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New Jersey — one of the most expensive states for US homeowners — just mailed out $145M in property tax rebates

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New Jersey — one of the most expensive states for US homeowners — just mailed out 5M in property tax rebates


New Jersey — one of the most expensive states for US homeowners — just mailed out $145M in property tax rebates

New Jersey: Home to boardwalk beaches, Atlantic City casinos, and combative politics. And none of it is cheap. But now some Jersey seniors are catching a break.

The Garden State is infamous for its high property taxes. In fact, it ranked 11th highest among all U.S. states for average cost of living in Q1 2024, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.

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But the state is now offering a significant relief program for senior homeowners known as the “Senior Freeze,” a property tax reimbursement program that has sent New Jersey seniors $145 million in a first wave of property tax rebates to eligible recipients.

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Don’t live anywhere near the Jersey Shore? Turns out New Jersey isn’t the only state where seniors are getting help with staying in their homes.

New Jersey’s Senior Freeze Program

The state’s program allows eligible homeowners to freeze their property taxes at a certain base year amount. The program reimburses any increases in property taxes paid since the base year, effectively “freezing” the tax rate at a previous level.

To qualify, homeowners must be aged 65 or older on December 31, 2022, or receiving Social Security disability benefits on or before that date; have owned and lived in their home (or mobile home) since December 31, 2019, and still owned it and lived there on December 31, 2023; and meet specific property tax and income limits.

Read more: Car insurance rates have spiked in the US to a stunning $2,150/year — but you can be smarter than that. Here’s how you can save yourself as much as $820 annually in minutes (it’s 100% free)

Other States Offering Property Tax Relief for Seniors

While New Jersey’s Senior Freeze Program has gained attention, several other states offer similar programs. Some notable examples:

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California. The Golden State offers the Property Tax Postponement (PTP) program, which allows seniors, blind, and disabled residents to defer current-year property taxes on their principal residences. The deferred taxes become a lien on the property, which must be repaid when the homeowner sells or transfers the home, refinances, or passes away.

Florida. The Sunshine State has a property tax exemption for seniors aged 65 and older. The Senior Citizen Exemption provides additional homestead exemptions for low-income seniors who meet specific criteria. This can significantly reduce the taxable value of the property, resulting in lower property taxes.

Texas. Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption, which provides an additional $10,000 exemption for school district taxes for homeowners aged 65 and older. The state also allows seniors to defer paying property taxes until they sell their home or pass away — a deferral that can provide substantial relief.

New York. The enhanced STAR (School Tax Relief) program provides property tax relief for seniors aged 65 and older with qualifying incomes. New York also offers a Senior Citizens’ Exemption, which provides further reductions based on income criteria.

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Surprising Costs

While programs like the ones mentioned above can offer substantial relief, seniors should be aware of some surprising costs associated with property tax relief programs:

Application fees and deadlines. Some programs may require application fees or have strict application deadlines. Missing a deadline or not paying a fee can result in a loss of benefits for that year.

Income limits. Watch out for annually adjusted income limits that could crimp eligibility. Seniors need to stay informed about these changes to ensure they qualify.

Repayment requirements. Certain deferral programs, like those in California and Texas, require repayment of deferred taxes upon sale, transfer, or inheritance of the property. This can be a significant financial consideration for heirs.

Impact on other benefits. Receiving property tax relief may impact eligibility for other state or federal assistance programs. Seniors should check how these benefits interact.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.



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Officials warn of NJ Transit train chaos if NBA Finals go to Game 6 with World Cup match same day

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Officials warn of NJ Transit train chaos if NBA Finals go to Game 6 with World Cup match same day


NEW JERSEY (WABC) — New Jersey Transit train riders should be prepared for chaos if the NBA Finals reach Game 6 at Madison Square Garden on June 16.

Getting to Penn Station from New Jersey will be nearly impossible after 5 p.m. becasue it’s the same day as the France vs Senegal match at 3 p.m. at MetLife Stadium.

NJ Transit will only run dedicated World Cup trains westbound from Penn Station New York from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ahead of the 3 p.m. match.

Eastbound NJ Transit trains will run into Penn Station New York, until the match ends at about 5:30 p.m.

