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Re: 5 Year tax abatements - still exist?
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Quote:
I don't know if it still exists, but it did 2 years ago. We received ours in Jan 2016. We applied for it at the end of our project (total gut downtown) after completing all of the work, final inspections, etc. Our architect handled the paperwork.
Posted on: 2018/5/1 13:05
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Re: A lot more people in N.J. will be registered to vote soon.
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Home away from home
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Quote:
No. It means that people who are eligible to vote will be automatically registered (or their registration will be updated). Under the current system, people are asked whether they would like to be registered to vote when they apply for/renew their driver's license. Under the new system, people will be asked whether they would *not* like to be registered to vote when they apply for/renew their driver's licenses. It's not a huge change - just switching the default from opt-in to opt-out. And making no changes at all to the underlying eligibility requirements. But behavioral economics shows us that defaults matter, so the likely result is more [legally] registered voters, which is a good thing. The right to vote is a fundamental right in the US, and making it easy (or easier) for people to exercise that right is a worthy goal, regardless of political affiliation.
Posted on: 2018/4/18 13:41
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Re: How Much Was the Holland Tunnel Toll when it Opened?
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$1 in 1927 (round-trip toll) is equivalent to about $13.64 today. Current toll is $12.50 peak or $10.50 off-peak (round-trip), so it looks like the price has actually declined.
Posted on: 2017/11/21 16:01
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Re: 2017 Reval ~ Property Inspections
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Quote:
"Nothing" except exactly what I said (from the FAQ on ASI's website): "Can I refuse entry to the field inspector? Yes, you may refuse entry to your home, but is in your best interest to see that as much information as possible is gathered to help insure an accurate assessment. If an appraiser cannot inspect the inside of a building, it's possible an inaccurate assessment may result. The law provides that a property can be assessed at the highest reasonable value if the field inspector is denied entry. The revaluation program should not be seen as an adversarial situation. Property owners have a vested interest in the outcome of the project and their cooperation is vital to achieve an equitable revaluation. If one person's property is under-assessed, all the other property owners in the municipality will pay higher taxes to make up for the discrepancy. Conversely, if property owners deny access to the field inspector they could wind up being over-assessed and pay more than their fair share of taxes." I have no idea why you're so angry about this. It's common sense that if you're trying to get accurate data about every property in the city, and you have some properties about which you still have questions, you need to assume best-case scenario on those properties. In that case, owners who think you got it wrong in their case (they've been over-assessed) will willingly give you that information, improving the quality of your data. If you err on the side of under-assessing, owners who know you made a mistake (they've been under-assessed) will likely not tell you.
Posted on: 2017/6/8 3:22
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Re: 2017 Reval ~ Property Inspections
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Quote:
The info from ASI states that you can schedule a one-on-one meeting with them to discuss your valuation (after it's released, obviously). This is an informal avenue for adjustment. They also say that if you still aren't satisfied, you can appeal to the County Board of Taxation (also an informal process), and then to the NJ State Tax Court (formal). They don't mention any threshold for appeal. (Which doesn't mean there isn't one, particularly for Tax Court.)
Posted on: 2017/6/7 20:41
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Re: 2017 Reval ~ Property Inspections
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Quote:
I was referring mostly to the in-person Q&As that were held with ASI throughout the city in April. Civic Parent has a good recap of the Ward A one here: https://civicparent.org/news/jersey-ci ... tion-meetings-highlights/ There's also a JC-specific landing page on ASI's site (and their FAQ pages have a lot of useful info as well): http://asinj.com/revaluation.asp?p=current&id=359 ETA: ASI's site lists one more upcoming presentation at Lincoln High on 6/29 from 7:30PM - 8:30PM.
Posted on: 2017/6/7 20:30
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Re: 2017 Reval ~ Property Inspections
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Quote:
If you aren't home, the inspector will leave a note listing an alternate time. There will be a number to call if that time doesn't work for you, so that you can schedule the appointment during a more convenient window. My understanding from the various Q&As I've seen is that if they're unable to access your unit, they will assume that your unit is at the high end of the range of comparables. So if some units in your building have been renovated with upgraded appliances and some have not, they will assume yours is one of the renovated ones unless they can get in to see otherwise.
