01/24/2022 Assessment Community Weekly
Don’t delay the mailing of your 511 notices
RPTL Section 511 requires municipalities conducting reassessments to mail assessment disclosure notices at least 60 days prior to tentative roll date (March 1 for localities with a May 1 tentative roll date). If you’re required to do so, we encourage you to mail your notices as soon as possible. The earlier you mail the notices, the more time you will have to meet with property owners and answer questions.
If you have questions about this requirement, contact your ORPTS Customer Service Liaison.
Should you submit your LOA for early determination?
Do you think your level of assessment should be accepted as the 2022 equalization rate and residential assessment ratio for your municipality?
If your major type A (residential) ratio is within 5% of your overall ratio, you should consider submitting your LOA for an early determination.
If you believe you qualify and your tentative roll date is May 1, submit your 2022 LOA to your ORPTS Customer Service Liaison by Friday, February 18.
More letters to manufactured home owners
Last week we told you about the letters being issued to manufactured home (MH) owners who will need to register with us to continue receiving a STAR benefit.
This week we’re mailing letters to MH owners who we are able to automatically switch to the STAR credit. These owners do not need to take any action.
See Form RP-425-RMS-MH.
For more information, see Law change regarding manufactured homes and STAR.
And another new mailing
To help seniors who may be missing the benefits of the Enhanced STAR program, we’re sending out a new letter in the next few days: Form RP-425-MBE.
The letter is going to seniors who are receiving the Basic STAR exemption and who may be eligible for Enhanced STAR based on our records. The letter is only being mailed to seniors who live in cities and towns with March 1 or later taxable status dates.
We hope that this will encourage newly eligible seniors to apply for the Enhanced STAR exemption before the deadline.
Governor Hochul proposes new Homeowner Tax Rebate Credit
When Governor Hochul introduced her first Executive Budget on January 18, she included a new Homeowner Tax Rebate Credit for 2022. Basic STAR exemption and credit beneficiaries with incomes below $250,000 and Enhanced STAR recipients would be eligible for the new rebate. Checks for the credit would be issued in the fall of 2022, and they will be a percentage of homeowners’ existing STAR benefit.
Outside of New York City, the average benefit would be nearly $970, providing relief to more than 2 million property tax-paying households. The New York City average benefit would be about $425, with benefits reaching another 479,000 property tax-paying households.
Bear in mind that this is a proposal. We will share information with you as it becomes available.
Mourning the loss of Assessor Larry Fitts
We’re sad to share the news that Lawrence (Larry) E. Fitts passed away at the age of 79 on January 14. Our Syracuse Office Team worked closely with him since it was first established more than 40 years ago.
Larry was one of the founders of the multi-town model of assessing. At the time of his death, Larry was the assessor for seven towns across four of our Central Region counties.
We send our sincere condolences to Larry’s son Brian (currently an assessor in 13 towns), his wife, and the rest of his family.
More about Larry and the upcoming service in his honor.
New Judicial case
We’ve added Matter of Tax Foreclosure Action No. 52 to New Judicial cases.