[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township
of Ocean as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
[Adopted by Ord. No. 2000-13]
A.
Any single-family housing unit located in those areas of the municipality set forth in Subsection B of this section, which housing units are at least 20 years old, upon appropriate application and approval by the Township's tax assessor, shall be exempt from taxation on improvements to said dwellings for the first $25,000 of otherwise taxable improvements, for a period of five years following completion of such improvements.
B.
The following areas of the municipality are areas in need of rehabilitation
and/or redevelopment as defined by the New Jersey Local Redevelopment
and Housing law:
The owner of any currently existing commercial or industrial structures, located in those areas of the municipality set forth in § 345-1B, may apply for an exemption from taxation for improvements to such structures, which, if granted by the Township Committee, shall regard up to the assessor's full and true value of the improvements as not increasing that the value of the property to which the improvements are made is increased thereby. No exemption of improvements from taxation shall be allowed except pursuant to statute and pursuant to newly promulgated regulations of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the Division of Taxation.
The tax assessor of the Township shall implement an application
procedure in the Township for both residential and existing commercial
structures shall accept and receive applications for exemption of
improvements from taxation and shall retain them as permanent part
of the municipal tax records. Approvals for exemption for single-family
dwellings shall be made by the tax assessor.
The Township Committee is authorized to make a final determination
on all applications for exemptions for commercial or industrial structures,
including the amount thereof, but only for a period of up to five
years. The Township Committee, in making any such determination, shall
utilize the criteria set forth in N.J.S.A. 40A:21-7.
Prior to the issuance of any building permit, applicants seeking
a tax exemption on improvements to their property shall provide to
the Township an application setting forth at a minimum the following:
A.
A general description of the project for which exemption is sought;
B.
A legal description of all real estate necessary for the project;
C.
Plans, drawings and other documents as may be required by the Township
to demonstrate the structure and design of the project;
D.
A description of the number, classes and types of employees being
employed at the project site within two years of completion of the
project (for commercial or industrial structures only);
E.
Estimates of the cost of completing said project;
F.
Such other pertinent information as the Township shall require.
As used in this article, the following terms are defined:
A structure or part thereof used for the manufacturing, processing
or assembling of material or manufactured products, or for research,
office, industrial, commercial, retail, recreational or warehousing
purposes, or for any combination thereof, which the governing body
determines will tend to maintain or provide gainful employment within
the municipality, assist in the economic development of the municipality,
maintain or increase the tax base or the municipality and maintain
or diversify and expand commerce within the municipality. It shall
not include any structure or part thereof used or to be used by any
business relocated from another qualifying municipality.
That portion of the assessor's full and true value of any
improvement, conversion alteration, or construction not regarded as
increasing the taxable value of a property pursuant to this act.
A modernization, rehabilitation, renovation, alteration or
repair which produces a physical change in an existing building or
structure that improves the safety, sanitation, decency or attractiveness
of the building or structure, it shall not include ordinary painting,
repairs and replacement of maintenance items, or an enlargement of
the volume of an existing structure by more than 30%. In no case shall
it include the repair of fire or other damage to a property for which
payment of a claim was received by any person from an insurance company
at any time during the three-year period immediately preceding the
filing of an application pursuant to this act.
A.
All single-family dwelling improvements, as defined by statute, shall
be exempt from local real property taxes if approved by the tax assessor
after proper application has been made. Application shall be made
upon the form approved by the Director of the Division of Local Government
Services, Department of Community Affairs.
B.
Applicants shall be encourage to apply for tax exemption on improvements
prior to the commencement of construction of the improvement provided
that the applicant must file a proper application with the tax assessor
within 60 days of the completion of the improvement in order to be
eligible for tax exemption thereon.
C.
Every properly completed application for exemption of one or more
improvements which is filed within 60 days of the completion of the
improvement shall be approved and allowed by the tax assessor not
later than 60 days of its filing.
D.
In determining the amount of improvement exemption to be granted,
the municipality shall regard up to the assessor's full and true value
of the improvements made as not increasing the value of the property.
E.
During the exemption period of five years, the assessment of the
property shall not be less than the assessment thereon existing immediately
prior to the improvements, unless there is damage to the structure
through action of the elements sufficient to warrant a reduction.
F.
No exemption or abatement shall be granted, or tax agreement entered
into, pursuant to the ordinance codified in this article with respect
to any property taxes are delinquent or remain unpaid, or for which
penalties for nonpayment of taxes are due. Failure to keep all property
taxes due, paid current and in full, shall result in loss of the tax
exemption for the entire balance of the exemption period granted.
[Adopted 8-11-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-8; amended in its entirety 4-20-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-9]
The purpose of this article is to regulate the refund of property
taxes for qualified disabled veterans who make a claim for the current
and future collected taxes.
All exemptions claimed under this article shall be allowed by
the Township of Ocean Tax Assessor pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:4-3.30
et seq.
A totally disabled qualified veteran shall receive a recent
notice of property taxes due or collected starting in the year that
the qualified veteran is declared to be disabled by the United States
Government, provided that the veteran makes the appropriate application
pursuant to the law. Said application must be approved by the Township
of Ocean Tax Assessor. Said refund shall be for the entire tax year
of the application.
