Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • January 16, 2013 Mahwah Multiple tax appeals settled by Frank J. McMahon The Township of Mahwah has settled several tax appeals that had been pending in the Tax Court of New Jersey, which hears appeals of decisions made by county boards of taxation. One of the settlements involves litigation filed by the Sharp Electronics Corporation for the tax years of 2010, 2011, and 2012. Sharp Electronics Corporation is the United States sales and marketing subsidiary of Japan’s Sharp Corporation. The company’s 500,000 square-foot headquarters is located at One Sharp Plaza in Mahwah. The Sharp settlement provides that the 2012 tax assessment on the 56.7-acre property will be reduced from $67,000,000 to $62,000,000, resulting in a refund of $81,300 to the electronics company and a tax obligation of $1,010,060 based on the township’s current tax rate of $1.626 per $100 of assessed valuation. The 2013 tax assessment will be $50,000,000, and the company agreed not to file any appeal of that assessment in 2014 as long as the township’s ratio of tax assessments to actual market value does not fall below 87 percent for that year. The property tax reduction for 2013 will amount to $195,120 and will result in a tax obligation of $813,000 based on the current tax rate. In return, the company agreed to withdraw its tax appeals for 2010 and 2011. The assessments of the Sharp property for those years will remain intact. The Sharp settlement is predicated on a waiver of any and all prejudgment interest by the taxpayer as long as the refunds are paid within 60 days of the township’s tax refund bonding. The township also settled a tax appeal lawsuit filed by Bonnie Inserra, the owner and taxpayer of Inserra Plaza, the one-acre office building property at 20 Ridge Road. Under this settlement, the tax appeals for 2011 will be withdrawn and the $4,048,500 will remain intact; however, the 2012 assessment will be reduced from $4,048,500 to $3,250,000, resulting in a refund of $12,983. That settlement is also predicated on a waiver of any and all prejudgment interest by the taxpayer as long as the refunds are paid within 60 days of the township’s tax refund bonding. The township also settled two residential tax appeals. The $1,333,500 assessment on the 1.3-acre residential property at One North Glasgow Terrace was reduced to $1,100,000, resulting in a refund of $3,797 to Robert and Stacy Pineault, the owners and taxpayers. In addition, the township agreed to reduce the 2011 and 2012 assessments for the one-acre residential property at 71 Walsh Drive from $1,163,600 to $1,050,000 for each of those years, resulting in a refund of $1,642 for both years to Greg and Glenda Swensen. The Mahwah Public Library provides free programs for adults. Tickets are not necessary; seating is available on a “first come” basis. Programs begin at 7 p.m. Michele Zarcone from the Morris Museum will present “Spotlight on Ancient Egypt” on Jan. 15. As part of the Morris Museum’s new adult outreach series, participants will be offered the opportunity to handle and examine objects, artifacts, and reproductions from Egypt and, through the use of a model, observe the process of making a mummy. On Jan. 30, learn to make healthier food choices for a longer and happier life. This program will be presented by the Robin DeCicco Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Participants will learn some simple tips about how to make better choices at the supermarket and how to prepare easy and nutritious meals. The library is located at 100 Ridge Road. Call (201) 529READ. Library sets events