What Overassessment Position measures
Watchdog compares the recorded assessment with a supported value relationship and, where the property is testable, the municipality's Chapter 123 common-level range. The purpose is to identify position, not to declare a legal conclusion.
Why “Position” matters
The word keeps the metric neutral. A property can sit below, within or above a supported range. Watchdog should describe that evidence before using stronger language such as overassessed.
Current inputs
- Recorded assessed value.
- Watchdog supported/equalized market-value context.
- Official Chapter 123 common-level ratio and range where applicable.
- Comparable-sale evidence when needed to make the property testable.
Illustrative only. A result above a screening threshold does not itself prove a legally excessive assessment.
How it differs from Uniformity
O is property-specific. U is system-wide. A municipality may be highly uniform while one particular parcel still deserves closer review, or a property may sit comfortably within its supported range while the municipality shows wide assessment variation.
What it does not mean
Primary sources
- NJ Division of Taxation statistical data
- Chapter 123 definitions
- MOD-IV assessment records and SR-1A verified-sale context.
- Watchdog Score methodology