New Jersey property-tax definition
PILOT agreement
A payment-in-lieu-of-taxes arrangement in which an approved project makes negotiated payments under an applicable redevelopment or tax-exemption program instead of ordinary property taxes.
Worked New Jersey example
A PILOT payment cannot be compared directly with a conventional parcel tax bill without reviewing the governing agreement and program.
Why it matters
Watchdog keeps the definition beside the property data so users can distinguish an observed public record from an interpretation or derived screening signal.
Official source
For homeowners
Use the term to understand what a tax or assessment record is actually saying before assuming it represents market value or a future bill.
For professionals
Keep the source and observation date with the number, verify the authoritative record, and document any calculation or professional conclusion separately.