Due to the major property damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, many are faced with value assessments that are no longer accurate. Even though this may not affect you directly, please feel free to pass this information along to friends, families, and neighbors that may find this useful.
Under current State law, property value is assessed based on the condition of the lot and the buildings as of October 1st for the following tax year. In other words, the 2013 property tax bills are based on the value of the property as of October 1st, 2012
However, State law contains a provision which states that a property with a building or other structure that has been destroyed by a storm between October 1st and December 31st can have assessment reduced to reflect the depreciation in value for that property. The landowner must provide the assessor with notice prior to January 10, 2013. The assessor must then base the assessed value of the property according to its condition as of January 1, 2013.
Only 9 weeks remain to provide this notice to municipal assessors.
As for the November 1st property tax bill (fourth quarter 2012), a property taxpayer must pay that bill in full by November 10th to pay the fourth quarter bill. Also, a municipality may pass a resolution that establishes a zero percent interest rate for tax payments made after November 10th.
As someone who has witnessed the destruction of my hometown and the devastation Sandy wrecked upon the lives of so many people I care about, I really don’t care if the partnership that Governor Chris Christie forged with President Barack Obama contributed to Obama’s reelection.
As I embraced my dear friend while we were standing in the wreckage of what used to be her mother’s home while she was crying, “she’s going to die,” the last thing I cared about was politics.
For over a week I’ve witness my neighbors’ possessions be piled into a garbage transfer station that used to be a parking lot and then be loaded into trailers be be trucked away. Soon many of those neighbors will be living in trailers in a park while someone else decides when, how and if their homes can be rebuilt.
I won’t complain that I haven’t slept in my own bed and there is no power at my house. I still have a house. My friends don’t. My friend, the mayor, his wife and three young children are sleeping on cots in a gymnasium.
I could care less that Christie wept when Bruce Springsteen called him a friend. I care even less that Obama facilitated the friendship.
I am comforted that Chris Christie is doing his job and doing it well. I am comforted that he assembled such a competent team to form his administration three years ago and that they work so well together.
I can’t imagine Jon Corzine, Richard Cody, Jim McGreevey, Christie Whitman, Jim Florio, Tom Kean or Brendan Byrne being as hands on or as competent as Christie has been in this crisis. I also can’t imagine Cory Booker doing the job that Christie has done or assembling as good a team to do it.
Chris Christie is doing his job and doing it well. He’s witnessed far more of the devastation to New Jersey than I have. I’m pleased that for the last weeks he hasn’t cared about politics either.
Pundits on both sides of the aisle are saying that if not for Hurricane Sandy, Obama may not have been reelected. That could be true. But given Obama’s record, the state of the world and the economy, the election should not have been close heading into the last weekend in October.
Obama said he will be a better president as a result of the campaign. He said he heard those who opposed him and his policies. I hope that proves to be true. We’ll know soon enough.
I don’t think Chris Christie will be a better governor because he has Obama’s cell number. I think it is more likely that Obama will be a better president because he has Chrisite’s number.
Volunteers from Monmouth County made a big impression on the folks of the Gulf Coast in 2005 during the Hurricane Katrina recovery.
Their efforts have not been forgotten, as Kathleen Koch, brought to my attention today. The cities of Harrison County Mississippi are organizing to provide assistance to Monmouth County:
Harrison County cities join for Sandy relief effort
The cities of Harrison County are organizing a drive to collect supplies to help storm victims in a hard-hit section of New Jersey that has seen 3 inches of snow fall since being devastated by Sandy last week.Residents are being asked to bring supplies to their local fire station in any municipality in Harrison County.The supplies needed are cleaning supplies, disinfectants, diapers, bed pads, scrub brushes, mops, brooms, sponges, washing detergent, bleach, sanitizing wipes, sheets, towels, wash cloths, cleaning rags, dish towels, hand sanitizers or lotions, first-aid supplies, li;p balm and gloves.
Residents should drop off items any day between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
As soon as a truckload is reached, the supplies will be transported for a relief effort being coordinated by emergency management in Monmouth County, an area of 630,000 residents that covers about 665 square miles in New Jersey. “We have people from Mississippi up there with them right now,” Harrison County Emergency Manager Rupert Lacy said this afternoon. “They’re working straight through to let the county workers off tonight.