Posted on: 2017/6/7 14:10
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Re: 2017 Reval ~ Property Inspections
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Quote:
I don't disagree, I just think that it's useful to understand the anti-reval perspective and not simply dismiss it as "people can't do math, and also they're entitled jerks." (I am strongly pro-reval, if that matters.) There are homeowners who believe that the property taxes collected from the neighborhood they live in already constitute the lion's share of the City's property tax revenues, so asking them to pay more strikes them as very unfair. (And, hyperbole aside, some of them, particularly older residents living on fixed incomes, will suffer real hardship when their tax bills increase.) Again, I disagree with the anti-reval perspective and think there are both private (reverse mortgages, selling and using increased value to fund retirement in a cheaper area) and public (phasing in increases for seniors, legislating a better system for ongoing reval) solutions to alleviate any actual hardship caused by allowing the situation to get this bad in the first place. But trying to understand that perspective makes it easier to understand why the opposition to such a simple and logical procedure is so vehemently felt. I think that understanding is important b/c without it we aren't as able to craft compelling arguments in our favor and run the risk of a vocal anti-reval group swinging the political pendulum back in the direction of ignoring revals for decades. My deeper concern is that dismissing the reval opponents misses the opportunity to engage them on more important issues - like, for example, planning for the day when the Abbot designation goes away or the funding formula changes or NJ simply runs out of money to do anything but pay pensions (I hope I'm joking about that last one) and we need to come up with a way to replace lost state revenue. Making enemies on the reval seems short-sighted when we have a much broader and deeper discussion about property taxes and other sources of city revenue coming down the pipeline.
Posted on: 2017/5/19 14:05
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Re: 2017 Reval ~ Property Inspections
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In fairness to 135jc, his/her logic is correct even though Brewster and others are also correct that (for example) Greenville residents are overpaying while Downtown residents are underpaying as a percentage of their homes' values (generally speaking).
I think what got lost is that 135jc was making a different point about the total value of all homes in the different neighborhoods and the total value of taxes paid - not as a percentage but simply as a whole number. Basically, Downtown homes can be paying less than their fair share of taxes and Greenville homes can be paying more than their fair share of taxes in percentage terms, yet the absolute amount of money collected Downtown can still be greater than that collected in Greenville. (Both can be simultaneously true.) I have no idea if 135jc's point is backed up by numbers b/c I don't know the total property taxes paid by non-Downtown residents vs Downtown residents. But, to use completely made-up numbers just to clarify the point, if Greenville property taxes total $400,000 (all homes in Greenville are really worth a total of $10M and are paying effective tax rates of 4%) and Downtown property taxes total $1M (all homes in Downtown are really worth $100M and are paying effective tax rates of 1%) then Downtown homes contribute more to the tax base than Greenville homes do *in absolute terms* since $1M > $400,000. Again, this doesn't negate the point that Greenville residents in this scenario are [unfairly] paying 4x more than Downtown residents, *as a share of home value*.
Posted on: 2017/5/19 13:05
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Re: Door recommendation for open Den area
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Home away from home
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We have double pocket doors separating our living and den as well. The feature is original to the house (mid-19th century rowhouse), but the doors that are there now are not. Many people use refurbished antique doors for decorative effect (but that's only worth it if you close them frequently, as they're otherwise not visible).
With tall ceilings, it's pretty typical for the space above to have some kind of transom. I've seen ones with very decorative etched glass, and others that have been filled in and painted.  ETA: This picture is not my house, just an image I googled.
Posted on: 2017/3/23 17:08
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Re: Downtown JC ObGyn
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Not trying to be a bummer, but many OBs won't take on new patients in the third trimester (I know the practice I use won't), so it might be worth your time to make some phone calls to find out different doc's policies before getting your heart set on anyone. Good luck!
