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Montclair Township Tax Revaluation: Frequently Asked
Questions 1: The Inspection process.
These are the answers to ASI's most Frequently
Asked Questions regarding the
inspection process. If your home has already been
inspected, see Frequently Asked Questions
2:
The
Valuation
Process
- Why were you contracted, and by whom?
- Why a revaluation ?
- How are values established?
- Why an inspection of properties?
- Doesn't the town have this information on file?
- What can I expect during a visit by the field
inspector?
- How long will this inspection take?
- Will I be assessed more for my decorating
and/or landscaping?
- What if I am not home?
- Can I refuse entry to the field inspector?
- When will your
inspectors be in my neighborhood?
- Can I schedule an appointment in advance?
- My property is unique. What
should I do?
- My home has been inspected. Now
what?
Why were you contracted, and by whom?
The governing body of your town was most likely
ordered by the County to
perform a revaluation. After a bidding process, the
municipality chose Appraisal Systems Inc. to perform the
full revaluation.
The objective of revaluation is to bring all
properties to 100% of their true
market value. In addition to insuring that the local
tax burden is borne equally, being at or close to 100% of
value means that property owners will be
paying a fairer, more equitable portion of county taxes
since no adjustments in the equalization process will have
to be made.
Once the revaluation program is completed, the tax rate per $100 of assessed
valuation will undoubtedly go down to reflect the increased value of the ratable
base. However, this does not necessarily indicate whether the tax on your
property will increase or decrease.
Revaluations do not increase the total
amount of revenue to be raised
by taxation. The municipality only collects the amount
of tax dollars that the four units of local government (local
school, regional school, county
government and municipal government) determine is necessary
to operate.
How are values established?
The sales of properties in your neighborhood are analyzed, and the sales
prices and sales listings are studied so that the current value trends within
the municipality can be determined.
Land sales are gathered, verified and analyzed according to the zone they are
in and their use.
Why an inspection of properties?
The purpose of the interior inspection is to
record information relative to the structure which will
affect its value. The information recorded at
the time of this inspection will include such items
as the type of interior wall
construction, number of bathrooms, type of heat, air conditioning
other than wall units, percentage of basement and area
finished for recreation or apartment
use and the percentage of finished half story and attic
where applicable.
The exterior inspection includes the measurement
of each structure including garages or other accessory
buildings, the determination of story height, roof
structure, type of foundation and exterior wall construction. The physical
condition of the structure is noted to establish depreciation factors for age,
use, etc. Topographical features of the land are also
noted as they may affect
value.
Doesn't the town have this information on file?
In many instances, yes. However, Appraisal
Systems was contracted to provide current information
based on physical inspections and has no access to
any of the existing municipal records.
What can I expect during a visit by the field
inspector?
For starters, when the inspector arrives at your
door be sure to ask to see proper identification before
allowing admittance to your home. If you have
any doubts about the person's identity, refuse entry and
call the Police
Department for verification.
Appraisal Systems will not enter your property unless the owner or an adult
representative of the owner is present.
How long will this inspection take?
A typical interior inspection lasts fifteen minutes or less.
Will I be assessed more for my decorating
and/or landscaping?
Your tax assessment will not be greater because
the interior of your home is elaborately decorated and
furnished. Assessments are based only on the
real property and not on your personal belongings. The
same holds true for
shrubbery and landscaping.
What if I am not home?
If unable to gain entrance at the time of the
first visit, the field representative will leave a card
indicating the date and time when he will
return to inspect the premises. Should this date and time be inconvenient,
you may call the telephone number provided to reschedule. If at the time of the second visit an
interior inspection is again not possible, an estimate of the interior structure
of the premises will be made by the inspector. This information will be
recorded on a card and left for the property owner. If
the estimate is incorrect, the property owner may call the
telephone number on the card to
arrange for an interior inspection at a mutually convenient
date and time.
Can I refuse entry to the field inspector?
Yes, you may refuse entry to your home. But it 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 persons
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.
When will your inspectors be in my neighborhood?
Normally, our inspectors follow the tax map pages
or neighborhoods delineated
by us. For this reason, two houses a block apart may be inspected months
apart from each other. Weather also plays a large part in our rate of
inspections. For these reasons, we cannot forecast
when we will be in any
specific area.
Can I schedule an appointment in advance?
Because of the large numbers of properties being
appraised, specific appointments with property owners
are not made until field inspectors have made
at least two attempts to gain access. In that event, a card will be left
at your door instructing you to call for an appointment. When you call the
number on the card, you will be asked for the block and lot of the property,
which can be found on the card. Appointments will
be available weekdays, evenings and Saturdays in order to
accommodate everyone's schedule.
My property is unique. What
should I do?
Send any evidence you have, such as photographs
or surveys to the appropriate
Appraisal Systems office. The information will be considered along with
the other data gathered by the inspectors. See Contact information for
details on
where to send this documentation. Also, please do
not send any original items to us, as we will be unable
to return them to you.
