'Long-Overdue' Property Revaluation Coming To Morristown

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Morristown residents should expect a knock on the door from town inspectors beginning at the end of the summer.

Under pressure from neighboring towns, the Morris County Tax Board has ordered that the Town of Morristown begin a revaluation process, according to town officials.

The long-overdue town-wide tax revaluation will begin this summer with commercial property inspections, followed by residences in the fall, town Administrator Jillian Barrick told the council last week.

"We will have information videos posted explaining the revaluation process and what it entails, which is really just rebalancing the value of all of our properties to make sure all of our properties are fairly assessed," Barrick said.

A separate information session is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, in town hall. For anyone concerned about infection from new COVID-19 variants, the meeting will also be recorded and re-posted online, according to Barrick.

Appraisal Systems Inc., the company performing the assessment, will be present at the meeting to discuss the revaluation and answer potential questions.

"We ask for compliance from all of our homeowners as we do this process. Everyone is better off if we know what exactly is in your home and we don't have to make assumptions," Barrick said.

According to Morristown officials, the local assessor will determine the value of each property for all New Jersey property owners. This process is mandated by the Morris County Tax Board and will be managed by Appraisal Systems Inc. in Morristown.

The most recent revaluation in Morristown occurred in 2004, nearly 18 years ago.

"We emphasize to all Morristown residents and business owners that a revaluation does not necessarily mean higher property taxes. Revaluations are not an opportunity for Morristown to collect more money to support town-wide services; rather, a revaluation is a home, commercial, or land assessment that guarantees property taxes are distributed fairly across the community," officials said.

Once the revaluation is underway, inspectors will go door to door in Morristown to assess each home, office, and property. Several precautions have been taken to ensure everyone's safety, including background checks and following all COVID-19 protocols.

Virtual interior inspections are another option for those who are hesitant to let an inspector in.

If ASI inspectors are unable to conduct an interior inspection of a home, they will make assumptions based on exterior conditions and neighborhood characteristics. This may result in a higher property assessment, officials said.

"Our inspectors will take all COVID-19 precautions, they will wear masks, and they will have ID cards on them as well. We will start initially with the commercial inspections over the next couple of months and then the residential inspections will start in September," Barrick said.