NEW JERSEY – If you’re a homeowner or renter in NJ, listen up!

JUMP TO: WHAT IS ANCHOR? l TIMELINE l ELIGIBILITY

NJ’s ANCHOR property tax relief program begins next week, when letters will be mailed to around 1.5 million residents to confirm their eligibility for this season’s benefit.

ANCHOR, which stands for Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters, “provides property tax relief to New Jersey residents who own or rent property in New Jersey as their principal residence and meet certain income limits.”

Over $2.1 billion in benefits were distributed to more than 1.8 million homeowners and renters during last season’s program. 

Payments ranged from $450 to $1,500, with applicants over age 65 receiving an additional $250. This season marks the third year.

Beginning August 19, the Division of Taxation will mail the letters to about 1.5 million taxpayers to notify them that their application will be filed automatically.

“With the goal to reach eligible homeowners and renters who have not previously applied, the Division will send ANCHOR Application Mailers with information on how to apply for the program to over two million residences beginning August 26,” the website said.

ANCHOR eligibility is as follows:

• NJ homeowners with income of $150,000 or less will receive $1,500.
• NJ homeowners with income of more than $150,000 and up to $250,000 will receive $1,000.
• NJ residential renters with income of $150,000 or less will receive $450. You must have paid rent to be eligible.

If the personal information listed in the letter has changed since their last ANCHOR payment, taxpayers will need to file a new application by September 15, 2024, by visiting anchor.nj.gov.

In addition, many applicants will need to go through an extra level of identity verification when applying for the ANCHOR benefit this season. Those taxpayers include:

• New applicants.
• Anyone searching for their ANCHOR ID/PIN at anchor.nj.gov.
• Anyone who did not receive an ANCHOR Benefit Confirmation Letter or Application Mailer.
• Anyone who no longer has their ANCHOR letter/mailer or the information provided on it.

All payments will be issued on a rolling basis beginning in November. The deadline to file an application is November 30, 2024.

For more information, click HERE. You can also call the ANCHOR hotline at 609-826-4282 or 1-888-238-1233.

The New Jersey Devils have a very successful past. They have three Stanley Cups to their name, which doesn’t sound like a ton when considering they have a 40+ year history, but only two franchises have more since 1990: the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Devils have amazing runs in 1995, 2000, and 2003 to win the ultimate prize in sports. They also had fun, yet ultimately disappointing, runs in 1988, 1994, 2001, and 2012. 

The Devils always seemed to find a way to overachieve once they found their footing in the late 80s, and now we’re seeing a similar glimmer in the eye of the Devils. They are built on young talent, and we’ve seen what can happen when a team lets that young talent prospect. The Devils made all the right moves under the Lou Lamoriello regime (at least it appeared that way then), and it led to more rings since 1990 than every single team in the Philadelphia or New York markets combined. 

However, to get there, the Devils needed a little luck some years and a ton of luck in others. When were the Devils the luckiest?

We start with the Devils very first playoff run ever. We are only taking moments or opportunities that happened within the postseason, so the Devils win in overtime to beat the Chicago Blackhawks on the last game of the season, putting them ahead of the Penguins and Rangers to take the final playoff spot, doesn’t count. However, they went into the playoffs as a massive underdog.

It appeared the Devils built a ton of momentum from that final playoff race to get into the show. They ended up going from a franchise with no series wins or even playoff appearances to its name to taking the Boston Bruins to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. None of it happens if they don’t get past the New York Islanders in the first round.

The Devils ended up fending off the former dynasty, but it came down to the final seconds of the series. With 10 seconds left, the Devils took a faceoff in the offensive zone, thinking the series was all but done. Then, Islanders star Pat LaFontaine tried to do the impossible. 

After already scoring an overtime game-winner in the series, he went coast to coast, beating all five Devils skaters trying to hold onto a one-goal lead, but it was Sean Burke who ultimately stopped LaFontaine as the buzzer sounded. If he scores, the Devils likely can’t recover with a young team in Game 7, and who knows what the future holds.

WOODBURY, N.J. (CBS) — On Saturday, Woodbury City police arrested a man accused of several daytime home burglaries in the city’s West End area over the last few weeks.

Investigators alleged the suspected burglar would wait until people left their homes for the day and then break in either through an unlocked window or by pushing out the home’s window air conditioning unit.

“As soon as I heard about it, I was shocked and then immediately after that, I was scared and nervous,” Sally Heide, a Woodbury resident, said. “It’s a nice area. It really is, and it’s just unnerving to have to be extra careful.”

Jennifer Burns, a Woodbury resident, said she’s already changed up her habits.

“That’s really scary to me, really scary,” Burns said. “All of my doors are staying locked during the day where normally, I would have this door open.”

Woodbury Police Chief Thomas Ryan said that after arresting the suspected burglar, officers had recovered several stolen items, including jewelry and family heirlooms.

“We have a unique connection with our residents,” Ryan said. “I do think some [of the officers] take it personal and wanted to do everything they could for those residents.”

He recommended homeowners invest in security systems and display signs advertising the presence of those systems.

“It’s definitely going to not only make you feel better about the security of your home,” Ryan said. “It’s going to provide a deterrent.”

Bob and Sally Heide said their family members have already taken extra precautions.

“We did install cameras,” Bob Heide said. “We’re also going to use our alarm more.”

Sally Heide added, “All the windows downstairs, windows are shut. I don’t leave any open for air.”