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TAXESWith Tax Day just one day away, New

Jersey taxpayers need little reminderof their dubious position with respect totax payments to the government.

Another survey, however, makesthat bad news hard to miss.

New Jersey has the highest propertytaxes in the nation, according toWalletHub.com, a Web-based ratingcompany. While the average householdin the United States pays $2,089 in prop-erty taxes annually, the figure is $3,971in New Jersey, placing us 51st amongthe states and Washington, D.C.

There’s one note of consolation.When real estate taxes and vehicle

property taxes are combined — 27states have the latter charge, but notNew Jersey — New Hampshire beatsthe Garden State, with a tax bill of$4,062, according to WalletHub.com.

New Jersey then dips to second-worst.

(WalletHub.com calculated proper-ty taxes by dividing the median real es-tate tax payment by the median homeprice. More straightforwardly, the av-erage property tax in New Jersey was$8,161 in 2014, according to the state.)

New Hampshire, it needs to be noted,is a low-tax state when other factors,such as state income tax, are taken intoaccount. Not so New Jersey.

A Tax Foundation study released inthe fall had the Garden State checkingin with the worst business climate of all50 states, not including the District of

As Tax Day nears, N.J. residents

are reminded of how much we pay

DON’T FORGET

Income tax forms are dueWednesday. Fewer postoffices are open late, as morecustomers are filing theirtaxes electronically. Taxesmust be postmarked no laterthan April 15 to be consid-ered on time; check with yourlocal post office early to see ifthey have extended hours.

KEN SERRANO @KENSERRANOAPP

See TAXES, Page 4A

Highest property taxrates

» New Jersey ($3,971)

» Illinois ($3,939)

» New Hampshire ($3,649)

» Wisconsin ($3,398)

» Texas ($3,327)

Lowest property taxrates

» Hawaii ($482)

» Alabama ($752)

» Louisiana ($832)

» Delaware ($917)

» South Carolina ($984)

SOURCE: WALLETHUB.COM

ASBURY PARK PRESS APP.COM $1.00

TUESDAY 04.14.15

VOLUME 136

NUMBER 89

SINCE 1879

ADVICE 7D

CLASSIFIED 8D

COMICS 6D

LOCAL 3A

MOVIES 5D

OBITUARIES 8A

OPINION 11A

SPORTS 1C

TECH TUESDAY 5A

WEATHER 8C

TRENTON — There was a Post-it Note left behind inthe minivan, but this was no grocery list.

The jottings on it included such items as boots, ablack shirt, stockings, gloves, a hat or face mask, ablindfold and cuffs.

Experienced in the violent art of coercing divorcedecrees out of reluctant Orthodox Jewish husbands,Rabbi Mendel Epstein and his team of heavies knew thevalue of planning ahead, authorities allege.

Epstein, a resident of Lakewood and Brooklyn, NewYork, even discussed what to do should the husbandsuffer a heart attack on the ride back after beingpunched, kicked and tortured with a cattle prod.

“Take a right turn and let him die,” Epstein can beheard telling an undercover FBI agent.

Prosecutor:Rabbi, teamexperiencedat abduction SHANNON MULLEN @MULLENAPP

AP

Rabbi Mendel Epstein is accused of employing a kidnap teamto force unwilling Jewish husbands to divorce their wives.

See RABBI, Page 7A

MARCO RUBIO JOINS RACE, VOWS TO LEAD ‘NEW AMERICAN CENTURY’ PAGE 1B

What do a parking meter, a hearing aid, a badmintonracket, a light-up snowman and a stun gun have in com-mon?

All were among the trash plucked off the beaches ofNew Jersey in 2014, according to Clean Ocean Action,an environmental group that collects and catalogs thewaste that accumulates on the shoreline.

More than 315,000 pieces of debris were pulled offNew Jersey beaches last year, according to a report thegroup released Monday during a news conferenceoverlooking the beach on Sandy Hook.

The event also doubled as a kickoff for the anti-pollu-tion group’s 30th Annual Spring Beach Sweep, whichwill be held, rain or shine, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on April25. A complete list of locations and how to register canbe found at cleanoceanaction.org.

In 2014, volunteers happened upon bizarre junk —“Dracula” teeth, a ski pole, wigs — while scouring 127

What weird stuffwas found alongstate’s beaches?RUSS ZIMMER @RUSSZIMMER

See BEACHES, Page 4A

Pitcher deGromshines in Mets’home opener asPhillies fall 2-0.SPORTS, 1C

“I want to stay in New Jersey. ... But now I am considering

moving out of state because of the level of property taxes here.”

ANNE MARKOVSKI, MANCHESTER

What Christie needs to sayon political road trip

New Hampshire

speech is chance for

him to shed light on

his murkier positions

as presidential

prospect. Page 6A