Revaluation process under way in Jackson
Field inspectors collect information; new values expected in October
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

JACKSON - During 2008, inspectors will be visiting homes and businesses in many towns in Ocean andMonmouth counties. Only 13 companies have been approved statewide to performthe inspections as part of the revaluation process.

Revaluation is required by state law. It is a program undertaken by a municipality which aims to appraise all real estate according to its full and fair value. Revaluation, or tax equalization, seeks to ensure that all property owners pay their fair share of taxes based on the value of the property they own. The revaluation process brings all properties to 100 percent of their market value (defined as the price at which a property would sell between a willing buyer and a willing seller).

Following a revaluation, some property owners see the overall amount they pay in property taxes increase; some property owners see the overall amount they pay in property taxes decrease; and some property owners see the overall amount they pay in property taxes remain at about the same level.

Jackson is among the area towns undergoing revaluation this year.

During the information gathering portion of the process, inspectors (also known as field listers) go door to door to gather data. Inspectors will be identified by photo identification badges and will only enter a home to conduct an interior inspection if an adult is present.

The inspectors do not appraise the property. They take measurements of the exterior of all houses and structures and collect data.

The actual appraisals will be made, beginning in June or July, using the information obtained from the inspections. The appraisalswill bemade by RealtyAppraisal Company. Ocean Township.

The new property assessments are expected to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2009.

Realty Appraisal Company owner Neil Rubenstein said his firm has already completed an examination of several towns, including Freehold Township, Avon, Middletown, Matawan, Tinton Falls and Loch Arbor.

The company expects to complete its data collection for Jackson, Aberdeen, Hazlet and ColtsNeck at various times during 2008.

"We started the inspections, not the appraisals," Rubenstein said. "Right now we are canvassing the towns door to door doing the measuring and inspecting of the dwellings and commercial properties."

Rubinstein said the appraisal date for Jackson is not until Oct. 1. He said it is too soon to start doing the actual appraisals now.

The Jackson Township Council hired Realty Appraisal to do the revaluation and part of that revaluation is to appraise all of the properties

for tax purposes, Rubinstein said. He said the firm basically targets a property's fairmarket value as ofOct. 1 and that is the goal of the revaluation.

When asked if the current housingmarket, which some have described as slowing down, will have an effect on the revaluation of Jackson properties, Rubinstein said it will and that is why the Oct. 1 date is being targeted.

"All of the appraisals are as of a certain date and that date is Oct. 1," he said. "We are only looking at that date in time for our assessments, by law. "

If people do not agree with the new assessment their property receives there are procedures that can be followed, he said.

"Once the appraisals are done wemail a letter to every property owner advising them of their new assessment and what they can do if they choose to discuss it with us," Rubinstein said. "We'll have informal hearings in Jackson when we're done. They can come and sit down with us and find out anything and everything theywant to know about the assessment process."

In simple terms, he said the inspectors come and look for anything that can affect value positively or negatively and thatmay even include paver-patios. Rubinstein said paver-patios do not necessarily add a lot to the property's value, but in Jackson they do assess them now and they are planning to assess them in the future.

"When you talk about the market value of the home or senior unit the patio may add value, but it's not a large contributor," Rubinstein said. "Living space, location, condition, they are all factors which dramatically affect value. The size of the lot is also considered. Some people may have 1 acre vs. 7 acres. Lot size is also a contributing

factor."

Realty Appraisal indicates that it has so far measured

and inspected 1,641 residential

properties and 463 vacant land properties,

and photographed

about 16,200 properties.

There is still a lot of work

to do before the firm's representatives sit down and start

their calculations.

Jackson Tax Assessor Dennis Raftery said Realty Appraisal is gathering

information about each home in Jackson.

"They measure the outside, which determines the number of square feet in the house," Raftery explained. "If they haven't already taken digital pictures, the state now requires a digital photo of the property."

He said the inspectors go through the house to determine what kind of heating system is in place and the number of plumbing fixtures, among other items.

"The inspectors take that information back to Realty Appraisal and it is entered into their data base which they are rebuilding and ultimately they will attempt to arrive at the market value of the property as of Oct. 1," Raftery said.

Raftery said patios larger than 100 square feet are an assessable item, as are wood decks, in-ground pools and sheds larger than 100 square feet.

He said the largest part of what makes up the residential assessment is the size of the living area, the number of bathrooms and the number of plumbing fixtures. Also considered is the type of heat and whether the house has central air conditioning.

"We don't care about upgrades in your carpets or your wood trim," he said. "All of that is looked at in the overall condition of the house, but they are not assessable as individual items."

Raftery suggested that residents read a flier which is available at the front desk of the Jackson tax assessor's office. Raftery wrote the flier and said it contains valuable information about the revaluation process.

The following items are not included in the data intake: interior decorations, interior furniture, lawn furniture, jewelry, bric a brac, televisions and other electrical items, cars, boats, gas grills, portable hot tubs (not hotwired) sports equipment in the yard and landscaping.

The field listers look for type and use of a building, number of stories, design and style, type of roof and roofing material, basements and finished areas, types of rooms, heat source, air conditioning, fireplaces (not the vent free gas fireplaces) attics, enclosed porches, detached garages and any structure that is considered real property.

The flier also contains information about how to appeal the appraisal.

"In the fall Realty Appraisal will be sending out letters with the new value" of a property, Raftery said. "At that time the letter will offer the homeowner the opportunity to come out to meet with them at an informal meeting to go over what was listed."

If a property owner believes his property has been incorrectly appraised he must bring evidence of comparable sales to RealtyAppraisal for consideration of a reduction in the appraisal. If the firm's representatives agree with the case being made by the property owner, a change may be made in the assessment.

After the tax list is certified in January 2009, property owners will have untilApril 1 to file a tax appeal with the Ocean County Board of Taxation.

If the resident is not happy with the county ruling, the owner can appeal to the tax court in Trenton.

The flier notes that the work of the municipal tax assessor is not supervised by the township and that assessments may not be changed by themayor or the governing body.