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Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Northampton County Seeks Lower Assessment at Wolf Building

Northampton County's Governor Wolf Building, located in Easton, is currently under agreement of sale to developer Mark Mulligan. When the County moves its 173 human services workers into a new, centralized facility next March, Mulligan is expected to take over, and pay $1.925 million for the building. His agreement is contingent upon a KOZ classification, which basically exempts the property tenants from virtually all property and even state income taxes for ten years. It now appears unlikely that the state will grant this designation. But instead of pulling the plug, which has worried Council member Bob Werner, Mulligan appears to be moving forward. Mulligan will reportedly use the property’s LERTA designation for a tax abatement that is based on the value of improvements above and beyond the property’s initial assessed value.

But the property is assessed at $1.6 million, meaning it has a fair market value of $4,224,000. That's a lot higher than the $700,759, at which the property appraised.

So yesterday, Northampton County presented an assessment appeal of its own property to the Revenue Appeals Board, seeking a lower assessment for Mulligan.

Although I understand the appeal was granted, I do not know the new assessment. I will found that out and report it to you tomorrow.

There is also some question about the timing of this appeal. Because it was seeking a KOZ classification, the County missed the August 1 deadline for filing assessment appeals that would be effective in 2014. So I don't know whether the new assessment will be effective in 2014 or 2015. I will have to find that out tomorrow, too.

But it appears that KOZ or no KOZ, Mulligan is moving forward.
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14 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 3, 2013 at 12:34 AM

    So once again the incompetence of
    Stoffa gave away a building for half of its fair market value.

    These are the people John Brown is having advise him. We the citizens are screwed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousDecember 3, 2013 at 6:42 AM

    Hey dummy- look at the appraisals the county did. Shows that the sale price was compatible with the appraised value. If you really think ANYONE would pay over $2 million for that building then I have a bridge in Glendon I want to sell to you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousDecember 3, 2013 at 8:36 AM

    I realize this is slightly off topic but..why hasn't the county officially certified the just past election results? Why is it taking so long to notify the people and the muni's/townships of who won and who lost especially write in winners? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousDecember 3, 2013 at 8:38 AM

    Now the Wolf building sale price is Brown's fault? Lighten up Francis!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bernie O'HareDecember 3, 2013 at 10:35 AM

    8:36, You are not slightly off topic, but wildly so. Call the elections office.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousDecember 3, 2013 at 2:39 PM

    Really Harpo, the sale of the building was part of the Stoffa ego deal. It was like a fire sale. No one cared what they got as long as it was sold.
    He wanted his new palace and he got it. The facts are the facts. It was sold for under half of the market value. I am very glad you are not going to be selling any more county assets including any possible bridges.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousDecember 3, 2013 at 4:04 PM

    2:39 wrong again Harpo Junior can you read or better yet do you comprehend what you read? We'll we know the answer so don't bother responding

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousDecember 3, 2013 at 4:54 PM

    Fair market value $4.2 million.

    Sold for $4.2 million.

    The fact that Stoffa let the building rot for seven years to attain hos dream is hos fault not the taxpayers whop are paying the price.

    Hopefully John Brown picks people with basic math skills and not those who have sucked on the public teat for their entire lives, Harpo.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousDecember 3, 2013 at 4:56 PM

    Sold for $1.9 million.

    The pain is so great it leads to typo's. Enjoy the multiple public pensions with Johnny boy!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bernie O'HareDecember 3, 2013 at 5:24 PM

    Nobody accepts $4.2 million as anything close to the real value of that building. But I will have more to say tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousDecember 3, 2013 at 5:38 PM

    The assessment of that building should be less now that Jim Gregory isn't work inside of it anymore. The value of that building has to be worth less because of that fact.

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousDecember 3, 2013 at 8:04 PM

    "Free Greggy" t-shirts available from UNITY PAC.

    Hey Bernie, when are you going to post on the "Free Greggy7" movement that is going on in the Lehigh Valley?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Bernie O'HareDecember 3, 2013 at 8:22 PM

    The only time I see a Free Greggy movement is when I flush the toilet.

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousDecember 4, 2013 at 1:48 AM

    Bernie, rumor has it Reynolds and Dolan have brokered a deal as to who will get the city council appointment. Is this true? Could you investigate as a community service?

    It seems a real shame that good people will apply and go through the process when the decision has already been made.

    Just not very good or transparent government.

    ReplyDelete

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