In a recent New Jersey Tax Court decision, Methode Electronics, Inc. v. Twp. Of Willingboro, the court ruled that the assessment of a contaminated piece of property, which was not developable and could not be developed in the foreseeable future, should be reduced to a nominal valuation.

Methode involved an industrial property where printed circuit boards and airbag components were manufactured for nearly twenty years. As a result of this activity, the property became contaminated with volatile organic compounds and metals. The property owner ceased operations in 1999 and no other businesses have operated at the property since that time. The building was demolished, except for a concrete slab that served as the floor for the facility. The slab was left in place to prevent the off-gassing of toxic vapors from soil and groundwater.…

Continue Reading Tax Liability of Environmentally Contaminated Industrial Property – 2015 Update