Assessment

Therese dePierro
Certified Tax Assessor

With over 38 years’ experience in the Tax Assessment field, Therese has been proudly serving the Borough residents for 27 years. Graduating William Patterson University with a BA, Cum Laude and receiving the Pi Sigma Alpha (Poli Sci Honor Society) Outstanding Senior Award for Major. She has also earned various certificates and diplomas from several institutes and schools including The Chubb Institute, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Rutgers University Dept. of Government Research to name a few.

Designations include:

  • State of New Jersey, Certified Tax Assessor #1638 – 11/1988 – Present   
  • State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser #RG01202 4/1993 – 1999
  • NJ Real Estate License 7/1988 – 1992

Therese diligently serves our residents by continuing her education and staying up to date on the constant changing laws and regulations offered by organizations such as NJAAO, AMANJ, CTB, NJLOM, and NRAAO. She has been recognized by her peers as Recipient of the Outstanding Service Award for AMANJ 2023 and is a member of organizations such as Association of Municipal Assessors of NJ, and AMANJ Awards Committee, and current President of Sussex County Assessors Association. She currently volunteers as a member for Hopatcong Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) since its inception in Hopatcong and a prior assistant cheer coach for the Hopatcong Warriors.



Duties:

The Office of Tax Assessor provides assistance to residents and non-residents on matters related to assessing property, the assessment placed on a property, tax deductions, added assessments, and other questions related to establishing the value of property for taxation purposes. The actual billing and collection of taxes is a function of the Tax Collector’s Office, not the Assessor. The Assessor’s Office cannot collect taxes.

The Tax Assessor is a quasi-judicial position, a creature of the Legislature, whose authority is statutory and based in the New Jersey constitution. The function of the Assessor’s Office is to be fair and equitable while maintaining uniformity. Assessments in New Jersey are "ad valorem" which means according to value.

One of the major functions of the Assessor’s Office is establishing the value of all new and improved property that will be used in determining the share of taxes to be levied for the property. The Tax Assessor’s Office is required annually to assess real property at full value as of October 1st of the pretax year. The Assessor does a field inspection, considers sales analysis and market trend studies, and income and expense analysis as part of establishing the assessed value. The assessment is performed in conformance with State statutes and regulations.

The Office of the Assessor Processes Applications For Exemptions and Deductions. The Assessor determines whether the property is taxable. There are several tax exemption and tax deduction provisions in the law such as disabled veterans and senior citizen deductions. (See the Deductions listed below)

The Office of the Assessor maintains the assessment records and is responsible for the maintenance of the Borough tax map. records of property transfers and ownership are kept current. The Office Monitors Building Permits as part of establishing added assessments.

The Assessor represents the Borough in Tax Appeals before the Sussex County Board of Taxation and in State appeals before the Tax Court of New Jersey. A Hopatcong property owner who believes that the assessed value exceeds market value may appeal the assessment to the Sussex County Board of Taxation. The assessed value is being appealed, not the amount of taxes. Appeals must be filed by April 1st, where a municipal revaluation or reassessment has been undertaken a petition must be filed and received by May 1st (or Dec. 1st for Added Appeals) except that properties with an assessed value exceeding $1,000,000 may file directly with the Tax Court in Trenton. Applications for appeal may be obtained from the Sussex County Board of Taxation after February 1st (973-579-0970)