Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is located in the heart the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area, and though largely suburban, actually spans a wide range of community settings from the rural farmlands in Hillsborough to more urban areas, such as North Plainfield.
Somerset County, settled in 1681 and chartered in 1688, is one of the oldest counties in America. The area is historically significant as George Washington and his troops often marched through the county and slept in several homes in the area. This includes the Wallace House in Somerville – which remains today as a historical site – which Washington used as his headquarters in 1778 and 1779. Indeed, many battles and skirmishes took place in Somerset County during the American Revolution.
Throughout its history, Somerset County was primarily an agricultural area, though it has more and more become the home of wealthy professionals and suburbanites. Somerset County has one of the top ten highest median household incomes of any county in America. However, it is also one of the most expensive counties to live in. The average new housing sales price in the County in the third quarter of 2011 was over $500,000. The County is also in the top twenty counties in America with the highest property taxes. McLaughlin & Nardi’s attorneys frequently handle Somerset County property tax appeals.
Somerset County’s boom from farmlands to suburbs was largely due to the development of pharmaceutical, technology, and communications industries in the area. Major pharmaceutical and communications companies maintain headquarters or major branches in Somerset County.
Yet Somerset County is also known for its parks, farms, and gardens. There are approximately 12,522 acres of parkland and approximately 8,069 acres of farmland. It was home to the famous Duke Gardens (now Duke Farms) which included one of the most extensive glass house collections in America until the gardens closed to transform the area into more of an environmental preserve and learning center. McLaughlin & Nardi’s real estate attorneys have represented property owners and businesses in all sorts of residential and commercial real estate transactions. McLaughlin and Nardi has also helped farm owners protect their land from development by selling the development rights to the State of New Jersey under the Green Acres program; they received substantial compensation while keeping the property for themselves and their families.
Many prominent Americans have lived in Somerset County including first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, author Upton Sinclair, founder of the DeLorean Motor Company John DeLorean, editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine Steve Forbes, and journalist and commentator Bill Moyers.
Somerset County has twenty-one municipalities: Bedminster, Bernards, Bernardville, Bound Brook, South Bound Brook, Branchburg, Bridgewater, Far Hills, Franklin, Green Brook, Hillsborough, Manville, Millstone, Montgomery, North Plainfield, Peapack-Gladstone, Raritan, Rocky Hill, Somerville, Warren, and Watchung. Each has its own municipal court which handles traffic violations, parking tickets, and minor criminal and municipal ordinance offenses. McLaughlin & Nardi’s municipal court attorneys routinely handle municipal court matters.
More serious criminal matters and civil cases are handled in the Superior Court of New Jersey at the Somerset County Courthouse in Somerville. McLaughlin & Nardi’s litigation appear in Somerset County’s Courts and can help you to navigate this system to protect and advance your legal rights.
Somerset County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. A Freeholder is an elected, part-time legislator. The Board sets policies for and coordinates the operations of Somerset County such as human services, finance and administration, and public works. The County has many boards and commissions which handle matters of great importance to Somerset County such as the Somerset County Board of Construction Appeals and the Somerset County Tax Board. McLaughlin & Nardi’s attorneys regularly represent Somerset County’s residents and businesses before these boards and commissions. For example, McLaughlin & Nardi’s tax attorneys routinely handle tax appeals, including Basking Ridge and Bernardsville property tax appeals.
Likewise, each town has its own boards and commissions. McLaughlin & Nardi’s attorneys regularly represent Somerset County residents and businesses before these local boards and commissions.
McLaughlin & Nardi, LLC’s attorneys handle a wide range of cases, transactions and issues arising in Somerset County from civil litigation, to residential and commercial real estate, corporate and other business formations, property tax appeals, estate planning and administration, zoning issues, and commercial, contract, and employment disputes.
To learn more about the legal services our attorneys provide in Somerset County, and its residents and businesses, please contact one of our lawyers by e-mail or at (973) 890-0004.