Posted on: 2016/3/28 17:51
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Re: NJ W2 Tax Question
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Quote:
I'm not sure what benefit you're talking about? Civil union status isn't just granted by virtue of living together - couples have to actively enter into it, just like marriage. So any couple in NJ can choose to fill out the necessary paperwork and pay the necessary fees and then their relationship will be legally recognized by the state. Long-term domestic partnerships aren't automatically recognized b/c the state doesn't want to be responsible for checking on where you live, whether you have a joint checking account, etc. If the benefits of legal marriage are important to you, it's simple to get legally married. (From a strictly bureaucratic perspective, of course! If you and your partner aren't on the same page, or you want to be married during a lavish wedding, etc., those are different issues.)
Posted on: 2015/2/4 18:52
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Re: PATH is down again today!
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This is my favorite news quote so far:
"Port Authority officials aren't sure if Tuesday?s problems are also related to the fire, WCBS 880?s Peter Haskell reported." http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/09/2 ... en-jersey-city-suspended/ Aren't Port Authority officials the ones who should know? WTF is going on?! (Also, re: cross-honoring - I've found it generally works to show the conductor the PATH tweet or alert on my phone that says NJTransit and/or NYWaterway is cross-honoring.)
Posted on: 2014/9/23 16:59
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Re: R Train
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Quote:
No, the R does stop below Canal - it's the N that goes straight to Brooklyn from Canal (during the day). At 4pm on Saturday from Cortlandt, you should take the R. The confusing thing is that the N will also come through, which is not normal daytime N behavior. Don't take it - once it's past Atlantic, it will blow past all of the R local stops. Wait for the R.
Posted on: 2014/9/17 19:20
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Re: R Train
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Quote:
No. Sorry I was confusing! I wasn't really thinking about the stops in Brooklyn beyond Atlantic, since that's farther than I usually go. For me, the N running on the R means I can take either. But since you're going past Atlantic, you still need to wait for the R. If it's before 11pm, wait for the R. If it's after 11pm, get on the N. (Or take either and change at/walk from Atlantic. ;)
Posted on: 2014/9/17 18:49
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Re: FISHERMEN VERSUS OUTDOOR WEDDING PARTIES ON PIER
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Quote:
Not recommended eating for children and women who might become pregnant, but men and women who won't become pregnant can eat limited quantities of fish from the Hudson. (And, since the guidelines are designed to be conservative, exceeding them is probably not going to hurt anyone.) http://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2794.pdf I think it's great for people to want to eat what they catch, as it (hopefully) encourages them to support large-scale efforts to keep the river clean and to behave in small-scale ways that help (by, for example, not doing stupid things like throwing cigarette butts in the street).
Posted on: 2014/9/17 18:36
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Re: R Train
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Yes, the R runs on weekends, just not late nights (which I think is 11pm to 5:30am). BUT, the N picks up the R local stops late night, so it's like it's running...
However, I think this coming weekend the N is running on the R b/w BK and Manhattan all weekend. (It usually skips from Canal to Atlantic but it will be making those lower Manhattan R stops.) So, basically, if you're at a station like Cortlandt that's usually R only and an N comes through, get on it. If you're at a station where both the N and R usually stop, and an N comes through, pay attention/ask the conductor which line it's running on to be safe.
Posted on: 2014/9/17 16:39
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Re: Looking for parking near Dixon Mills
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Not sure where near Dixon Mills you live, but there's a "Parking for Rent" sign on the front gate of one of the row houses on Columbus (between Monmouth and Coles) across the street from DM.
Posted on: 2014/9/15 18:20
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Re: PATH (pathetic attempt at transporting humans)
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Quote:
According to their website, the next scheduled holiday is Columbus Day. And, according to twitter, there will be normal PATH service this Thursday: https://twitter.com/PATHTrain So, 50/50 chance trains will be running normally? ;)
Posted on: 2014/9/9 15:29
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Re: Who does eyelash tinting downtown?
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Quote:
Eyelash tinting is illegal in NJ (and NY), which is why you're having a hard time finding it. For the money, you might ask your doctor about a prescription for Latisse - it makes your lashes both longer and darker.
Posted on: 2014/7/28 13:37
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Re: Oil Tank - How do I find out if property has one?
