Councilman Elmarassy Among Those Who Filed Tax Appeals

Fourth Ward Councilman Mohamed ‘Gino’ Elmarassy – who voted in 2014 to approve both the revaluation and the firm that conducted it – was one of 22 property owners in the borough to file what is commonly known as a tax appeal for their 2016 assessments.

Resolution 171-16 formally put on the record the total amount that was reduced due to the 22 successful appeals which was $32,793.66.

Even though it is called a tax appeal, what people are actually appealing is the assessed value of their property. The tax rate remains the same and the reduced assessment is multiplied by the tax rate – this year it is $3.811 – to arrive at the new property taxes.

A new tax rate was arrived at after the municipality conducted a townwide revaluation of all property values in the borough after not having one done in over 40 years. Previous news articles in Roselle Park News provide information on the process and result of that townwide revaluation.

The reduction in property taxes ranged from $270 to $4,462.68 – a 38% cut in property taxes.

Block	Lot	Address	Name	Assessed Taxes	New Taxes	Reduced Taxes (%)	Reduced Taxes ($)
109	7	629 Faitoute Avenue	Estate of Elsa Motzer c/o P. Jacobs (Executor)	$9,763.78	$8,780.54	10%	$983.24
121	4	515 Beechwood Avenue	Anthony Manley	$10,758.45	$10,099.15	6%	$659.30
206	21	128 Bridge Street	Marco T. & Adrianna Gonzalez	$9,577.04	$8,955.85	6%	$621.19
206	30	541 Westfield Avenue West	Dario Muscaritolo	$11,604.50	$7,141.81	38%	$4,462.68
301	29	351 Seaton Avenue	Donato & Josephine Melchionna	$15,827.08	$12,317.15	22%	$3,509.93
303	23	303 Seaton Avenue	John & Geraldine Gura	$10,369.73	$9,923.84	4%	$445.89
411	12	720 Elm Street	Emil & Kathleen Hrycenko	$11,196.72	$10,926.14	2%	$270.58
414	15	721 Willis Place	Julia A. Tamayo	$8,509.96	$7,355.23	14%	$1,154.73
512	3	171 Grant Avenuew West	Mohamed S. Elmarassy	$9,340.76	$8,193.65	12%	$1,147.11
701	5	821 Chestnut Street	Francis J. & Cathleen Ann Bellomo	c$12,065.63	$10,899.46	10%	$1,166.17
702	5	835 Walnut Avenue	Beverly A. DeMarzo	$10,346.87	$9,146.40	12%	$1,200.47
706	5	721 Hamilton Place	Deborah Brunette	$12,416.24	$10,263.02	17%	$2,153.22
802	12	126 Lincoln Avenue East	William M. & Maria F. Perez	$10,259.21	$9,154.02	11%	$1,105.19
802	33	165 Webster Avenue East	Kazimierz & Agata L. Krowicki	$12,332.40	$11,433.00	7%	$899.40
803	5	521 Spruce Street	Kevin & Geri Leary	$11,269.13	$10,461.20	7%	$807.93
804	26	33 Clay Avenue East	Donna Graves	$16,543.55	$12,107.55	27%	$4,436.00
811	14	314 Hemlock Street	Vipul & Nimisha Patel	$13,323.26	$10,827.05	19%	$2,496.21
903	24	160 Grant Avenue East	Federal National Mortgage Assoc.	$11,844.59	$10,285.89	13%	$1,558.70
1007	7	429 Sheridan Avenue	Colleen Kelly & Brian Scott	$11,711.20	$10,727.97	8%	$983.24
1009	8	500 Lincoln Avenue East	William & Jessica H. Gottschalk	$9,489.39	$9,134.97	4%	$354.42
1011	24	315 Grant Avenue East	Claudia Gorr & Tim Wirkus	$10,968.06	$10,110.58	8%	$857.48
1016	12	471 Elinor Avenue	Jose & Jamie Aravena	$12,000.84	$10,480.25	13%	$1,520.59
TOTALS				$251,518.38	$218,724.72	13%	$32,793.66

In reviewing the appealed assessments listed below, it appears that some high assessed values were due to certain homeowners denying Realty Appraisal Company – the firm that conducted the appraisal – entry into their home to conduct an inspection. As a result, the firm placed the highest allowable assessment on the property. Now those property owners as well as others are calling the tax assessor’s office, their council representatives, and the mayor complaining about their high taxes.

