Monday deadline for reval appeals

All residents should have received a letter, telling them the newly assessed value of their property, and a copy of their property record card.

By: Charlie Olsen
   The borough is reminding residents unhappy with their new property assessments that the deadline to file an appeal over the boroughwide revaluation of property is Monday.
   According to Administrator Gary Garwacke, all residents of Manville should have received a letter telling them the newly assessed value of their property and a copy of their property record card.
   "People should just go and double-check their property record card," said Georgette Rooney, a senior tax analyst for the Somerset County Board of Taxation.
   The property record cards are held at the municipal building in the tax assessor’s office and appeals can be filed at the tax board in Somerville.
   "A good way to check is to think if you were to sell your home today, would you get the value listed?" Ms. Rooney said.
   Ms. Rooney advised that residents interested in filing an appeal or examining their property record cards to keep in mind that the offices will be closed in observance of Good Friday.
   Manville Tax Assessor Catherine Gantner is on vacation this week, but residents can still review the records and file an appeal, if necessary.
   Appraisal Systems Inc. of Mendham was awarded a $275,000 contract by the borough to assess the value of all taxable real estate in Manville for the first time in 10 years. The county Board of Taxation ordered the revaluation.
   The last time the borough was assessed was in 1996, when the assessed value of its approximately 3,200 residential and 300 commercial and undeveloped properties more than doubled from about $254 million to $525 million.
   This year, the assessed value climbed from about $531 million to $1.1 billion, even though the number of residential, commercial and vacant properties has decreased since the last assessment.
   According to Mr. Garwacke, as a rule of thumb the assessment cuts the tax rate in half, but it’s important to remember that the rate won’t be applied or adjusted until about the third or fourth quarter when the budgets are accepted.
   Pope Street resident Doris Eck said many residents are unhappy and she expects many will be appealing the new home revaluations.
   "Our property got re-evaluated and taxes got raised by $700," Ms. Eck said. "The average person living here and working here are unhappy."
   Ms. Eck said homeowners and business owners will be appealing the assessments on April 24.
   "I think the county freeholders should step in and have a more reasonable proposal on how to make taxes stable," Ms. Eck said.
   As of Monday, 28 appeals had been filed at the county tax board.