Vornado, Inc. v. Borough of Totowa

8 N.J. Tax 214
CourtNew Jersey Tax Court
DecidedApril 7, 1986
StatusPublished

This text of 8 N.J. Tax 214 (Vornado, Inc. v. Borough of Totowa) 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
Vornado, Inc. v. Borough of Totowa, 8 N.J. Tax 214 (N.J. Super. Ct. 1986).

Opinion

KAHN, J.T.C.

This local property tax matter involves the assessment for the years 1983 and 1984. The property consists of two buildings, one containing 172,693 square feet, the other 20,576 square feet, for a total of 193,269 square feet. The lot upon which said buildings are located consists of approximately 19.3 acres. The property is located on Route 46 and River View Drive, and is known as Block 170, Lots 1, 2, 3 and 4. On the relevant assessment dates (October 1,1982 and October 1,1983) the property was utilized as a shopping center.

The assessments appealed from are as follows:

1983 1984

Land $1,783,700 Land $3,150,000

Improvements 3,216,300 Improvements 6,320,000

Total $5,000,000 Total $9,470,000

The parties, through their experts, used both the income capitalization and the market data approaches. Both experts indicated that they relied more heavily on the income capitalization approach to arrive at their opinion of true value, but stated that their opinions were supported by their market data analyses. The parties utilized differing techniques in their income capitalization analyses. Both experts rendered an opinion as to economic rent for the premises. Taxpayer’s expert considered the improvements as rentable parcels of varying sizes and ascribed a separate economic rent for each size parcel. His analysis took into consideration the actual rentals received by the taxpayer as well as rentals from comparable leases in similar shopping centers. For the two years in question, taxpayer’s expert arrived at the following economic rent data:

[218]*218October 1, 1982

Small Office Space: $20.00 a sq. ft.

Retail Sales Space:

1.000 to 5,000 sq. ft. $15.00 a sq. ft.

5.001 to 10,000 sq. ft. $13.00 a sq. ft.

10.001 to 25,000 sq. ft. $ 9.00 a sq. ft.

25.001 to 50,000 sq. ft. $ 3.75 a sq. ft.

50.001 and up $ 3.50 a sq. ft.

October 1, 1983

1.000 to 5,000 sq. ft. $15.75 a sq. ft.

5.001 to 10,000 sq. ft. $13.65 a sq. ft.

10.001 to 25,000 sq. ft. $ 9.45 a sq. ft.

50.001 and up $ 3.68 a sq. ft.

Converting this analysis to the subject property, the taxpayer’s expert rendered the following opinion as to the economic rent chargeable to said property at 100% occupancy.

Operating Statement — October 1, 1982

Income

Small Office Space: 1,440 sq. ft. at $20.00 a sq. ft. $ 28,800

Retail Sales Space: 4,191 sq. ft. at $15.00 a sq. ft. $ 62,865

7,151 sq. ft. at $13.00 a sq. ft. $ 92,963

41.111 sq. ft. at $ 9.00 a sq. ft. $ 369,999

46.111 sq. ft. at $ 3.501 a sq. ft. $ 163,307

93,265 sq. ft. at $ 3.50 a sq. ft. $ 326,428

Gross Potential Income (100% occupancy) $1,044,362

[219]*219Operating Statement — October 1, 1983

Small Office Space: 1,440 sq. ft. at $21.00 a sq. ft. $ 30,240

Retail Sales Space: 4,191 sq. ft. at $15.75 a sq. ft. $ 66,008

7,151 sq. ft. at $13.65 a sq. ft. $ 97,611

41.111 sq. ft. at $ 9.45 a sq. ft. $ 388,499

46.111 sq. ft. at $ 3.502 a sq. ft. $ 163,307

93,265 sq. ft. at $ 3.68 a sq. ft. $ 343,215

Gross Potential Income (100% occupancy) $1,088,880

The parties differed on the actual vacancy for the two years in question. Taxpayer’s appraisal expert shows a slightly different measurement for the 46,111 square foot parcel, but the parties stipulated to 46,111 square feet.

Taxpayer’s appraisal expert estimated a vacancy rate of 25% for tax year 1983 based upon the alleged 36% actual vacancy and on the fact that the improvements were recently converted from a single tenant to a multi-tenant facility, which conversion required extensive renovation and start-up time. For the tax year 1984, the witness assumed a 15% vacancy rate based upon the same analysis, while the actual vacancy rate was 24%3.

With respect to expenses, taxpayer’s witness deducted 5% of effective gross income for management, 3% as a reserve for structural repairs and 1% for miscellaneous expenses (legal and accounting). He indicated that management included collection of rents, servicing of tenants, arranging repairs and a factor for the amortization of brokerage commissions. He indicated that 5% was a conservative estimate for these items. The witness calculated 3% for reserves based upon his estimate of amortized cost to replace the roof, parking pavement and the heat, ventilation and air conditioning equipment. He indicated a 15-year life for each of the above and utilized cost manuals to arrive at his conclusion. Taxpayer’s witness utilized the same expense factors with respect to expenses for the 1984 tax year.

[220]*220The expert testified that he used comparable vacant land sales, adjusted their size, location and date of sale to the subject and arrived at values for the subject land of $125,000 an acre for 1983 and $135,000 an acre for 1984. He stated that he utilized the building residual technique because he felt that he could derive an accurate land value from the comparable sales, particularly the comparable sale of the West Belt Plaza. He said that the West Belt Plaza was the subject of a purchase of improvements for $1,190,000, the land being subject to a long term lease, with the purchaser having an option through 1982 to purchase the land for $825,000. Although the witness acknowledged that the land rent, beginning at $99,000 annually, would increase over the term of the lease, he suggested that this sale was evidence both of land value and the fact that investors do consider separate valuation of land and improvements. No effective tax rate was utilized, since the witness presumed that leases for the subject improvements would require the taxes to be the obligation of the tenant.

In arriving at his base capitalization rate of 12.5%, this expert indicated that mortgages were available at interest rates of 14.25% on or about October 1, 1982 and at 12.5% on or about October 1, 1983. He felt that it would be appropriate, on a conservative basis, to use 12.5% for both years. He indicated reliance upon appraisal indicators such as the American Council of Life Insurance tables, some of which were included in his report. He stated that alternative investment options were considered in the formulation of his base capitalization rate. He suggested that on or about the relevant assessment dates corporate bonds provided a return to an investor of more than 12.5%. He stated that an investor in the subject property would require a return on investment less than corporate bonds because the subject property, although perhaps more risky, could provide significant tax advantages as well as capital appreciation. Considering these factors, the witness arrived at [221]*22112.5% as a capitalization rate for both 1983 and 1984.4

The following constitutes the taxpayer’s calculations and findings of true value for the years 1983 and 1984, utilizing the building residual technique:

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8 N.J. Tax 214, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vornado-inc-v-borough-of-totowa-njtaxct-1986.