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Hillsborough staff outline how to appeal property assessments; May 1 filing deadline
Summary
Hillsborough town staff outlined how homeowners can appeal property assessments, saying residents will get mailed notices in late February/early March, appeals must be filed by May 1 with hearings in June, and successful appeals typically require three to five comparable sales — difficult in a strong market.
A Hillsborough staff member said the town will mail assessment notices in late February or early March and urged homeowners to check both the current and prior-year values when considering an appeal. "All residents will receive a little white card in the mail that will tell them what their assessment is for that particular year," the staff member said, adding that homeowners have until May 1 to file an appeal.
The same staff described the hearing process and evidence standard: appellants present their case to the county tax board, which includes county commissioners, while the town will defend its assessment. "In the state of New Jersey, the assessor is assumed to be correct and the burden of proof to change that assessment falls on the homeowner," the staff member said. A second staff member advised that homeowners generally need "at least 3 to 5 comparable sales" showing lower sales prices to succeed, and cautioned that appeals are harder in the current strong market because reassessments use all sales as a guide.
