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The Brownstone, owned by the Manzo family of RHONJ fame, is $137K behind on their Paterson, NJ property tax payments for a parking lot.
According to NorthJersey.com, the Manzo family is 15 months behind, or $136,969 in arrears, on tax payments for a small parking lot next to the Paterson, New Jersey banquet hall.
This information was discovered by Councilman Luis Velez, who investigated The Brownstone‘s property tax history after he paid an overdue bill for his August 2023 wedding reception at the banquet hall.
Albert Manzo, who starred on RHONJ alongside his wife Caroline Mazno and their children, owns The Brownstone with his brother Tommy Manzo, called Velez’s revelation about the tax payments a case of “sour grapes.”
“It’s because he got a black eye when he didn’t pay his bill,” the former RHONJ husband said of the theft-of-services charges he filed against Velez in municipal court.
The councilman denied the suggestion that he contacted the press about The Brownstone’s tax bill in retaliation.
“The facts are the facts,” Velez said. “Nobody is above the law. I’m just disappointed that he got a break and still hasn’t come through.”
Regarding the issues surrounding The Brownstone’s outstanding tax bill, Albert Manzo reached a tax appeal settlement with Velez and other members of the City Council in March 2023, which covered taxes from 2018 through 2023.
As part of the agreement, A.M. Manzo LLC succeeded in reducing the tax assessment for The Brownstone’s parking lot by more than $1 million per year—from $2.5 million to $1.5 million.
Under the settlement, the Manzo family agreed to pay $13,605 a month to cover the back taxes. Paterson tax officials have reported that The Brownstone owners have made two large yet not required initial payments, totaling $80,616, on the settlement in May 2023. Yet they have made no other payments on the installment plan since.
It’s unclear how much the Manzo Corporation is behind in payments. Over the last sixteen months, the Manzo family should have paid $217,685 in back taxes. With the two lump payments, The Brownstone still owes the city of Paterson $137,000.
According to Albert Manzo, he does not hand business concerning taxes, and it appeals, noting that he is not familiar with the details of the settlement and whether or not payments are being made.
“The fact that The Brownstone is still standing after COVID is nothing short of a miracle,” the RHONJ husband said. “The Brownstone was closed by the government. Did our tax bills stop coming? No, they did not.”
He then emphasized that The Brownstone is current on all property taxes for the banquet hall. The husband of RHONJ’s Caroline Manzo noted that the Paterson-based banquet hall is “the shining star of hospitality facilities in the town.”
“What other business do people come from far and wide to patronize in Paterson, New Jersey?” he asked.
“It’s not easy being successful in this town,” he added. “Unfortunately, people from the outside have their prejudices.”
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