From the Philly Inquirer:
Tax hike enrages Haddon Heights
Imagine a town where almost all of the homes have “for sale” signs in their front yards, where the mayor and Borough Council are being recalled, and where petitions from angry residents are reaching the highest levels of state government.
In Haddon Heights, a leafy South Jersey town of 7,500, residents say that’s the future.As New Jersey simmers with highest-in-America property taxes, Haddon Heights has exploded into full-blown tax rage, with bills landing in mailboxes in the last few weeks that show annual property-tax increases of $2,000, $5,000, even $11,000.
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Donald Praiss, who moved into his 150-year-old house on First Avenue more than 40 years ago, said it was assessed at $348,600 in 2006. The latest bill, he said, showed the assessment jumped to more than $1 million. His taxes would soar from last year’s $17,000 to more than $28,000, he said.He called the increase “ludicrous” and said paying was beyond his means.
taxes keep all of our excellent government services available……services like…..uh…..well…..
Wait a minute. His place was assessed at $348,600 in 2006 and then it was assessed at $1,000,000 this year? That doesn’t make any sense. How could it go up $600,000 in one year? And who the hell would pay $17,000 in taxes for a house worth $348,000 and be OK with it? These numbers HAVE to be wrong.
I’m thinking that was the assessment for the last 10 years…I bet he paid a bit more for the home and the previous owners were paying less than their fair(?) share..
This story is a little better than the previous one on HH in that the writer mentions that the the individual increases are due to both a reapportionment and a substantial budget increase.
As for the broker who thinks no one will buy a house for $350,000 with taxes of $9,000: does this guy work in NJ? That’s an unfortunatley common situtation in a lot of towns.