Block	Lot	Address	Name	Original Assessment	Judgment Assessment	Reduced Assessment
109	7	629 Faitoute Avenue	Estate of Elsa Motzer c/o P. Jacobs (Executor)	$256,200.00	$230,400.00	$25,800.00
121	4	515 Beechwood Avenue	Anthony Manley	$282,300.00	$265,000.00	$17,300.00
206	21	128 Bridge Street	Marco T. & Adrianna Gonzalez	$251,300.00	$235,000.00	$16,300.00
206	30	541 Westfield Avenue West	Dario Muscaritolo	$304,500.00	$187,400.00	$117,100.00
301	29	351 Seaton Avenue	Donato & Josephine Melchionna	$415,300.00	$323,200.00	$92,100.00
303	23	303 Seaton Avenue	John & Geraldine Gura	$272,100.00	$260,400.00	$11,700.00
411	12	720 Elm Street	Emil & Kathleen Hrycenko	$293,800.00	$286,700.00	$7,100.00
414	15	721 Willis Place	Julia A. Tamayo	$223,300.00	$193,000.00	$30,300.00
512	3	171 Grant Avenuew West	Mohamed S. Elmarassy	$245,100.00	$215,000.00	$30,100.00
701	5	821 Chestnut Street	Francis J. & Cathleen Ann Bellomo	$316,600.00	$286,000.00	$30,600.00
702	5	835 Walnut Avenue	Beverly A. DeMarzo	$271,500.00	$240,000.00	$31,500.00
706	5	721 Hamilton Place	Deborah Brunette	$325,800.00	$269,300.00	$56,500.00
802	12	126 Lincoln Avenue East	William M. & Maria F. Perez	$269,200.00	$240,200.00	$29,000.00
802	33	165 Webster Avenue East	Kazimierz & Agata L. Krowicki	$323,600.00	$300,000.00	$23,600.00
803	5	521 Spruce Street	Kevin & Geri Leary	$295,700.00	$274,500.00	$21,200.00
804	26	33 Clay Avenue East	Donna Graves	$434,100.00	$317,700.00	$116,400.00
811	14	314 Hemlock Street	Vipul & Nimisha Patel	$349,600.00	$284,100.00	$65,500.00
903	24	160 Grant Avenue East	Federal National Mortgage Association	$310,800.00	$269,900.00	$40,900.00
1007	7	429 Sheridan Avenue	Colleen Kelly & Brian Scott	$307,300.00	$281,500.00	$25,800.00
1009	8	500 Lincoln Avenue East	William & Jessica H. Gottschalk	$249,000.00	$239,700.00	$9,300.00
1011	24	315 Grant Avenue East	Claudia Gorr & Tim Wirkus	$287,800.00	$265,300.00	$22,500.00
1016	12	471 Elinor Avenue	Jose & Jamie Aravena	$314,900.00	$275,000.00	$39,900.00
TOTALS				$6,599,800.00	$5,739,300.00	$860,500.00

Gail Scaglione, the Borough Tax Assessor, stated that a total of 82 homeowners refused Realty Appraisal Company entry to their property for inspection during the townwide revaluation last year.

Homeowners who wish to appeal their assessments to get a reduction in their taxes will have to wait until April of 2017

Repeated calls made to Councilman Elmarassy on his borough-paid cellphone, (908) 666-3084, for a comment went straight to voice mail.