1922

Leslie Blau, age 22, joins his father’s real estate company, Edward Blau Inc., which was formed in the late 19th century.

1927

Franklin F. Hannoch leaves the firm of Edward Blau Inc. to become manager of the chain store leasing department of Louis Schlesinger Company.

1928

Leslie Blau joins the firm of Louis Schlesinger as vice-president of the chain store leasing department.

1932

Leslie Blau opens his own real estate office, Leslie Blau Company.

1946

Leslie Blau after his discharge from the US Air Corps as a Lt. Colonel is elected president of the Real Estate Board of Newark.

 

 

Colonel Leslie Blau
Commanding Officer Washington National Airport

1951-53

Franklin Hannoch Jr. joins Leslie Blau Company as a mortgage loan originator but leaves to join his father’s Real Estate Appraisal Business.

1951

Edward Blau, Les’s son, marries Barbara Goldsmith, niece of George Goldstein, MAI national president of the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers.

1954

Edward L. Blau, after serving in the Korean War, joins his father’s real estate business in the mortgage division.

1955

John Lasser joins Leslie Blau, his father-in-law, in real estate management and subsequently forms Blau Lasser Appraisal Company.

1955

Edward Blau forms Blau Mortgage Company. Leslie Blau Company, one of the largest and respected industrial real estate brokerage operations in New Jersey becomes a division of the newly created mortgage company.

Three generations gather here for an informal portrait. Standing are Edward L. Blau, Leslie Blau and John O. Lasser. Seated are Mrs. E.L. Blau, Mrs. Leslie Blau and Mrs Lasser. The children are Robert and Charles Blau, Ellen and Lynn Lasser. Photo October 1958. Courtesy Suburban Life Magazine.

1967-68

Edward Blau is elected president of the Real Estate Board of Newark.

1969

Edward Blau is elected vice president of the New Jersey Association of Real Estate Boards.

1971

Blau Mortgage Company, including its 4 offices in New Jersey, Leslie BIau Co., and Blau Lasser Appraisal Company are acquired by Berg Enterprises, a publicly traded company with the largest residential real estate brokerage operation in New Jersey, a small industrial brokerage operation and Margaretten & Company a small mortgage company. Leslie Blau Company is merged with the Industrial Department of the Berg Agency to form The Blau & Berg Company with Leslie Blau as CEO, John Lasser, MAI and Edward Blau continue to head Blau Lasser Appraisal Company and Blau Mortgage Co. now subsidiaries of Berg Enterprises.

1976

Blau Mortgage Company is merged with Margaretten & Company and Edward Blau becomes Chief Administrative officer and Chief Operating Officer of the combined companies with 15 branch offices producing residential mortgages in New Jersey, Florida, Arizona, Nevada and California.

1978

John Lasser, MAI, leaves Berg Enterprises to form John O. Lasser Associates, Real Estate Appraisers and Consultants.

1980

Edward Blau is elected president of The Mortgage Bankers Association of New Jersey.

1984

Edward Blau receives the Certified Mortgage Banker designation of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. This is the highest professional designation in mortgage banking.

1984

Edward Blau is elected to the board of Governors of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America.

1985-93

Edward Blau becomes president of Margaretten & Company, by then one of the largest mortgage banking firms in the nation a publicly owned company whose stock was traded on the NY Stock Exchange. In 1993 the company produced over 11.5 billion dollars of residential mortgages in 22 states.

1981

Charles Blau, Esquire son of Edward Blau joins his uncle in John O. Lasser Associates as a real estate appraiser.

1983

Robert Blau, Esquire elder son of Edward BIau becomes a Deputy Attorney General of the State of New Jersey. He is assigned to the Transportation Section and does condemnation law. Projects include acquisition of the missing link of I-287.

1987-90

Robert Blau becomes an associate in the law firm of Lasser Hochman, a firm known for its real estate expertise and Skollof and Wolfe a law firm specializing in real estate tax appeals.

1990

Charles Blau and Robert Blau form Blau Appraisal Company and Blau & Blau specializing in real estate tax appeals, condemnations and property valuation.

April 1, 1991

Charles Blau convinces the New Jersey Tax Court to lower assessment by 82% for vacant land from $1,313,000 to $236,000 because of presence of wetlands. Affirmed May 19th, 1993 by Appellate Division. In Federal Pater vs. East Rutherford

June 5, 1991

Charles Blau convinces the New Jersey Tax Court to reduce assessment on 3,384.55 acres of land in half from $2,707,700 to $1,338,410. Affirmed September 22nd, 1992 by Appellate Division.
In Newark Watershed Corporation vs. Jefferson

May 17, 1994

Charles Blau convinces New Jersey Tax Court to reduce assessment on 2,188.5 acres of land from $3,725,300 to $2,987,600. In Newark Watershed Corporation vs. Rockaway

September 1, 1994

Charles Blau convinces the New Jersey Tax Court to reduce assessment on 2,680 acres of land by 30% from $4,556,200 to $3,159,900. Affirmed November 13th, 1995 by Appellate Division.
In Newark Watershed Corporation vs. Hardyston

May 26, 1995

Charles Blau convinces the New Jersey Tax Court to reduce assessment on 1,422 acres of land by 78% from $9,531,300 to $2,024,700. In East Orange vs. Livingston

