Dear Editor:
I am not sure everyone realizes that the state of New Jersey has a senior freeze program for property tax relief for owners who are 65 or over and live in their homes. To qualify, your income must be under a state determined maximum. The way the program works, once you establish a base year property tax, the state will reimburse you the difference between your base year and your current year’s property tax as long as your income doesn’t exceed the state maximum.
Our taxes are stable now, but who knows what a reevaluation could do to our property taxes. If your income for 2011 was under $80,000 and your 2012 income was under $82,880 you qualify for the program. You can Google senior freeze or call the state senior freeze hotline at 1-800-882-6597 for more information. I had no idea this program existed until a friend told me about it.
Alice Broquist