Tax Appeals Cost Borough More Than $800K

In Fort Lee, 188 tax appeals were filed in 2012 and the town is facing $826,649.22 in rebates.

Over the course of the last several years, the housing market in Bergen County has sharply declined taking property values with it, and leaving already overburdened municipalities with the added burden of having to pay the cost of the tax overpayment on the growing number of successful appeals. Generally speaking, a tax appeal is won when the homeowner can show that there is a sizeable disparity between the assessed value of a property and the true market value based on recent sales.  

Some municipalities, overwhelmed by the costs of successful tax appeals, are trying to have legislation introduced forcing school districts and counties to share the burden of paying the costs of these property tax appeals.

and is looking for other towns to help push the state Legislature and governor to make counties and school districts pitch in for the appeals. 

However, State Senator Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, who represents Fort Lee in the 37th District, said the town was solely responsible, not the school board or others. 

“It is up to the municipality to make sure that property values are fair across the board,” Weinberg said. 

Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich agrees with Weinberg. "School Boards have no control over the property assessments and values in Fort Lee," Sokolich said. "That is the responsibility of the Mayor and Council."

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