Ridgewood Tax Alert: Court Blow Over Former Valley Hospital Site Threatens Local Budgets
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
RIDGEWOOD, NJ — A high-stakes legal battle over one of Bergen County’s most valuable pieces of real estate has taken a dramatic turn. The Village of Ridgewood’s latest attempt to impose taxes on the former Valley Hospital property has been officially denied by the court, dealing a severe setback to municipal budget plans and potentially shifting the financial burden onto local homeowners.
The decision arrives right in the middle of an ongoing, town-wide property reassessment program. As representatives from Appraisal Systems, Inc. continue their field inspections—having already visited approximately 40% of Ridgewood properties—the courtroom loss introduces massive uncertainty into the town’s financial future.
The Legal Battle: Ridgewood Hospital Association v. Village of Ridgewood
The friction between local officials and healthcare administrators reached a boiling point earlier this year with the filing of Ridgewood Hospital Association Inc. v. Village of Ridgewood (Docket No.: BER-C-000017-26).
The lawsuit centers on the future of the original 15-acre Valley Hospital campus, which officially ceased acute-care hospital operations on April 14, 2024, moving those primary services to a new facility in Paramus.
The core of the dispute? Taxes. The Village fought to reassess and tax the vacant property, but the court’s recent denial has brought those plans to a screeching halt.
Why the Court Ruling Matters to Your Wallet
The timing of this court denial couldn’t be tougher for local administration. The Ridgewood Village Council’s proposed budget relies heavily on anticipated PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) revenues tied to the Valley Hospital site.
With the court ruling against the Village’s immediate taxing capabilities:
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Revenue Shortfall: The town faces a significant funding gap that could disrupt municipal services or force major budget re-evaluations.
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Tax Shift to Residents: When major commercial pilot revenues disappear, the financial burden routinely shifts down to the community’s remaining taxpayers—meaning homeowners and small businesses may have to cover the shortfall.
What Happens Next?
While the legal teams evaluate their next moves, the residential town-wide reassessment presses forward with 19 active inspectors in the field. However, with a massive piece of the tax base frozen in litigation, property owners will want to watch the council’s upcoming budget meetings very closely.
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Bottom line is that the Village spent it before they had it. This was either calculated or bad management.
It’s a bad accounting decision. You shouldn’t account for revenue if it’s in dispute. And you shouldn’t spend it either
Obviously very bad management
Bad management decision, and where is our financial department. Are you kidding me. With a pressure from the top. How stupid can you be. Now where are they gonna come up with that 7 million. Float a big bond, with their AAA bond rating and let the taxpayers pay the bill divided up. Or like I’ve been saying for a while, watch employee furlough, who the hell is running this down. It’s amazing in the past six years with this new regime, the places, a joke. And I don’t wanna see any thumbs down, because you are the people that shit spit on your thumb, slide your hand around and slide your thumb up your ass. Because that’s where your brains are. We never seen so many screw ups like this. It’s one out of the other. It doesn’t stop. what a circus, sometimes it’s like watching an episode of the twilight zone.
KK’s drafting a press release blaming someone else already.
They obfuscated last years overall spending increase by concentrating on the rate of tax, which was lower because of the inclusion of the new Valley taxes.
Now the hospital tax revenue is on hold, and the budget is in deep trouble.
This years tax rate increase will have to include normal increased spending and the lack of Valley taxes, which means the rate of tax increase will be higher than the spending increase.
Look for KK to concentrate on the lower figure again.
“The Village fought to reassess and tax the vacant property” is incorrect and misleading.
I had my colonoscopy there last year. Just sayin’
Pretty sure that site is not vacant, at least not during the week. The parking lot is as full as it was two-plus years ago.
They’re not gonna have to pay taxes, this has been an ongoing battle for a long time. If they have to pay taxes, then every hospital or Medical Group will have to pay taxes, and then we’ll come all different. Kind of churches of worship. It’s not gonna happen. It’s going to be furlough employees, possible, short-term layoffs, all supervision will have to step out of their air air-conditioning SUVs install working with the cruise. They’re in deep shit don’t let anybody fool you all the spending the past couple years it’s catching up to them.
Keep voting for the “non partisan” Ridgewood Democrats. It can only get better.
I hear Joe Biden is looking for work. I’m sure 80% of Ridgewood residents would be happy to vote for him.
Don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched. There’s a lesson that Village Hall has not learned yet.
The Village Of Ridgewood doesn’t like losing, believe me I know cause I beat their ass big time. And they’re hiding that loss too. They only brag when they win. 2 million they spent on removing toxic soil, 7 million from Valley Hospital, big money and lawsuits that they lost, they have a great track record don’t think. And who’s paying the taxpayers. Don’t worry we’ll just float a bond, if I was a village employee, I would not spend any big money on anything. Because this shit’s gonna hit the fan no one is safe.
Blah blah blah, blah blah blah.
PS: Evan is the Bond King and you are the Thumbs Down King.
Its a for-profit business. If you don’t have money to pay a bill you get sent to collection.
As such…property taxes are due. (unless its proven that free health care is provided to those who cant pay)
You are incorrect. Valley is a non for profit. And they currently provide care for low income people in they’re community Health Center which is in the space where the old Valley ER was.
isn’t the mayor a democrat? Didn’t he fail in a bid for state assembly a few years ago as a democract?
weren’t his campaign signs in the old car dealer building at broad and franklin (now an apartment complex)
He should get some financial help from the democrat helicopter pilot governor who just spent 20mil for illegal alien’s lawyers
We need a Performing Arts Center. Just bond it .
Keep on spending baby keep on spending bankrupt the village. The conversation behind the curtains, all employees will get two weeks furlough
There are doctor’s offices and physical therapy acting as for-profit businesses out of that location, I don’t understand why they get the tax-free status that Valley Hospital gets. Just because the physical therapy, for instance, is under the Valley hospital umbrella of services, it should be argued that it is not hospital treatment, unless the individual is currently hospitalized. I just paid for several PT sessions at $600 each (for a session sharing a therapist with 2 others) and a start and end of treatment evaluation for $900. Tell me that is not “for profit”.
Hey Valley Hospital can shut the whole side down. Put a big fence around the hole property and let it sit for years. And if they want to, they can donate the whole side two some kind of religion and put up a temple, and still don’t pay taxes.
I’m sure there is a local mosque that would love the parking there.
So where is the Audrey Myers’s now? Is she still in her multi million dollar Ridgewood home or did she high tail it out of town for her retirement after she moved the hospital to Paramus. That hospital still has profitable service in that building and should be paying taxes. Then you add all of you who voted for mayor vagina and his minions who made the matters worse through poor financial planning.
Valley Hospital donated enough money to Ridgewood. Over the years. Now they don’t even pick money to Paramus.
Ridgewood has a major financial crisis. One bad decision after another. Sad to see the decline over the years. Need drastic change in leadership to clean this mess up.