon.

Vape tax-way to hurt those trying to kick nicotine.

Millionaire tax-not sure that will fly. Carried interest/hedge tax reform-ok with that.

with all these giant tax additions not a single penny will go to pensions beyond what Gov Christie had planned!

Many of his numbers don't add up...

jctexan wrote:
Ha! Yes! But I was referring to the downtown crowd who think residents of Greenville and BeLa who were overpaying should have appealed. My point was that those who were overpaying would not have been able to successfully appeal based on downtown underpaying. Right?

Bamb00zle wrote: Quote:

Dolomiti wrote: That's like saying the city should remove every single traffic light, and make it the responsibility of individual drivers to know when to safely proceed at intersections.

Oh please, spare us the ridiculous nonsense. Obviously, not appealing property taxes is absolutely 100% nothing like removing every single traffic light.

Dolomiti wrote: It is not the responsibility of tens of thousands of JC residents to fix a systemic refusal by the city to uphold its legal responsibilities.

That?s why there?s an appeal system and that?s how it works. An individual brings an appeal ? get it??

Can?t disagree that Jersey City was wilfully negligent in neglecting to conduct revals for the past 30 or so years. Nevertheless an individual could have fixed their own problem all during that time with an appeal. It?s no secret and many people did appeal successfully. Stop crying now if you didn?t. I feel sorry for you, but you alone are responsible if you didn?t appeal.

Steve Fulop was willfully and wantonly negligent when he stopped the reval after becoming mayor.

Oh, by the way, I think you?ll find that the road rules hold you responsible for safely proceeding at any time you?re driving on public roads ? whether or not a traffic control signal is installed.

Bamb00zle wrote:
You are 100% correct! People who believe their property taxes are unfair should appeal.

jctexan wrote:
As for appealing, my understanding is that one can not use someone underpaying as the basis for a reduction, so what would the argument be for their appeal? Please don?t knee jerk respond. Really think it through with numbers.

135jc wrote:
If you are refering to me "bitching about the tax increase" please show me where I did.

135jc wrote:
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Dolomiti wrote:
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135jc wrote:
The point is that low taxes drove up the market values. High taxes will lower the values and now there will be a flood of appeals unless another reveal happens

Low taxes was only one part of what has driven up property values in DTJC. Other factors include... etc

I don't understand all the hostility towards dtjc residents. If the tax incentive was that great you all should have bought in dtjc. And by the way someone who bought their condo in 2008 did not receive your massive tax break for decades.