“They have three inches of snow on the ground right now and they expect more. They are in need.
“This particular county, Monmouth County, sent folks to Harrison County after Katrina. They supported the fire departments and they supported people coming down here to help out. They are aware of who we are. We just need to be aware of who they are in their time of need.”
Map of the area: To see the location and links to the municipalities of Monmouth County, N.J., click here.
Trenton, NJ – The U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced it approved Governor Chris Christie’s request to extend Disaster Unemployment Assistance to cover all New Jersey counties as a result of Hurricane Sandy.
Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is now available for persons in all New Jersey counties, especially self-employed individuals, who were living or working in the affected counties at the time of the disaster, and who are unemployed as a direct result of the damages caused by the storm.
Most impacted workers may already qualify for regular Unemployment Insurance, which is why anyone who plans to file a DUA claim should first file a regular claim for Unemployment Insurance. The federal DUA is a special program that covers many people who otherwise may not be eligible for regular Unemployment Insurance.
If you are unemployed because of the disaster that began on October 28, you should FIRST file for Unemployment Insurance benefits through the Internet by going to www.njuifile.net. Please note that due to higher than normal volume as a result of Hurricane Sandy, the system is experiencing some delays. As a result, individuals are encouraged to file via the Internet between 6 P.M. and 8 A.M.
The Internet processes claims faster. However, if needed, people may also file a claim by telephone by contacting the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s Re-employment Call Centers at:
North Jersey (201) 601-4100
Central Jersey (732) 761-2020
South Jersey (856) 507-2340
Out of State (888) 795-6672
The FEMA expansion of the DUA coverage creates three separate deadlines for the filing of applications.
A 30-day deadline ending December 3, 2012 is in effect for filing DUA claims involving employment issues arising because of Hurricane Sandy in Atlantic, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union counties.
A 30-day deadline ending December 6, 2012 is in effect for filing DUA claims involving employment issues arising because of Hurricane Sandy in Bergen and Somerset counties.
A 30-day deadline ending December 10, 2012 is in effect for filing DUA claims involving employment issues arising because of Hurricane Sandy in Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Passaic, Salem, Sussex, and Warren counties.
The assistance was initially granted last week to people living in Atlantic, Bergen, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset and Union counties. FEMA has now included Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Passaic, Salem, Sussex, and Warren counties for DUA coverage.
For additional information regarding Disaster Unemployment Assistance, including a list of frequently asked questions, go to http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/ui/aftrfile/dua.html.
For more information on FEMA services please call the FEMA emergency number at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. Information is also available via the Internet at www.disasterassistance.gov and www.fema.gov.
For information on all New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development programs and services visit http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/index.html and www.Jobs4Jersey.com.
Welcome to the survivors’ club. Whether you lost your belongings, your car, your home, a loved one or your entire neighborhood, you are not a victim and don’t let anyone label you that way. You are not helpless. You will get through this.
In the disaster zone, your brain won’t want to process what your eyes are seeing. You will see, hear and smell things you never thought you would. It will feel like you’re in a dream or on a movie set, because this simply can’t be the place where you lived.
You will feel like an ant trying to move a mountain. Don’t be paralyzed into inaction by the enormity of the task ahead of you. It can be done. Just keep moving. Any forward progress, even in baby steps, is good.
Salvage what you can. The smallest items will be precious reminders of the past. But recognize what is beyond repair and as painful as it is, throw it out. If you can’t, have someone else do it for you.
Don’t punish yourself or those you love because you (or they) did not store your family photos in the attic, move the car, save your vital papers, evacuate, buy flood insurance. What’s done is done. Let it go.
You are on autopilot now. Your adrenaline is pumping as you figure out where to live, find food, buy gasoline. You will get used to standing in lines. Use that time to bond with others who are on the same journey. Anger and frustration help no one.
Respect the rules of a disaster zone. Don’t cut in line. Defer to the young and the old who are most vulnerable at these times. Just because property is sitting in the middle of a street or dangling from a tree branch does not mean it’s free for the taking. It belongs to someone. Stack salvageable items where neighbors can see them and potentially reclaim their lost property.
“How’s your house?” will become the new greeting when you see friends and neighbors. You will have a new way of marking time — pre-Sandy and post-Sandy. The definition of the word “home” will expand to include a shelter, a couch, a garage, a friend’s basement.
