The storm is long gone, and Trenton has mostly recovered from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which hit at the end of October. But the City of Trenton is still not quite able to handle the aftermath in a way that’s helpful to its residents and property owners.
Today’s case in point: a form thrown up on the City’s website this past Monday, without any announcement or explanation, or any additional information or contact to whom questions can be addressed. As as been true so many times before, Trentonians are on their own to discover this form on the City website, and figure out how this program may help them.
Let’s fix that, shall we?
Apparently, New Jersey State Law provides that if any structures you own – residential buildings as well as commercial facilities – sustained significant damage as a result of the Hurricane, a property owner can file with the Municipal Tax Assessor for a downward re-evaluation of your property tax assessment, and a reduction in your city property tax.
An “Assessment Review Form- for Tax Year 2013” has been uploaded to the Trenton City Website here. It is apparently either a State or Mercer County form, because it simply instructs you to fill out the form and return it “to the Tax Assessor of your municipality by Thursday, January 10, 2013.”
That’s all the form says. As far as the City is concerned, they think they’ve done their job by putting the form up. Here’s what they left out:
For those of you in Trenton who sustained any property damage, our Chief Tax Assessor is Patricia Hice.
She can be contacted by email at phice@trentonnj.org, and by phone at 609.989.3091.
The Senior Customer Service Representative in the Assessor’s Office is Rita Balestrieri. She can be reached at rbalestrieri@trentonnj.org, with phone number of 609.989.3085.
Presumably, Ms. Hice and her colleagues are available during regular City Hall business hours to answer questions about eligibility for property reassessment in the aftermath of the storm, and to assist in filling out the Assessment Review Form. That’s what I assume, but I suppose you will have to contact them to find out. Good Luck.
There. Was that so hard? So, why couldn’t the City provide this information?
good info, to bad there isnt a form you can file for property tax reduction by “incompetent mayor” as a classification. i am sure my house has lost significant value due to that un-natural disaster.
Ed – I will have to agree, sadly.