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New Jersey Enacts New Changes to the Casino Property Stabilization Act

by: Matthew Erickson
12 Jan 2022
On December 21, 2021, the Governor of New Jersey signed into law S4007, a bill that is meant to address the property tax payments made by Atlantic City Casinos.  Previously, on December 20, 2021, the New Jersey Senate and the New Jersey Assembly had passed the bill with narrow margins. The Casino Property Stabilization Act... Read More

How Can A Taking By Eminent Domain Affect Your Taxes?

by: Michael Realbuto
5 Jan 2022
The complex intersection of eminent domain taxation and property rights often creates confusion for property owners facing government takings. When your property is acquired through eminent domain, you may face unexpected tax implications beyond just losing your property. While certain properties like churches and schools may be exempt from eminent domain, most private property owners... Read More

How To Win Your Property Tax Appeal? Here Are 5 Steps To Follow

by: Michael Realbuto
Sign a house sale agreement
3 Jan 2022
Understanding how to win a property tax appeal is crucial for New Jersey property owners, as property taxes are not fixed expenses. Successfully appealing your tax assessment may create opportunities for hundreds or even thousands of dollars in yearly savings. With that being said, below are five basic steps that can increase your chances of... Read More

East Orange Resident Faces an Uphill Battle After a Surprise Tax Foreclosure

by: Michael Realbuto
16 Dec 2021
Buying, owning, and securing property can be one of the most monumental and emotionally taxing periods in a person’s life. As John Adams once noted, “[p]roperty must be secured, or liberty cannot exist.” Discourses on Davila, in 6 Works of John Adams 280 (C. Adams ed. 1851). These principles are woven throughout the story of... Read More

The Difference Between Eminent Domain and Condemnation: What You Need to Know

by: Michael Realbuto
Judge hammer and golden scales with small house on gray background
14 Dec 2021
While the terms “eminent domain” and “condemnation” are often used interchangeably, the difference between eminent domain and condemnation may come as a surprise to most. Eminent domain refers to the government’s power to take private property for public use, while condemnation is the legal process through which this power is exercised. Understanding these distinctions is... Read More

What Can NJ Property Owners Expect from President Biden’s $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill?

by: Michael Realbuto
29 Nov 2021
On November 15, 2021, President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill (the “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act”) that provides New Jersey with an estimated $12.3 billion in funding over the next five years to revitalize the state’s dilapidated roads, railways, bridges, and tunnels. While widespread infrastructure repair is long overdue in New... Read More

Making Amends: California Decides to Return Bruce’s Beach Almost a Century After the Pretextual Condemnation

by: Michael Realbuto
18 Nov 2021
In late September 2021, California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom, signed a law authorizing Los Angeles County to return a beach property taken by eminent domain back to descendants of the original property owners. The property, widely known as Bruce’s Beach, was originally bought by Willa and Charles Bruce in 1912 and quickly became a thriving retreat... Read More

Farmland Assessment Case Won’t Be Decided ‘Till the Cows Come Home

by: Michael Realbuto
1 Nov 2021
A recent Tax Court decision in 187 Dey Road Association, LLC v. South Brunswick by the Honorable Mark Cimino, J.T.C., chose not to address whether a 65-acre parcel of property should receive a farmland assessment or be obligated to pay rollback taxes. Rather, the Court held that summary judgment was inappropriate due to the factual... Read More

Gym Owner Loses Challenge to COVID Shutdown Order

by: Anthony F. Della Pelle
26 Oct 2021
A New Jersey kickboxing business owner was recently denied compensation for the closure and limitations placed on its business under COVID-19 “shutdown” orders signed by Governor Phil Murphy.  The business, JWC Fitness, LLC, based in Franklin, New Jersey, shut its doors in March 2020 in compliance with Murphy’s Executive Order 104, thereby closing its business... Read More

Michigan Supreme Court Allows Flint Water Crisis Victim to Assert an Inverse Condemnation Claim

by: Michael Realbuto
21 Oct 2021
From 1964 through late April 2014, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (“DWSD”) supplied Flint, Michigan residents with water from Lake Huron. On March 28, 2013, the State Treasurer recommended to the Governor that he authorize the plan to construct an alternative water supply system. Thereafter, on April 16, 2013, the Governor authorized a process... Read More