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The Township of Montclair recently contracted Mendham-based Appraisal Systems, Inc. (ASI) to provide a revaluation of all Montclair properties as mandated by the Essex County Board of Taxation and the State of New Jersey.
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
Table of Contents
- 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.
Why a 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 Frequently Asked Questions 2: The Valuation Process.
Or Call Appraisal Systems, Inc. for more information: 201-493-7300 |