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After 5:30 p.m., the trains will discharge all passengers at either Newark Penn Station or Newark Broad Street Station, where passengers will be directed to either PATH or Newark Light Rail to get to Hoboken, and ultimately to the PATH 33rd Street Station. PATH will transport those passengers at no extra cost.

Knicks fans traveling into Manhattan for the 8:30 p.m. game may have to transfer through Newark and take the PATH into the city.

After discharging the passengers, the NJ Transit trains will then become dedicated World Cup trains for the next three hours to bring up to 40,000 fans back to Penn Station New York.

Regular eastbound service will resume about three hours after completion of the World Cup match, or about 8:30 p.m.

NJ Transit will advise Knicks fans headed in to Game 6 to arrive at MSG before 5 p.m., or be prepared to change trains in Newark.

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At the conclusion of the Knicks game, regular rail service out of Penn Station New York back to New Jersey on all rail lines will be available.

Knicks fans will not have to utilize PATH to get back to New Jersey after the Knicks game.

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The House Is Our Firewall. NJ-07 Is How We Build It. – Insider NJ

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The House Is Our Firewall. NJ-07 Is How We Build It. – Insider NJ


I do not come to this fight as an abstract matter of principle. I come to it as an immigrant, as a woman, as an LGBTQ+ ally, and as a mother of two daughters. I have spent a decade fighting to advance protections for marginalized communities — in policy committees, in legislative hearings, in the unglamorous work of advocacy that rarely makes headlines. And I can tell you: what is happening right now is different. The rollbacks are no longer incremental. They are structural. And they are personal.

When I think about what is at stake in this moment, I think about my daughters. I want them to live in a country where they are free. Where their identities are not questioned. Where they never have to wonder whether they belong. This past year has shown that that future is not guaranteed. It has to be fought for. And right now, that fight runs directly through the United States House of Representatives.

The current administration is executing a coordinated assault on the institutional frameworks that protect civil rights and foster inclusion. The weaponization of anti-DEI policies is erasing marginalized identities from public and corporate spaces. Voter suppression tactics are systematically targeting Black and brown communities. Federal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals — particularly queer and trans youth — are being dismantled in favor of discriminatory policy. The threatened gutting of the Department of Education puts public schooling, the single greatest engine of upward mobility, at risk — with the heaviest burden falling on low-income students and students of color. And for immigrants, the threat of mass deportations and family separation is not a hypothetical. It is a daily reality.

When the executive branch operates with such open hostility toward equity, a compliant Congress is not a passive failure. It is a dangerous liability.

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We need a House of Representatives that will aggressively assert its oversight authority, use the power of the purse to defund harmful initiatives, and hold this administration fiercely accountable. That firewall can only be built by flipping competitive seats. And the path to the House majority runs directly through New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.

To win NJ-07, we need a candidate who can neutralize the standard partisan attacks used against challengers in swing districts — and Rebecca Bennett is exactly that candidate. As a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot and Air National Guard officer, her patriotism and national security credentials are unimpeachable. As a healthcare business leader, she brings private-sector credibility that resonates with this district’s voters. And as a working mother who understands what is actually at stake for families, she brings the moral clarity this moment demands.

Biography alone does not flip a district — infrastructure does. Bennett has built a campaign capable of going the distance in one of the nation’s most expensive media markets, with a top-tier team, formidable fundraising, and the organizational depth to compete against incumbent spending. She is not just a compelling candidate. She is our ONLY shot at defeating Tom Kean Jr.

I got into this work because I believe that the arc of history bends toward justice — but only when people work to bend it. I want my daughters to inherit a country that is still bending. Rebecca Bennett is running to make sure it does. That is why I am with her, without reservation, and without hesitation. 

Anjali Mehrotra is a fierce advocate for representation and gender parity in all walks of life but especially at all levels of elected office. She served as a National Board member for National Organization for Women, on the state board for American Association of University Women of New Jersey and on the cabinet of Emerge New Jersey. All three organizations actively work to increase the number of women in Congress.

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Protesters clash with ICE outside New Jersey detention facility

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Protesters clash with ICE outside New Jersey detention facility


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Protesters have clashed with ICE agents outside of Delaney Detention Center in New Jersey amid reports of inhumane living consitions inside of the facility. NBC New York’s Checkey Beckford reports.

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