Midnight Is Deadline To File A Tax Assessment Grievance In Nassau County
MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - Several Long Island homeowners have been through tax reassessment confusion for months. An important deadline is tonight at midnight.
After glitches in the rollout and twice extending deadlines, Nassau County taxpayers challenging their reassessments have until Tuesday night to file a grievance, reports CBS2's Jennifer McLogan.
"The latest data shows us that more than 55 percent of taxpayers, property owners will be getting a tax deduction," said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.
A record number of Nassau homeowners - more than 253,000 out of 400,00 - are challenging their reassessments that had been frozen for nearly a decade. The Curran administration says that shifts the burden from taxpayers who grieved to those who did not.
"It's got to come down," said Franklin square homeowner Vinnie Fortunato. "My kids are grown now and my taxes keep going up, especially school taxes, and everybody in the neighborhood's got a different price."
Granting mass settlements in the past contributed to disparities and unfairness in tax assessments, CBSN New York's Jennifer McLogan reported.
"We are processing all our files this year with the plan to give meaningful review to every single filing. There will be no mass settlements this year. Individual review for every property," said Robin Laveman, Assessment Review Commission chairwoman.
But Republican lawmakers are expressing concern about whether the commission can truly handle the influx of challenges, and have been critical of the revaluation.
"It's just another mistake after another mistake, and the websites went down, twice I think recently we extended the deadline because people needed more time," said Nassau County legislator Laura Schaefer.
"Tell people how it's done. How you got to their numbers in a clear concise way that makes sense. Be out there explaining it to them," she said. "Right out there in front. And maybe people would have a lot more faith in their government. Right now that doesn't seem to be the case."
Multiple outside experts call the reassessment fair and long overdue, but many are still struggling.
"I really feel the pressure because my husband just passed, and I don't want to stand here and start crying, but the taxes are much too high," said Doris Cook, a Hempstead village homeowner.
The county executive says revaluation will be eased in
"Any changes in taxes due to this reassessment will take place in a period over five years," said county executive Curran.
The first bills affected will be October 2020. Then a five year phase-in is expected, with incremental increases of 20 percent every 12 months.
