Paterson working on agreement with Garret Heights homeowners to provide city services | Paterson Times Paterson Times

Paterson working on agreement with Garret Heights homeowners to provide city services

By Jayed Rahman
Published: January 19, 2016

garret-heights

The city is working to hammer out an agreement with the Garret Heights homeowners association to provide property owners with municipal services like garbage collection and snow removal which taxpayers at the development have been providing for themselves through their association.

One-third of property owners at the development who have come off the tax abatement agreement and are in full taxation have been complaining the municipality has not been providing them services that it provides to other taxpayers in the city.

Domenick Stampone, the city’s law director, has said the city has been in discussions with the association to work out an agreement since mid-2015. He has said as the condominiums come off the tax abatement agreement the city must provide either the services – snow removal, street lighting, garbage collection, and so forth – or reimburse the association for the services.

Stampone could not be reached for comments on Friday.

The city would reimburse the association the expenses it would have incurred had it been providing those services rather than the amount the actual amount Garret Heights homeowners will spend on those services, according to a representative of the association.

Garret Heights homeowners, who have come off the abatement, have said they are being double taxed. Some of the property owners have said they pay $305 every month in association fees to receive services the city ought to provide. Many protested the big tax hikes that resulted from the recent tax revaluation arguing that despite paying full taxes they were not receiving the same services other taxpayers are getting from the city.


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