Property tax.

The tax bills haven't been mailed out. That is why we don't have the coupon to turn in with the taxes. Taxes will be due on Aug. 8.

Then the surprise. Our taxes increased, over $8k.

I called the tax office yesterday. I was told bills were mailed out  but our mails are slow. All Maplewood mail first goes to Union, As my previous e-mail says taxes are due August 19 with a late period.

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

The tax bills haven't been mailed out. That is why we don't have the coupon to turn in with the taxes. Taxes will be due on Aug. 8.

Then the surprise. Our taxes increased, over $8k.

The taxes are over 8k or the increase is over 8k?

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

The tax bills haven't been mailed out. That is why we don't have the coupon to turn in with the taxes. Taxes will be due on Aug. 8.

Then the surprise. Our taxes increased, over $8k.

Deadline was extended because bills were mailed out late.  If you are concerned about not having the hard copy bill, you can still determine how much you owe by either calling/visiting the tax collector's office at town hall or going to the town website.

Never multiply your third quarter bill by four to get your annual real property tax.  You are paying catch up for estimated bills in the first two quarters which would have included neither the 2024 tax increase nor any increase due to the revaluation.

Edited to Add:  Your real property taxes increased by $3.821.32.  While a sizeable increase, it is substantially less than over $8,000.

According to my USPS informed delivery I should be getting the tax bill today.

It’s sad to see an old lady, having problems walking, paying her taxes with cash including the loose change….that really bothered me yesterday. I couldn’t get her image out of my head as she turned around to leave the office. How much more can she afford? How much more can we afford? When is enough really enough? 

Jaytee said:

It’s sad to see an old lady, having problems walking, paying her taxes with cash including the loose change….that really bothered me yesterday. I couldn’t get her image out of my head as she turned around to leave the office. How much more can she afford? How much more can we afford? When is enough really enough? 

The old lady paying her real property tax with loose change may qualify for a number of programs that help seniors afford to pay their real property taxes.  The senior freeze especially helps seniors with qualifying income by reimbursing the difference between the taxes paid during the bae year (year they first qualified for the program) and each subsequent year.  She is more likely to be impacted this year by the reval which usually has an adverse impact on those living in neighborhoods with lower real  estate prices.  

ETA:  The real danger for this taxpayer may come in FY2026 when there is a threat that the Senior Freeze and ANCHOR will go away and be replaced by Stay NJ.  Seniors who have been enrolled continuously in the Senior Freeze program could stand to lose thousands of dollars in State reimbursement should the plan go ahead as proposed.

Jaytee said:

It’s sad to see an old lady, having problems walking, paying her taxes with cash including the loose change….that really bothered me yesterday. I couldn’t get her image out of my head as she turned around to leave the office. How much more can she afford? How much more can we afford? When is enough really enough? 

Is this the beginning of a screenplay you're pitching around?

joan_crystal said:

The old lady paying her real property tax with loose change may qualify for a number of programs that help seniors afford to pay their real property taxes.  The senior freeze especially helps seniors with qualifying income by reimbursing the difference between the taxes paid during the bae year (year they first qualified for the program) and each subsequent year.  She is more likely to be impacted this year by the reval which usually has an adverse impact on those living in neighborhoods with lower real  estate prices.  

ETA:  The real danger for this taxpayer may come in FY2026 when there is a threat that the Senior Freeze and ANCHOR will go away and be replaced by Stay NJ.  Seniors who have been enrolled continuously in the Senior Freeze program could stand to lose thousands of dollars in State reimbursement should the plan go ahead as proposed.

Not as I read it.  StayNJ will reimburse 50% of the tax bill of people making $500k or less. While it is regressive, it will be of more benefit to the seniors than the present system.

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

Not as I read it.  StayNJ will reimburse 50% of the tax bill of people making $500k or less. While it is regressive, it will be of more benefit to the seniors than the present system.

Read further.  The maximum amount credited to an eligible claimant in 2026 is $6,500.  The full bill can be found here;  

https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2022/AL23/75_.HTM

$500k is a very high income threshold. JMO

Jaytee said:

It’s sad to see an old lady, having problems walking, paying her taxes with cash including the loose change….that really bothered me yesterday. I couldn’t get her image out of my head as she turned around to leave the office. How much more can she afford? How much more can we afford? When is enough really enough? 

It's good to know that somebody realizes there's something wrong with the way small municipalities are managing their income/expenses.

TomR 

Tom_R said:

It's good to know that somebody realizes there's something wrong with the way small municipalities are managing their income/expenses.

TomR 

If you read your itemized real property tax bill that may have come in the mail yesterday, you will see that only a small portion of your tax bill goes to municipal services.  The bulk goes to the school district.  We are also paying towards County expenses, library expenses, and two open space trust funds.  

Well said joan. And besides reading one's itemized property tax bill it might be useful to folks to educate themselves on their town's budgets discussed, voted on and made public every year. But a good story about paying ones taxes with loose change is so much more entertaining I suppose.
Wendy Lauter