ATTENTION: STAR Tax Exemption

The Basic School Tax Relief (STAR) registration program is administered by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and provides homeowners with partial exemptions from school property taxes. If you earn less than $500,000 and own and live in your home, you are probably eligible for the STAR exemption.

New York State legislation requires all homeowners receiving a Basic STAR exemption to register with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance in order to receive the exemption in 2014 and subsequent years. Homeowners may register: http://tax.ny.gov/pit/property/star13/default.htm.

Homeowners receiving Enhanced STAR do not have to register for this program.

ATTENTION: NYC Pilot Booting Program

New York City’s pilot vehicle booting program begins in Brooklyn on Monday, June 25, 2012, and will be expanded to the other boroughs throughout the summer.

Booting is an enforcement tool used primarily by transportation authorities in lieu of towing (which is time-consuming, inconvenient, and doesn't allow you access to personal belongings, such as infant car seats, prescription drugs, or important paperwork). With booting, a device is attached to a wheel of your vehicle to prevent you from moving it. You can be booted for owing the city more than $350 in parking, or red light camera or bus lane violation tickets that are in judgment. If you do not pay the judgment debt and related fees within two business days of being booted, then your vehicle may then be towed.

We encourage you to review the attached paperwork, and contact the NYC Department of Finance (at 311) with questions or concerns.

CM James Calls on State Legislature To Re-Authorize Tax Abatement For Co-op/ Condo Owners; Sponsors Tax Information Session in Fort Greene, BK

**For Immediate Release**
Contact: Aja Worthy-Davis at (212) 788-7081

Council Member Letitia James Calls on State Legislature To Re-Authorize Tax Abatement For Co-op/ Condo Owners; Sponsors Tax Information Session in Fort Greene, Brooklyn 

(New York, NY)— As Brooklyn apartment-owners begin to grow alongside their Brownstoner counterparts, it becomes imperative that co-op and condo owners educate themselves on the property tax associated with their purchase. Every year, the NYC Department of Finance releases preliminary figures for the coming fiscal year's property-tax assessments. And almost every year, property-owners object to the department’s assessment, and in a standard process called tax certiorari, eventually receive a refund.

However, the concern over high property tax rates is especially worrying for co-op and condo owners who in 2011 saw increases in market value of up to one-hundred fifty percent. In fact, market values for co-ops, condos, and rental apartment buildings (Class 2) rose $6.8 billion (or 3.6%) to a total of $196.3 billion Citywide, according to the property assessment roll for FY2013. The Department of Finance is not allowed to use sales prices to value co-ops and condos, and instead must be value these properties as if they were rental buildings. The fact that co-ops and condos are taxed not as private residences, but effectively as commercial properties that bring in rental income, presents serious concerns to owners.

The tax break authorized for co-op and condo owners in New York City will soon be expiring. If the State Legislature doesn’t reauthorize the tax abatement, roughly 365,000 New York City co-op and condo owners could see their property tax bills jump.

Council Member Letitia James will be hosting a 35^th District Co-op and Condo Tax Information Session. The session will provide insight into co-op and condo real-estate taxation process, and NYC Department of Finance representatives will be available to answer questions—

WHEN: Thursday, May 24, 2012

6:00pm

WHERE: 210 Clinton Avenue (Community Room)

Clinton Hill Co-ops

Brooklyn, NY 11205

###

UPDATE: Lien Sale Outreach Session In Brooklyn; 5/9

A quick update on the lien sale outreach session at Brooklyn's Borough Hall-- the session date has been changed to Wednesday, MAY 9, 2012, from 12PM- 4PM.

WHERE: Brooklyn Borough Hall (Rotunda)
210 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, N.Y.

ATTENTION: TWO Lien Sale Outreach Sessions In Brooklyn

It's lien sale season again! (You can read more about what a lien sale is here). There are two upcoming lien sale outreach sessions taking place at Brooklyn's Borough Hall:

April 4, 2012-
Join Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, the New York City Council Brooklyn Delegation, and representatives from New York City Department of Finance, Department of Environmental Protection, and Housing Preservation and Development for a Lien Outreach Session to assist Brooklyn residents in saving their homes from Tax Liens.