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Home away from home
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Quote:
We used Lombardo Environmental for our search and were very happy with them. (We also did an OPRA search of the property records.) Definitely don't buy it if there's a buried oil tank. The seller removes it (legally, with certification) or you walk away. Google the horror stories if you need convincing. (You're correct, though, that once they know they'll have to disclose to other potential buyers. The real risk is that they can't afford to sell at all, not that they won't sell to you b/c you don't want the tank.) In any case, I believe you're unlikely to find a lender who will finance a house with a buried oil tank or an insurance co. who will insure it. (My parents live in Somerset County and recently removed their buried oil tank because they were told the property is essentially valueless with a tank - since no one can borrow to purchase it or get insurance on it. Their tank was 40 years old and had been consistently insured and well-maintained. Despite that, they found a small leak and the removal cost several thousand dollars out of pocket (beyond what insurance paid). They now have a tank in the basement, since their property is not serviced by gas lines. This is just to say that even the best-case scenario of a known tank with insurance can cost more than you'd like - an unknown/abandoned tank can be a nightmare.)
Posted on: 2014/7/23 18:19
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Re: What should I do about a tenant using JCFD to harass me?
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Quote:
Nope. In NJ the Anti-Eviction Act states that a landlord must allow the tenant to renew the lease, unless the landlord wants to pursue eviction. The renewal allows for "reasonable" changes in the terms of the lease (raise the rent, etc.) but if the tenant wants to stay and isn't evictable, the landlord has little recourse. (This rule doesn't apply to small (2 & 3 family) owner-occupied buildings.)
Posted on: 2014/6/17 21:14
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Re: Parking space needed near Dixon Mills
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Sent you a PM - I think there's space available in the lot I use. (Didn't want to post the owner's phone number.) Good luck!
Posted on: 2014/6/3 13:25
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Re: What is your favorite street in Jersey City?
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Quote:
PSE&G is out butchering the trees along First Street today, so this stretch won't be pretty for much longer. (Seriously, WHY do they have to prune this way? I understand they're somewhat constrained by the fact that most of the trees weren't properly pruned as they grew, so they're not in great shape to begin with, but the way they prune - the tuning fork and/or lopsided trim approach - is not only incredibly ugly but it both weakens the trees and makes the power line interference WORSE. Making a big opening in the middle of a tree will cause it to quickly sprout new growth there, since that area suddenly gets a lot more sun with a lot less competition from other branches. So new branches will shoot back out toward the power lines, recreating the original problem within a couple of years. Except that now the quick-growth branches are weaker and thinner/more spindly than the original, slower-growing branches were, making them MORE prone to breaking off into the power lines during a storm. tl;dr Within two years, branches in the trimmed areas have regrown around the power lines, but the new branches are weaker and more prone to breakage than the original ones were. How is that helping?!)
Posted on: 2014/5/7 15:31
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Re: Bike Share System
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Quote:
MikeyTBC wrote: Does anyone have any links to bike safety and specifically helmets? Stats, numbers, types of helmets etc. I'm googling and most of what I'm seeing is about kids and basic rules of the road. Thanks
Posted on: 2014/3/21 19:05
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Re: Eviction. Tenants rights please help.
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Just chiming in that jerseymom and user1111 aren't right in this instance. NJ law is very clear that the end of the lease period does not end the tenant's right to occupy the apartment (the exception being an owner-occupied dwelling with 3 or fewer apartments). The tenancy either becomes month-to-month on the same terms as the original lease, or the landlord can offer a new lease. In the new lease, the landlord is free to change the terms of the lease (with some restrictions) - raising the rent is probably the most common change to the lease. The tenant can accept any changes to the lease terms and continue renting, or refuse them and move out (or decide they're illegal changes and go to housing court, but that's a different story).
