It is hard to read TLS blogs for less than a minute without having someone complain about property tax. These comments are then followed by calling so-and-so a corrupt politician and etc…Yet, no one has dared to point their finger at one of the greatest reasons for high property taxes in Lakewood. The Lakewood Township loses millions of dollars to tax exempt houses that don’t truly deserve the tax exempt status. Correction, the township doesn’t lose that money. They merely pass the bill onto the other homeowners of Lakewood who do pay taxes on their property. No, I am not advocating that no houses in Lakewood should receive a tax exemption. I’m advocating that the thieves of Lakewood realize that shtick is also stealing. I’m advocating that to be a true askan means to do what is in the best interest of everyone in the town. I’m advocating that some people in Lakewood clean up their act.
Finally, I ask that TLS readers be aware that this problem is only going to get worse. As more houses are built in Lakewood in such places like CedarBridge there will be more homeowners seeking that tax exemption status. Some might be legitimate claim, while others won’t.
The next time you hear the LAC or one of our politicians talk about lowering taxes ask him if he’s going to fight the tax exempts status that are handed out like candy. If he refuses to answer yes then you can be sure he’s not serious about lowering taxes in Lakewood.
The fish smells from the head!!! Start at the “heads” and work ur way down!! Its safe to assume 90 percent of the tax free properties are related to the heads!!
Finally a sound comment on the property tax ripoff allowed by the Township to curry favor of particular groups. Exemptions should not be granted to frivolous requests by individuals who claim that their home is a cheder because they have five children or an occasional mynian.
You are wrong . Linda Solakian was extremely tough ad denied many tax exempts . Do you want every shul and yeshia and school to psay real estate tax . Then every tuition will need to increase by at least 800 to 1000 a year
sheker sheker sheker
a building or house that is owned by a charity is NOT taz exempt unless its used for a tax exempt purpose or is occupied by the president/ceo etc.
check the townships website, there is taxes being paid by all mosdos for the majority of properties they own
keep your dirty laundry in your laundry room. You don’t have to air out everything in a public forum!
This is not true . The Tax assesor is extremely careful an d does not allow tax exemtion unless the property is used in an exempt manner . I know many properties that are lisyed as owned by mosdos ,that pay full taxes . You probably just went and checked the owners names without actually checking their tax exempt status . This post sound like it eas written by one of the anti semite bloggers in the APP comments section . Stick to the truth please
Yudel stop it already
I’m not sure what your talking about I was involved with trying to get tax exempt status for a legitimate cause we had to fight tooth and nail to get it so unless you are going to back up your outrageous claim with some hard facts or your better off keeping it quiet
And further more that women that just retired from the tax assessors office the people that had the most problems with her where the tax exempt applications so don’t tell me they are handed out like candy
Do you have any idea what your’e talking about ?
I head a not-for-profit charity and try as I might , I couldn’t get any lawyer as creative as he can be to get me property tax exemption. Yes a lot of homes are “owened” by charities but are all paying in.
It’s best you remove this entire posting it’s all untrue.
Right now the land in cedarbridge is paying taxes. it is owned by the for profit arm of BMG called Cedarbridge corp. They have a deal where they pay a payment in lieu of taxes better known as PILOT. This is done because they are still developing it and it was agreed as part of the original agreement. Once they recieve their approvals, the PILOT will end and regular taxes will have to be pid as per agreement.
I think that TLS should remove this Reader’s scoop as it is totally false.
This is the biggest nonsense . The Lakewood Tax assesor goes out of its way to deny even legitimate exemptions . Forget about any shaky ones . They never go through
TLS, you have a responsibility ro verify posts that are presented as fact.
You receive quite a few Reader’s write and you choose which ones to put in, that means that you either agree with poster or at least agree that it is a legitimate topic.
after reading the coments i am shocked that you didnt take this post down
The Township Committee has appointed a 6 member panel to search for new town assessor. Our kehillah has ONE rep on that committee His name is Yudel Shain. So the next time you here Yudel saying that taxes are too high or the assessor grants too many exemptions, ask him why he hired that assessor!
