To: NYC Commissioner of Finance, Beth, NYC Commissioner of Finance, City Councilman Alan Maisel, NYC Mayor Bill deBlasio, Assemblyman Nick Perry, and Eric Adams, Brooklyn Borough President
Stop Unfair NYC Property Tax Increases Now
We, a coalition of Canarsie homeowners, tenants paying property taxes and purchasers hereby request:(1) NYC Department of Finance to lower assessed tax rate and (2) outreach to taxpayers by suspending the placement of property tax liens on property owners financially impaired by sewage back-ups and by the devastation of Superstorm Sandy. We ask that property owners be given more time and the opportunity to make reasonable payment arrangements. We encourage Canarsie property owners or their designated representative to contest property tax increases by March 17, 2014. Please sign this petition and submit Grievance Form RF-524 to NYC Dept of Finance./Office of Real Property Services.
Why is this important?
properties in Canarsie have been taxed at the 6 percent maximum allowed under the New York City tax code while many homes in higher-income neighborhoods are taxed at the 2 percent minimum.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-set-sell-tax-liens-sandy-damaged-homes-article-1.1343026
This inequity is troubling in light of the financial hardships many homeowners are experiencing due to Superstorm Sandy and the resulting decrease in current property values. Further, escrow companies unprepared for the rapid tax increase are requesting substantial increase to escrow accounts from homeowners to recoup the higher tax payments. Further hardship is inflicted upon property owners by placement of liens for unpaid property taxes without consideration by the tax authority of the special circumstances faced by these property owners – catastrophic acts of Nature, weak economy, predatory lending practices and inequitable tax assessment burden. Water and sewage property charges are also very high, hundreds of homes in this community have DEP liens on them, many of the bills have erroneous charges. Property owners must dispute the charges with DEP before May 5, 2014 or their Lien will be sold in Lien Sale on May 16th. Many of these DEP bills have errors, and with interest and fees piled on top, property owners are being gouged by yet another city agency. Enough is enough! We want justice! A moratorium for one year and cease piling interest on top of interest on these DEP bills is required.