In your case, since you are willing to pay a rent increase, the landlord cannot evict you and you do not have to move out. However, since both you and your roommate are on the lease (cotenants), it's likely that each of you has the right to continue to occupy the apartment at the new (higher) rent, so while she (and your landlord) can't kick you out, you also can't easily get rid of her. I also agree that your roommate sounds like a jerk and you may want to explore other options, whatever your rights. I'd sit down with your roommate and say that, legally, she can't kick you out (and you can't kick her out) so you need to figure something else out. You can offer her a financial incentive to move out, or ask for one yourself. If I were you, I'd probably choose to move out, since dealing with a landlord who now seems not to like you could be a headache. If you agree that you will stay and she will move out, I would make that clear to your landlord ASAP. I'd do this in writing and cite your previous conversation in which you agreed to the new rent rate, as well as stating that nonrenewal of the lease would be illegal, citing the relevant case law (from the links you and others have already found). Do this in writing, probably an email (for immediacy) and also certified letter. If you agree that you'll move out, it's probably easier since that's what the landlord seems to want, but I'd still put in writing that you are terminating the lease agreement on x date and *get a signed response from the landlord* (or at least an email). You don't want to end up on the hook for any future rent payments.
Posted on: 2014/2/10 21:23
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Re: Clear the Sewer Grates JC
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I agree that individuals can (and should) clear out the storm drains and make sure the snow/ice-melt has a path to them. I do on our corner, if not out of the neighborly goodness of my heart, then because I don't want to be the one trudging through slush and/or slipping on ice until spring...
But why doesn't the city use street cleaning time to come around and remove snow all the way to the curb and from corners/crosswalks? I understand suspending street cleaning during an actual storm, when you want to discourage people from driving. But the roads are clear today, schools & offices, etc. are open, why not make people move their cars? Having clear streets and corners would make life between storms so much better, for both pedestrians and parkers. (I used to live in Cambridge/Boston, where it generally snows more than it does here, and that's how they do it. They also manage to have street cleaning just twice a month per side of the street, yet the streets look much better than JC's, but that's another thread...)
Posted on: 2014/2/6 15:48
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Re: Super Bowl renting?
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Have you looked into Airbnb? I've used them as a traveler (staying in room, not providing) and have several friends who use them regularly to rent out their spare rooms.
They have a pretty detailed FAQ regarding liability and provide $1M supplemental coverage (via Lloyds of London). And, of course, you can see profiles and reviews/comments about people using the site. Much safer than just listing on Craigslist. If you go that route, the more detailed your profile is, the more responses you'll get. (People won't feel comfortable replying to someone with an empty profile, especially since you've never listed before.) Good luck!
Posted on: 2014/1/13 14:30
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Re: Donation Options for Holiday Season
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Home away from home
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I like the New York Cares Winter Wishes program (fulfilling gift requests from children in need). It's a little late to sign up this year but if you'd be able to fulfill gift requests fairly quickly, it's probably still worth it. (I get the sense that most of the participating organizations will be holding holiday parties at which the gifts are distributed this week or next.) http://www.newyorkcares.org/winter-wishes
I'm also sponsoring a family for Christmas dinner through the Food Bank of Somerville (shopping for and delivering a meal of their choosing). I signed up through my mother's church - I tried to find out if one of the more local food banks has a similar program but couldn't find anything. I'd love to hear if anyone has more luck that I did finding a way to do this more locally.
Posted on: 2013/12/10 19:58
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Re: Credit Union Vs. Traditional Bank
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Home away from home
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Quote:
Ha! I didn't want to get too technical by also going into exempt vs. non-exempt but you are on it! It's actually still true, though, that nonprofit is the broader category. Organizations first establish themselves as nonprofits, and then apply for federal (and state, if applicable) tax-exempt status, the best-known of which is 501(c)(3) charitable organization. So all exempt orgs are nonprofits, but not all nonprofits are exempt. And, yes, you're completely right that the federal tax-exempt status of credit unions remains a bone of contention, especially when they compete with for-profit banks. It'll be interesting to see what happens to credit unions long term - I'd argue that they still serve a useful public function of providing access to banking and credit to lower income populations (not that everyone who uses a credit union is low income, just that they're more available to low income populations than for-profit banks are by virtue of defining the criteria around membership based on something other than income). But I don't know if Congress and the banking lobby agree with me... (And, historically, other kinds of financial institutions have had their tax-exempt status yanked. The kind of building and loan that George Bailey runs in It's a Wonderful Life used to be tax exempt and then Congress decided that they weren't really providing a public service, just doing the same things for-profit banks do, so they wrote them out of the tax code.)
Posted on: 2013/11/13 17:13
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