North Wildwood Assessments

N. Wildwood property owners plan assessment meeting
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Thursday, January 26, 2006
Updated: Thursday, January 26, 2006

— A group of Pennsylvania residents, stunned by the new assessments on their shore homes here, are getting organized.

Property owners Marge Schernecke and Henry Lewandowski announced plans Tuesday to bring owners from the tri-state region together in Philadelphia to discuss the reassessments, which have increased the town's overall value from $866 million to nearly $3 billion.

“We spoke with many friends and neighbors who own property there and learned that most reassessments increased between 200 percent and 600 percent. This is outrageous and irresponsible,” Schernecke said in a statement.

North Wildwood property owners received word of the new values at the end of December after Tyler Technologies/CLT Division conducted a revaluation of some 9,000 parcels of land.

Residents who disagreed with the figures met with the company's representatives, and decisions on final values should be issued next month. After that, residents can appeal to the Cape May County Board of Taxation.

Lewandowski, who bought a condominium here in October 2003, said Tuesday he is president of his condominium association and has heard from dozens of property owners who believe their assessments are out of line with actual property sales in their neighborhood.

Lewandowski said he and others are trying to organize a meeting to see what they can do as seasonal residents and to put to rest any rumors about the revaluations.

“We just want to be treated fairly,” he said. “We want to make sure we have a voice.”

He added that the meeting is open to anyone concerned about the state of things at the shore.

“This isn't about Philadelphians. This isn't about Pennsylvanians. This is about everybody who is affected by this,” Lewandowski said.

The group plans to meet at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Edward O'Malley Athletic Associations Edward J. McBride Sports Complex, 144 Moore St. in South Philadelphia.