My home has been inspected. Now
what?
The next step is the valuation process. Regardless
of when your home was inspected, all notifications of
value are mailed out at the same time
(approximately). Typically, this occurs in October. For
further
information on this aspect, please see below: Frequently
Asked
Questions 2: The Valuation Process.
Below are the answers to ASI's most Frequently
Asked Questions regarding the valuation process. Also see: Frequently
Asked Questions 1: The Inspection Process
- Why do some homeowners pay more taxes after a revaluation?
- When will I be notified of my new assessment?
- What are my neighbor's assessed values?
- Who can I talk to about my new value?
- When will I find out the results of my informal hearing?
- Is there an official appeal process?
- Can I appeal my taxes?
- Do assessments change whenever a property is sold?
- What will the new tax rate be?
- Can I have a copy of my appraisal?
- Can I use your assessment to remove my PMI insurance?
Why do some homeowners pay more taxes after a revaluation?
Some increases result from correcting inequities, such as improvements to
property performed without building permits and therefore not reflected in the
assessments prior to the revaluation.
The assessed value is only one component in determining
tax rate. The
other is the amount to be raised in taxation in each government's
yearly budget that each of the four governments - local,
county, school and regional school -
determine to be required to operate.
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After all of the properties in your town have
been inspected, the process of determining values takes
place. Appraisal Systems will notify each
property owner regarding the preliminary assessment of his or her
property. If you have any questions or if you disagree
with the preliminary valuation, you may schedule an appointment
to discuss your concerns
with a representative of the company.
These notifications are mailed out at the same approximate time regardless
of when your house was inspected. This is generally
done in October.
Until the revaluation is completed and accepted
by the municipality and the county, all of the values
are kept confidential as they are still works in
progress. Once the official tax book is printed by the county, you may
visit the assessor's office in the municipal building and review any and all of
the properties in the town. This will occur by January
10th.
An informal interview will be available for property
owners who have questions or concerns about the preliminary
assessment of their property.
The one-on-one interview can be scheduled at a time convenient to the property
owner and will take place in Town Hall. You will be
provided with a telephone number to call to schedule an
interview should one be necessary.
The interview process will be informal and will focus on a discussion of your property. It is important that all of the information presented about your
property is accurate. If you feel that there are conditions
that diminish
the market value of your property, the interview
is your opportunity to bring
those factors to our attention. All appropriate comments
will be reviewed and considered to determine if an adjustment
is in order.
During the period for informal interviews, information
regarding your neighbors' property values will not be
available. However, once property
owners have had the opportunity to discuss the data regarding their own
property, the results will be made available in the form of a preliminary tax
list. This will be made available for review at the
Tax Assessor's office
during normal business hours.
Once the period for informal interviews has ended,
all property owners who held a meeting will receive
a notification of outcome. These are all
mailed out at the same time regardless of when your interview took place.
If you are still dissatisfied with the result of your interview, you can file
a formal appeal with your County Board of Taxation prior
to April 1st. This step is similar to the informal interview.
However, your comments will be heard by a Commissioner of the Board of
Taxation. You will be given an opportunity to state the reasons you
believe your assessment is inaccurate. After reviewing
the facts presented, the Board will render a decision as
to whether an adjustment is in
order.
In the event you are not satisfied with the decision
of the Board of Taxation, you have the right to file
an appeal with the Tax Court of the State
of New Jersey. This must be done within 45 days of your
notification. This step in the process is formal,
taking place in a
courtroom setting before a Tax Court Judge.
Under State law, the actual tax on a property
cannot be appealed. However, an aggrieved property
owner can file an appeal with regard to the assessment
of value (see previous question). The tax rate and
a tax assessment are two distinctly different things which are often
confused. The tax rate is determined by the dollar amount needed to
operate the four governmental entities, while the tax assessment provides the
value upon which to apportion the taxes. One appeals
a tax assessment, not
a rate.
Property assessments do not change every time
a property is sold. According to State law, assessments
only change when a property is improved or allowed to
deteriorate, or when the municipality undergoes a revaluation
program.
The new tax rate will be determined by the town
after they settle on their
budget. This will not be done until late spring.
Once the official tax book is printed, you may
visit the assessor's office in the municipal building
and review any and all of the properties in the
town. It is the prerogative of the individual assessor
to distribute
copies of the data.
Financial lending institutions will not accept
mass appraisal for mortgage
purposes. They require a different type of appraisal
called a "Fannie
Mae" appraisal. Refer to the Appraisal Systems,
Inc. services
page or contact Appraisal Sysems, Inc. if you would
like
a quote on one of these appraisals: 201-689-7390 |
Township of Montclair Municipal Building
Joan
Kozeniesky, Tax Assessor
