Kearny Leasing Corp. v. Town of Kearny

6 N.J. Tax 363
CourtNew Jersey Tax Court
DecidedMarch 21, 1984
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 6 N.J. Tax 363 (Kearny Leasing Corp. v. Town of Kearny) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kearny Leasing Corp. v. Town of Kearny, 6 N.J. Tax 363 (N.J. Super. Ct. 1984).

Opinion

CRABTREE, J.T.C.

This is a local property tax case wherein plaintiff seeks direct review, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:3-21, of the 1981 and 1982 assessments on its property located at 85-111 Passaic Avenue, Passaic Avenue and Riverfront and Passaic Avenue in Kearny, New Jersey (Block 1, Lots 13, 14 and 15). The assessments for both years were:

Lot 13 Lot 14 Lot 15
Land $ 96,100 $ 116,300 $293,300
Improvements 10,500 1,325,300 232,800
Total $106,600 $1,441,600 $526,100

No appeal was taken from the 1981 assessment on Lot 13. While the parties have agreed that all three lots constitute a single economic unit and may be so valued, the court cannot review the 1981 assessment on Lot 13, as no complaint was filed with respect thereto. It is too late to amend plaintiffs 1981 complaint to add a count pertaining to Lot 13. Newark v. Fischer, 3 N.J. 488, 70 A.2d 733 (1950); Prospect Hill Apt’s v. Flemington, 172 N.J.Super. 245, 1 N.J.Tax 224, 411 A.2d 737 (Tax Ct.1979); Mayfair Holding Corp. v. North Bergen Tp., 4 N.J.Tax 38 (Tax Ct.1982). The parties agree, however, that the subject property is to be valued in its entirety for 1981, with a reduction made for Lot 13 proportionate to the relationship of the assessment of that lot to the total original assessment.

The subject of the controversy is a complex of buildings devoted to commercial retail uses, dominated by a one-, two- and three-story structure, a former Two Guys from Harrison discount-department store, containing 224,126 square feet. The other structural improvements, all free standing, consist of a car wash (1,020 square feet), a service station and automotive-parts store (8,062 square feet), a produce market (2,638 square feet) and a Burger King fast-food outlet (3,000 square feet). Other improvements are a paved parking lot, steel mesh fencing, curbing, light standards and a retaining wall by the Passaic River. The total land area is 15.05 acres, of which 2.89 acres [371]*371are ascribable to Lot 13. The site abuts the Passaic River on the west.

The two- and three-story sections of the dominant structure were erected as an industrial building in 1926 and converted to commercial use in 1959, the same year the one-story section was added. This large building presently houses a flea market (known as the River View Market Place), a Channel Home Center and a retail optical outlet. It contains modern bathroom facilities, four escalators and two freight elevators. The building is fully sprinklered and heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) for the entire building are supplied by gas and electric units. The large building housed a Two Guys discount-department store until the latter part of 1981, when the store closed and the property became vacant and remained so until October 1982.

The buildings on the subject premises were leased in the following manner:

1. Large building
(a) 191,978 square feet to River View Market Place, Inc. (the flea market):
10/14/82-4/13/85 @$430,000 annually
4/14/85-10/13/87 @ 535,000
10/14/87-4/30/90 @ 646,000
(b) 29,798 square feet to Channel Home Center:
6/10/82-1/31/88 @$134,091 annually
2/1/88-1/31/94 @ 156,439
2/1/94-1/31/99 @ 178,788
2/1/99-1/31/2004 @ 201,136
2/1/2004-1/31/2009 @ 223,485
Plus 2.5% of gross sales exceeding $4,469,700 annually
(c) 2,119 square feet to Nobel Optical, Inc.:
1/1/83-12/31/85 @ $35,300 annually
1/1/86-12/31/88 @ 44,138
[372]*3722.
Kearny Car Wash, Inc.
(a) 1,020 square feet
2/22/82-2/21/87 @$14,000 annually
2/22/87-2/21/92 @ 16,500
2/22/92-2/21/97 @ 20,625
2/22/97-2/28/2002 @ 25,781
3.
All Season Automotive
(a) 8,062 square feet - auto service & parts
10/1/81-7/14/82 @$19,500 annually
7/15/82-7/14/87 @ 50,387
7/15/87-9/14/92 @ 56,434
7/15/92-7/31/97 @ 64,496
Plus 5% of gross sales in excess of $390,000 annually (to 7/ 14/82); 5% of gross sales in excess of $1,007,750 annually (from 7/15/82)
4.
Hi Fruit & Produce, Inc.
(a) 2,638 square feet (fruit & vegetable market)
7/18/82-1/31/86 @$26,380 annually

Burger King leased one acre of land for four 5-year terms commencing August 1, 1979 for annual rentals in each term of $18,000, $23,000, $25,000 and $28,000, respectively. A fast-food outlet was erected on this site in 1980 at a cost of approximately $210,000, including all indirect costs.

The landlord is responsible for the repair and maintenance of the roof, the HYAC system, the parking area and the retaining wall along the river. The tenant is responsible for all other expenses including taxes.

The subject property is a heterogeneous collection of randomly placed buildings, constructed some years ago and used by the owner-occupant of the property for its own operations.

At issue are the true value of the subject property, whether the assessments are discriminatory and whether chapter 123, L. 1973, the legislative remedy for discrimination, is constitutionally sufficient.

[373]*373VALUATION

The value estimates of the experts and the analytical techniques used by them are as follows:

1981
Plaintiff Defendant
True value $2,965,1001 $4,500,000
Approaches to value Income Income
Economic rent $ 573,366 $ 639,113
Vacancy & loss allowance 15% 3%
Expenses $ 93,939 $ 54,149
Effective net income $ 393,422 $ 564,891
Overall capitalization rate 14.28% 12.5%
1982
True value $3,356,200 2 $4,750,000
Approaches to value Income Income
Economic rent $ 644,182 $ 672,750
Vacancy & loss allowance 15% 3%

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Bluebook (online)
6 N.J. Tax 363, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kearny-leasing-corp-v-town-of-kearny-njtaxct-1984.