1995

Robert Blau convinces the New Jersey Supreme Court to allow his client to get copies of the tax assessment lists from Essex County in order post them on their web site. In Higg-A-Rella vs.County of Essex

August 1998

Charles Blau convinces U.S Bankruptcy Court to reduce 10 years of assessments totaling $90,160,000 to just $11,820,000. In Mocco vs. Jersey City

1999

Robert Blau successfully reduces assessment on 270,000 square foot office complex from $22,500,000 to $17,670,000; saving tax payer $440,000. In 1515 Broad Street, LLC vs. Bloomfield

July 7, 1999

Charles Blau convinces the New Jersey Tax Court to reduce assessment on minor league baseball stadium from $4,402,800 to $3,437,600. In Millennium Sports Management vs. Frankford

January 25, 2001

Charles Blau convinces tax court to reduce assessment on corporate headquarters from $35,022,770 to $28,335,700. In Best Foods (CPC International) vs. Englewood Cliffs

November 5, 2003

Charles Blau convinces jury in trial about breach of contract that despite Court’s finding of breach of contract, there were no damages. In Central Paper and Berkowitz vs. Winnerman

2004

Robert Blau won a 28% assessment reduction for a $69,500 annual tax savings for the owners of a 37,000 square foot medical office building. In Towne Point Associates vs. East Brunswick

2005

Robert Blau won a 28% assessment reduction with $614,000 in tax savings for a 405-room hotel.
In Hilton Hotels Corp vs. East Brunswick

Robert Blau won a 12% assessment for a reduction of $72,000 in annual tax savings for a 278,000 square foot office building on a 30-acre corporate campus. In GLB Gatehall vs. Parsippany

Robert Blau won a 21% assessment reduction with $1,180,000 in tax savings for a 304-room hotel. In Short Hills Hilton LLC vs. Millburn

December 28, 2005

Robert Blau convinces condemnation commission that fair market value of his clients property was $5,050,000 rather than the $420,000 recommended by the Meadowlands appraiser. In New Jersey Meadowlands Commission vs. Desiderio

2006

Robert Blau successfully reduces assessment on 270,000 square foot office complex from $17,670,000 to $9,800,000; saving tax payer $770,000. In 1515 Broad Street, LLC vs. Bloomfield

2008

Robert Blau won a 39% assessment reduction with $2,100,000 in tax savings for the owners of a 23-story, 420,000 square foot office building. In Tower Center Investment vs. East Brunswick

July 17, 2008

Charles Blau convinces U.S Bankruptcy Court that assessment on a 1,000,000 square foot former paper mill located on 100 acres on the Delaware River should be reduced from $7,663,400 to $1,500,000. In Curtis Papers vs. Milford

August 19, 2008

Charles Blau helps reduce tax assessment on mall located in condominium complex from $6,250,000 to $3,372,600. In The Mall at the Galaxy vs. Gutenberg

2010

Robert Blau wins 20% reduction of tax assessment on 1,145,000 square foot warehouse.
In Utah State Retirement Fund vs. Monroe Township

Robert Blau reduces the assessment on a 80,043 square foot office building by 30% in Edison resulting in tax savings over $250,000.

Robert Blau reduces the assessment for an industrial complex in Carteret with tax savings over $450,000.

2011

Robert Blau reduces the assessment on industrial buildings in Carlstadt with tax savings over $425,000.

Charles Blau elected President of the National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers, Chicago, Illinois.

Robert Blau reduces the assessment on an industrial building in East Orange by over 30% resulting in tax savings of over $125,000.

Charles Blau reduces the assessment of an office building in Piscataway resulting in tax savings of over $200,000.

2012

Robert Blau reduces the assessment for a Perth Amboy Industrial complex by over 15% and over $80,000 tax refund.

Charles Blau reduces the assessment for Lakewood industrial building by 30% with tax savings of over $250,000.

Charles Blau appointed to the Appraisal Foundation’s National Education Task Force, Washington, D.C.

Robert Blau reduces the assessment for a Radisson Hotel in Piscataway with tax savings over $180,000.

Charles Blau teaches “How to Appraise for the Tax Court

Charles Blau reduces the assessment for Spotswood strip center with tax savings over $70,000.

Charles Blau reduces the assessment of an industrial building in Hackensack by over 30% with tax savings over $95,000.

2013

Robert Blau wins a trial in Tax Court when the Judge reduced the assessment on a 154,000 square foot office building in Franklin Township from $22,000,000 to $9,625,000 for the tax year 2009 and from $19,127,000 to $7,075,000 for 2010 and down to $5,958,000 for 2011, a reduction of 68%. The total tax savings were over $750,000 plus another $100,000 in interest. In Tomorrow 35 Davidson Lp v Franklin. For a copy of the decision contact Rob Blau at rblau @ www.blauandblau.com.

Charles Blau elected to the Board of Regents of the Alliance for Valuation Education, Washington, D.C.

Robert Blau reduces the assessment of a industrial complex in Howell with tax savings over $235,000.

Charles Blau awarded the National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers Appraiser of the Year, Chicago, Illinois.

Robert Blau reduces the assessment of office building in Franklin with tax savings over $130,000.