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James R. Tighe, Tax Assessor |
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| Phone: | 201-837-4846 |
| Hours: | 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Monday - Friday |
| E-Mail: | assessor@teanecknjgov.org |
| Address: | 818 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666 |
The Department of Assessment Administration is responsible for determining the taxability of property and for the equitable distribution of the tax burden in conformity with existing statutes and regulations. The Department maintains the assessment rolls as required by law, updates ownership information for billing purposes, and provides information to the public. It also administers the paperwork for Senior/disabled tax deductions and Veterans deductions and determines the eligibility for exemption. The Department maintains a record card for each property in the Township which includes physical characteristics of the land and building, as well as assessment information. In addition, it maintains tax maps identifying each parcel in the Township along with its physical dimensions.
A file containing deeds from sales which have occurred in the past 12 years is also maintained in the office; however, the official repository of deeds is the County Hall of Records where complete files are maintained. The Assessor's Office does not maintain files of property surveys or building plans. If residents are in need of a property survey, they must contract privately for such services.
As part of the task of maintaining the tax rolls, the Assessor's Office conducts inspections of properties which have been renovated, expanded or newly constructed, as well as of properties which have been damaged. Inspections of properties which have had building permits issued are conducted primarily in the spring and summer and bills reflecting the increased assessments are issued by October 1. As the Assessor's Office has a limited staff, an outside contractor aids in inspecting the properties during peak inspection periods. This individual is furnished with an identification letter issued by the Township. Residents should request it at the time of inspection. For maximum efficiency, inspections are made based on geographical considerations and are largely unscheduled. If residents have obtained a building permit for renovations, additions or new construction, they should expect a representative of the Assessor's Office to visit the property. If the resident is not home at the time, or if the timing of the inspection visit is inconvenient, the inspector will leave a letter to call for an appointment.
The Department urges all residents to cooperate as fully as possible with the inspector so that this task is accomplished as efficiently as possible.
Current New Jersey Property Tax Relief programs are as follows:
Senior Citizen, Disabled, Surviving Spouse: The State Constitution authorizes an annual property tax deduction from the property taxes levied on a dwelling house owned and occupied by a qualified senior citizen, a person less than 65 who is permanently and totally disabled, or a person who is the surviving spouse of a qualified senior or disabled person. In order to qualify, persons must be residents of the State of New Jersey, reside in the property for which the deduction is claimed, and have an income not exceeding $10,000 annually, excluding Social Security or a comparable governmental retirement or disability program not to exceed the equivalency under Social Security.
Veteran's Deduction: The State Constitution also provides for a tax deduction for qualified veterans and/or their surviving spouse. To qualify, the veteran must have served during a designated time of war and must have received an honorable discharge:
"Joint Guard" Mission - Bosnia & Herzegovina 12/20/96 - Ongoing
"Joint Endeavor" Mission - Bosnia & Herzegovina 11/20/95 - 12/20/96
"Restore Hope" Mission - Somalia 12/05/92 - 03/31/94
Operation Desert Shield/Storm 08/02/90 - Ongoing
Panama Peacekeeping Mission 12/20/89 - 01/31/90
Lebanon Peacekeeping Mission 09/26/82 - 12/01/87
Grenada Peacekeeping Mission 08/23/83 - 11/21/83
Vietnam Conflict 12/31/60 - 05/07/75
Korean Conflict 06/23/50 - 01/31/55
World War II 09/16/40 - 12/31/46
World War I 04/06/17 - 11/11/18
Note: Peacekeeping Missions require actual service in a combat zone for a total of 14 days unless a service injury was received in a combat zone.
The preceding constitutional authorizations are administered by the Assessor. For those individuals who feel they may qualify, the Assessor should be contacted for the necessary forms or additional information.
Property Tax Reimbursement Program: During 1998, legislation was passed to authorize a freeze in property taxes for qualified senior citizens. In 2001, the allowable income limits were doubled in order to qualify more persons for the benefit. A single senior can receive up to $37,174 and a married couple up to $45,582 and still qualify. Other requirements are that the applicant must have been a New Jersey resident for at least the last 10 years, and must have resided at the current address for at least 3 years. Applications are due by March 15. This program is administered by the State Division of Taxation which should be contacted at 1-800-882-6597 for applications or additional information.
NJ Saver Rebate: This is the most recently enacted property tax relief program having been instituted in 1999. All residents who owned and paid taxes on a home used as their principal residence are eligible. There are no age or income requirements. This rebate is applied for via telephone by June 15 directly with the Division of Taxation. The Assessor's Office has no involvement in mailing forms, calculating rebate amounts, or processing claims. Please call 1-877-658-2972 for additional information on this program. The rebate amount varies by municipality and is based on the effective school tax rate.
Homestead Rebate: This program is administered by the Division of Taxation through NJ income tax returns (Form HR-1040 and NJ-1040 if required). Homeowners and tenants who pay property taxes on their principal residence in New Jersey either directly, or through rent payments and whose gross income does not exceed $100,000 (for 65 or older, or disabled, income may not exceed $40,000), are eligible. This rebate ranges from $30 to $500. For information on Homestead Rebates call the Homestead Rebate InfoLine at 1-800-323-4400.
As of October 1, 2002, Teaneck had a total of 11,702 taxable real properties with an aggregate assessable value of $2,584,333,500. This represents a net increase of $9,851,200 over the aggregate assessable value of real property for the prior year. With the addition of taxable business property, the net valuation taxable is $2,587,617,759 for 2003. This represents an increase of $9,070,339 relative to the 2002 net valuation taxable. (The value of taxable business property as reported by Verizon Communications decreased between 2002 and 2003.)
The following is a breakdown by property class for real property in 2002:
| # of Property Type | % of Parcels | % of Total # | Assessed Value |
| 1-4 Family Res. | 11,104 | 94.89 | 84.46 |
| Commercial | 380 | 3.24 | 10.60 |
| Industrial | 17 | .15 | 0.95 |
| Apartments | 56 | .48 | 3.47 |
| Vacant Land | 145 | 1.24 | 0.52 |
| Totals | 11,792 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
In addition to taxable real properties, Teaneck has a total of 321 exempt properties which include schools, municipal properties, houses of worship, parsonages, charitable properties, and hospitals.
Due, in part, to escalating property values throughout the region, the number of tax appeals declined once again in 2002. A total of 23 appeals were filed with the Bergen County Board of Taxation during 2002. In contrast, there were 36 filed during 2002 and 55 filed in 2001. Petitions for appeal must be received by the Bergen County Board of Taxation on or before April 1. Tax appeal hearings are scheduled by the County Board of Taxation during the months following receipt of petition. Petitions and instructions for filing are available directly from the County Board of Taxation, at (201) 336-6300.
Teaneck is currently under order from the Bergen County Board of Taxation, with the consent of the Division of Taxation, to complete a revaluation of all Township properties. The order was appealed by the Township to the N.J. Tax Court in 2000. As of July 2003 the appeal was still pending.
258 added assessments were levied on properties which were renovated, expanded or newly constructed during 2002 and/or late 2001. The total added assessed valuation was $13,509,700 in 2002. This amount is added to the 2003 aggregate assessable value and has the effect of moderating the tax rate.