Properties on the record that don't exist?

[lj762]

I just started on a project that involves maps and the property tax database, in various Pinelands areas. I've come across some properties in the tax database that I am unable to find on any map, and for which the state GIS department doesn't have geometry. I thought to ask the far-more knowledgeable and experienced people here about this. To me, it sounds like a crazy question, but who knows.

Is it possible for someone to buy a parcel in the Pinelands, hold it for a number of years while paying property taxes on it, then stop paying taxes, then the municipality gets a lien, and eventually forecloses on the property and takes ownership - while in fact that parcel does not actually exist? And nobody ever checked? Never looked for it on a paper map, a PDF scan of a map, a GIS database/map? Never tried to actually visit the property? Never had it surveyed?

 

[Teegate]

I don't see how this could happen. If a property is sold and the town is collecting taxes they must have reason to believe there is a parcel there. They send out the tax bills.

 

[lj762]

I agree. It's hard to believe. But this is the Pinelands! As people have reminded me, they used to give away property deeds as door-prizes. There are whole high-density neighborhoods on the map that never existed (see the area at CR-563 and NJ-72 for example). So why not add a few non-existing lots to a block?

As much as a I want to believe I'm just missing something, or somebody made a small mistake somewhere, I'm finding it easy to rationalize the "never existed" theory.

• The townships have no incentive to verify, as long as they are collecting taxes.
• The tax bills go to the owners, or perhaps the owner's heirs, wherever they may be. Property taxes are paid, probably without much notice.
• To absentee owners, this land is probably totally inaccessible and moderately dangerous.
• I really can imagine the whole foreclosure process going through with each person doing their job, trusting the data, yet the property does not exist.

 

[Boyd]

Seems implausible to me also - can you provide some examples? There are certainly some "interesting" parcels out there however... have you downloaded my map? https://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/parcels-in-the-pines.11747/

There are whole high-density neighborhoods on the map that never existed (see the area at CR-563 and NJ-72 for example).

There are more than 25,000 tiny parcels in that area!

Sounds like you have already done the research, but I have the whole database on my computer so if you provide a few township/block/lot numbers or PAMS PIN numbers, I can see what comes up. I have found the opposite to be the case frequently, there are a lot of parcels in the GIS database with no corresponding entries in the MOD4 tax database.

 

[46er]

Have you tried any of these? Most towns will offer the property in a tax sale instead of taking ownership and the property would be verified for closing; they want to keep up their tax rateables.

http://www.taxrecords.com/

http://tax1.co.monmouth.nj.us/cgi-b...ta&srch_type=0&adv=0&out_type=0&district=0301

http://njparcels.com/property/

 

[lj762]

Seems implausible to me also - can you provide some examples?

Sorry, I probably can't do that now. While the reference data I'm using is all public, I was forwarded some information and I'm not sure how the originator would feel about me having it, let alone spreading it.

Sounds like you have already done the research, but I have the whole database on my computer so if you provide a few township/block/lot numbers or PAMS PIN numbers, I can see what comes up. I have found the opposite to be the case frequently, there are a lot of parcels in the GIS database with no corresponding entries in the MOD4 tax database.

Thanks. I did read about your amazing work, and even loaded MOBAC, but the data download is probably too big for me. I do have the PAMS_PIN numbers, and am working with the MOD-IV and shapefiles from the counties.

I had previously checked a few townships, and Woodland Township came up a winner. About 24,000 of their parcels are in the shapefiles and not in the tax database; about 340 are in the tax database but not in the shapefile. But it's still the second case that interests me. The possibility that someone was paying property tax on non-existing property...

 

[lj762]

Have you tried any of these? Most towns will offer the property in a tax sale instead of taking ownership and the property would be verified for closing; they want to keep up their tax rateables.
...

Thanks... I'm always looking for new sources. I have seen njparcels.com but I can't seem to find a way to search by block and lot number. I also 'discovered' that Monmouth County's site has the entire state loaded, unlike other counties.

Here are some I use:

Burlington County http://www.co.burlington.nj.us/1444/Interactive-Maps-GIS
Has some mapping applications hosted at arcgis.com (ESRI), but only has data for properties within their borders.

NJ Transparency Center - Property Tax page http://www.yourmoney.nj.gov/transparency/property/
State-wide map application and parcel lookup. I don't like their map application much.

Ocean County http://www.tax.co.ocean.nj.us/TaxBoardTaxListSearch.aspx
Parcel lookup only - if they have a map I haven't found it.

Bass River Township has their old tax maps scanned and available as PDFs: http://www.bassriver-nj.org/map-listing.html
and even has a table showing you which tax map covers which block numbers. I wish other townships did this too.