Disasters are great equalizers. They reveal people’s true nature — for better or for worse. You will find out who your real friends are and what love really means. Incredible acts of kindness will come from unexpected quarters. Beware of the few who seek to profit from the misery of others.
Feel the pain. Cry if you need to. Hug each other. Share what you have. Know that you are not alone, because volunteers by the thousands are on their way. Their selfless generosity will renew your faith in your fellow man.
Your instinct will be to rebuild an exact replica of what was, down to the last brick, board and beam. Consider carefully whether that is wise or even possible. Seek out ways to prevent future damage by rebuilding higher, smarter, stronger and further from the water. See this as an opportunity.
Accept the new normal. The past is just that. You can cherish the place you and your neighbors once called home where it will always exist — in your collective memories.
Kathleen Koch is a former CNN correspondent who covered Hurricane Katrina and wroteRising from Katrina: How My Mississippi Hometown Lost It All and Found What Mattered.
Trenton, NJ –To support the recovery of New Jersey’s businesses and protect the overall economic interests of our state in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Governor Chris Christie and Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno have announced a series of business assistance services for those affected by the storm. Among these vital services are those related to financial support, information on temporary space, and technical assistance for impacted businesses. Information for all services may be easily accessed through New Jersey’s Business Action Center (BAC) by calling 1-866-534-7789 or through the state’s business portal at www.newjerseybusiness.gov, the“one-stop” shop for business resources. Agents are also available to assist callers that speak Spanish.
“In response to this natural disaster, New Jersey has coordinated a range of multi-agency resources to assist impacted businesses and ensure they are operational quickly,” said Lt. Governor Guadagno. “Providing a thorough and inter-departmental business recovery assistance program is another demonstration of our support for our business community and their workers. The Business Action Center can help businesses tap into a variety of resources that will help them begin to recover from this catastrophic storm.”
The business recovery assistance services are designed to support businesses and workers who may be temporarily unable to perform their jobs due to the storm. These services include:
Guarantees of up to $500,000 for commercial lines of credit to businesses that need access to cash to improve their damaged property while awaiting insurance proceeds, with all related New Jersey Economic Development Authority fees waived.
Grant awards for businesses to assist with on-the-job training costs for new workers hired specifically to assist in disaster-related activities, such as landscaping and tree removal, construction, insurance claims, building supplies sales, materials transport, utility work, call and claims centers staffing, and infrastructure clearing and repair.
Availability of the Business Resource Centers at any of the currently operational local One-Stop Career Centers across the state as temporary hubs for businesses to access telephone and internet services as well as for job seekers and displaced workers seeking workforce development and unemployment assistance – Temporary Hubs for Affected Business to Access Telephones and Internet Services
The availability of Disaster Unemployment Benefits to provide income security for those displaced workers suffering temporary storm-related job loss.
Dispatch of Rapid Response team members to identified Disaster Recovery Centers to assist displaced workers.
Availability of services throughNew Jersey Youth Corps to assist non-profit, public and governmental entities in a variety of ways for disaster relief and clean-up.
In addition, BAC’s Business Call Center is also the one-stop resource for more information on how to get businesses back up and running. The Call Center staff can assist with the following services:
Arranging business facility inspectionsfor buildings suffering major flood damage, as such conditions require structural integrity inspections before utility service can be restored. These inspections are handled in local code enforcement offices and by local code enforcement officials. Anticipating an enormous increase in such work, the Department of Community Affairs has mobilized all qualified personnel to assist local governments in this effort.
Advocating for businesses seeking information from local utilities to restore electric, phone, gas and water services.
Advocating with insurance carriers to file and expedite claims.
Providing information on how to qualify for federal recovery assistance, and
Connecting businesses to the other county and local business services and to the services offered by the Small Business Administration and Small Business Development Centers that include assistance with insurance claims, as well as loans and business plan revisions.
Since October 28, 2012, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (OHSP) has staffed a Private Sector Desk at the Regional Intelligence Operations Center (ROIC), which has served as the primary point of contact for critical private sector industries leading up to, during and after Hurricane Sandy. OHSP staff operating the Private Sector Desk at the ROIC can be reached at 609-963-6810.
For further information about best practices in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, please visit www.ready.nj.gov for continual updates.
