Berkeley Township Taxpayers Coalition to Discuss Tax Appeal Process Today

The Berkeley Township Taxpayers Coalition is sponsoring a free financial seminar today that will feature a tax appeal attorney, a real estate appraiser and Wells Fargo bank representatives.

The meeting will run from 10:30 a.m. t0 2 p.m. at the Berkeley Township Elementary School on 10 Emory Road, association president Samuel J. Cammarato said.

The coalition was incorporated in September, shortly after Berkeley residents received their new tax bills, which reflected the first revaluation since 1990. Cammarato's taxes on his Teakwood Drive home with a view of the Barnegat Bay jumped from $7,000 to $13,500.

Residents packed the coalition's first meeting in January, which was held in the meeting room of the Berkeley branch of the Ocean County Library. Group members reserved space in the Berkeley Township Elementary School this time, in case more room was needed.

"The last meeting was standing room only," Cammarato said. "I thought maybe 15-25 people were coming."

Cammarato stressed that the second meeting was not a fundraiser or membership drive meeting, but an informational session for anyone who wants to attend.

Holding it on a Saturday will also give Berkeley property owners who live elsewhere a chance to attend, he said. "The only thing we can do is let people know what's going on," he said. "We gave out 900 fliers over the past week."

Attorney Michael R. Beck will hold a question and answer session on tax appeals, including filing procedures, fees and costs.  Beck will discuss what residents can expect if he represents them in a tax appeal. His Toms River-based firm -- Hiering, Dupignac, Stanzione, Dunn and Beck -- bills only if they are successful in reducing an assessment, the flier states.

Eric J. Birchler, a New Jersey certified residential real estate appraiser, will explain how a written appraisal of a home and comparable neighborhood sales affect the success of a tax appeal. Birchler has 20 years experience in successfully representing property owners during the tax appeal process.  Residents can retain Birchler as an appraiser in tax appeal court and assist Beck, according to the BTTC flier.

"We, like many of you, have suffered financially due to the recent revaluation of our properties," the flier states. "The Berkeley Township Taxpayers Coalition (BTTC) had requested and received from our Town Council, a resolution for the hiring of an out-of-county attorney to review possible violations of Berkeley Township’s revaluation contract with Certified Valuations Inc. While we wait for that pot to simmer, we must continue in our efforts to reduce expenses to live in our Township ..."

Cammarato asked Township Council members in January to send a four-page letter he had written about possible contract violations and 31 pages of  documentation to the out-of-state attorney to help in his review. He then asked that the council send the letter and information to the state Attorney General's Office. The votes on the resolutions to forward the information to both the legal firm and the state Attorney General's Office were unanimous.

Residents with waterfront homes on the mainland and in the South Seaside Park section of the township saw their property taxes skyrocket when the new assessments came out in 2010.