WHEN: Wednesday, APRIL 4, 2012
4PM- 7PM
WHERE: Brooklyn Borough Hall
210 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, N.Y.

April 26, 2012-
(same details as above)

WHEN: Thursday, April 26, 2012
5PM- 7PM
WHERE: Brooklyn Borough Hall
210 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, N.Y.

ATTENTION: Elected Officials Join Finance Dept. and NYC Tax Commission to Host Outreach Session on Property Taxes; 2/27; BK Boro Hall

Council Member Letitia James and Council Member Brad Lander, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Council Members Vincent Gentile, Sara M. González, Steve Levin, Al Vann, and Jumaane D. Williams- along with The NYC Department of Finance (Finance Department) and the NYC Tax Commission- are hosting a Joint Outreach Session on Property Taxes. The Finance Department recently announced the publication of the tentative property assessment roll for FY2013. The annual sets taxable property values for all City properties.

Many homeowners have seen a change in how their property has been valued, and are encouraged to attend the outreach session to learn more.

WHEN: Monday, February 27, 2012
6PM- 8PM

WHERE: Brooklyn Borough Hall (Courtroom)
209 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, NY

Please call the Office of Council Member Lander at (212) 788-6969 for more information.

CM James Announces Pilot Co-op/Condo Council, Urges Finance Department To Cap Property Taxes

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
August 2, 2011

Contacts: Amyre Loomis at (718) 260-9191

NYC COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA JAMES ANNOUNCES PILOT CO-OP AND CONDO COUNCIL FOR 35TH COUNCIL DISTRICT AND URGES THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE TO CAP PROPERTY TAXES IN BROOKLYN
It has long been acknowledged that housing cooperatives and condominiums pay more than their fair share of property taxes

(Brooklyn, NY) Serious concern about the New York City Department of Finance's assessments of real property values for cooperative and condominium properties exists. Some residents have seen increases in market value of up to one-hundred fifty percent, and the resulting real property tax increases could be extremely damaging to affordable housing in many neighborhoods.

Council Member James said: “I ask that co-op and condo owners in the 35th Council District who may be experiencing increases in property taxes and other issues related to their residences, call my office. The pilot Co-op and Condo Council that I am forming has three purposes: 1. to get condo taxes capped at an affordable rate in Brooklyn, 2. to create discounted purchasing opportunities, 3. to develop green initiatives, and 4. to share information.”

Property tax rates for co-op and condos were capped at 10% (only in the borough of Queens) for the 2011 year, and co-ops/condos in Brooklyn and Citywide should also be capped. It is still unclear what the cap will be for 2012. The City Council is currently working with a panel/commission to examine the issue.

Tamara Clements, a resident of co-ops located at 149 and 153 Clinton Avenue said: “My neighbors and I want to understand how things work in the tax and real estate areas. We will support any efforts to research and speak out against built-in and structural unfairness in government, specifically as it relates to property taxes.”

The general consensus is that because co-op ownership (and condo ownership to a smaller degree) is the most accessible way for working-class people to become property owners, it is unfair that this group should shoulder a larger tax burden than traditional homeowners (whose property is more valuable overall). The goal of this pilot initiative is to cap property tax rates for these owners at a maximum of 8%, as suggested by the City Council.

“I’m certain a joint effort by co-op and condo owners to force the capping of escalating real estate taxes is very possible in Brooklyn through the formation, and work of this pilot Co-op and Condo Council,” said Council Member James.

###

ATTENTION: 35th District Lien Sale Outreach Session

The Office of Council Member Letitia James will be hosting a 35th District Lien Sale Outreach Session on Monday, July 18, 2011 at--

Benjamin Bannekar Academy
77 Clinton Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11205

During the sale, unpaid water, sewer, and property tax debt will be sold by the City to private collection agencies, who are likely to impose heavy interest fees. You have until August 1, 2011 to settle your debt with the City and avoid the lien sale.