Wow!! I never saw a comment so misunderstood. The guy is 100% right. Every congregation (not tax-exempt) has a right to have 2 clergy (rabbis) on their payroll who do NOT pay taxes. You can check it up @ the Tax Office. So for every (legal) shul you see, 2 homes r not paying RE tax. Its not that many houses (about 100) that r not paying taxes but the fact is We are paying for them, as little as it is.
Again. Another way for us to get off topic.
The amount saved by putting these properties on the bopoks would hardly be noticed by the average homeowner. We have a tax problem because our town has very little business revenue. We have a tax problem because every mexican child gets am education even if his parents are in one room of ahouse filled with four families and the landlord has one tax bill. We have a tax problem because of wasteful courtesy busing that could be done more efficiently privatized.
Solve taxes?
1.Enact a slumlord tax
2.Ask for a co from every family enrolling a student. And check for duplicate addresses
3.Privatize busing
4.Enrollin public school,bankrupting the system and force the state to take over.
5.Stop the favors. Every time a yid gets a favor. It needs to be repaid,blue claws,strand,parking garage,hockey stadium,more cops hired ,new trucks etc.
misunderstoos – if like you say it is a legal law, than it’s legal, find something else to disparage Rabbis about. Why don’t you volunteer to the FBI, you’re very valuable to them you have inside info. You and Aleinu Leshabayach can get those “fish head Rabbis” locked up.
With friends like you who needs enemies
TLS doesn’t want to publish my response. They are beholden to whom? I am beholden strictly to the truth-I guess it’s a weakness I will have to live with.
the people who avi is talking about are approved from many years ago.these tax exempt houses need to be reviewed .maybe mosdos that are legit might be able to get exemptions.i heard from someone close to the mayor that there are 1400 tax exempt properties in lakewood.the people who are complaning about this post are stealing,otherwise why do they care what the las writes about.
There are way to many “exempt” properties. Please find the link to the Tax board web site http://www.ocnjtax.com/2009ratables.pdf Lakewood is the 2nd largest municipality in Ocean County. Lakewood has 9,121,521,400 ratables (taxable properties) out of that 1,263,965,900 is exempt. Lakewood has the most “exempt” properties from all municipalities in Ocean County. Lets compare it to the largest municipality Toms River total ratables 18,665,797,621 with LESS exempt properties than Lakewood at 1,100,468,179. One more comparison to #3 Long Beach total ratables 7,549,800,000 with exempt properties ONLY 94,311,000.
I am well aware we are more” religious” than the other municipalities but everyone out there knows and the numbers speak for themselves that compared to other municipalities seems high.
Yes it is true that the “retired” tax assessor was very hard on people going for exemptions BUT that only applied for those who did not have it “in” with her. (I will not expound in public)
I am sure that if all the exempt properties are reviewed many would not qualify and a review from the assessors office should be done. I would like to be proven wrong and if there is nothing to hide then lets get it done. I am all for those who qualify for “exempt” status remain exempt. All yeshiovas and shuls and whoever according to the LAW qualifies for an exemption should be exempt but the amount of 1,263,965,900 of exempt properties in Lakewood “seems” to high!
to the writer of this article: how do you know that lakewood has such as “problem” with ppl avoiding property tax for schtick. I assume your basing this on an earlier article on TLS which showed that lakewood had a higher percentage of exempt houses than toms river. well there’s nothing wrong with that, with all our mossdos and shules, of courses we have MUCH more tax exemmpt buildings than in toms river!
in fact it isn’t easy getting tax exempt status even if the claim is real, half of my parents house is a shule and they’re still paying taxes,
Yes, you are correct there are far too many exemptions in lakewood. And be forewarned that every exemption that was denied for the last three years by the tax assessor are now filing for exemption because they think all they have to do is make a phone call. Lakewood had a very strong ethical assessor who followed the law, Your complaining now wait
The Code of Jewish Law section Choshen Mishpat Chapter # 163 paragraph 6 states
If the Czar exempts one from paying taxes and then makes up the difference on the rest of the city, then the exempt person has to pay back the community