The outreach session is being sponsored by the NYC Department of Finance, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, who will be available to meet one-on-one.

Please be aware that some groups— such as veterans and seniors— may be exempt from the lien sale. Those individuals who are in exempted categories should fill out an “Exemption Eligibility Checklist”. For further information, please contact (212) 788-7081.

ATTENTION: 2011 NYC Lien Sale

Let’s Talk Lien Selling:
A lien sale is when the City sells debt to a private collector (known as a lien holder) who assumes the right to collect the debt, and move to foreclosure if owner remains in arrears. In a lien, the lienholder assumes the debt, not property. The lien sale is the City’s primary enforcement tool to collect delinquent debt owed by property owners

Property Tax Debt:
You are at risk if you own— a 1-3 unit residence, a condo/co-op, a small business with 1-2 residences, or vacant land zoned for residential use
-any of the above categories with minimum $1,000 in property taxes for 3+ years
You are at risk if you own— a 4+ units
-the above category with minimum $1,000 in property taxes for 1+ years

Water/Sewer Liens:
You are at risk if you own— a Tax Class 1 property other than a single-family residence
-the above category with minimum $2,000 in debt for 1+ years
You are at risk if you own— a Tax Class 2 multi-family home, a commercial property
-the above categories with minimum $1,000 in debt for 1+ years

Emergency Repair/ Alternative Enforcement Program:
You are at risk if you own— any property other than a 1-3 family residence
-the above category with minimum $1,000 in debt for 1+ years

All 1-3 unit properties will be excluded from the lien sale with the exception of non-owner-occupied 3-unit buildings in the Alternative Enforcement Program.

Property tax liens will NOT be sold on 1-3 family homes with the Veteran or Active Military Personnel Exemption; Senior Citizen Homeowner Exemption; Disabled Homeowner Exemption; or the Real Property Circuit Breaker Personal Income Tax Credit (PIT) for 2010.

Stats on At-Risk Properties:
-Total Eligible CityWide- 25, 937 (Brooklyn- 11,375)

Important Dates:
May 2- 90-Day Publication
May 3- 90-Day Mailing
June 1- 60-Day Mailing
July 1- 30-Day Mailing
July 22- 10-Day Publication & Mailing
August 1- Last Day to Pay

Customers can call 311 for questions related to the lien sale.

To be removed from the lien sale list, customers must either pay in full or enter into a payment agreement.
Department of Finance- for property and ERP/AEP debt
www.nyc.gov/liensale
For general lien sale inquiries:
(212) 504-4039
taxlien@finance.nyc.gov

Department of Environmental Protection- for water and sewer debt
www.nyc.gov/dep
(866) 622-8292
For general lien sale inquiries:
(718) 595-7000
ombuds@dep.nyc.gov

Housing Preservation and Development- for ERP/AEP debt
For general lien sale inquiries:
(212) 863-5300
taxlien@hpd.finance.gov

Lien Sale Outreach Dates:
Outreach sessions will be held in each borough from 5PM- 7PM.
Brooklyn’s session is—
July 28, 2011
Brooklyn Finance Business Center
210 Joralemon Street, 1st Floor
Please call Finance's Outreach Unit at 212-669-8745 for more information.

Things We May Have Neglected To Mention

The New York City Department of Finance wants you to know that you can now contest Parking and Environmental Control Board tickets on-line!

U.S. Representative Ed Towns invites you to join him at the JP Morgan Chase Homeowner Assistance Program from March 31st- April 4th. Representative Towns will be present at the third session between the hours of 12noon- 2PM on Saturday, April 2, 2011 at the Brooklyn Marriott.

Reverend Michael Bacchus and the Full Gospel Assembly Church invite you to a health event where you may obtain FREE mammogram and blood pressure screenings.

WHEN: Saturday, April 2, 2011
9AM- 3PM
WHERE: Full Gospel Assembly Church
131 Sullivan Place
Brooklyn, NY 11225

State Senator Eric Adams and CM Letitia James Present Outreach Session For Those In Danger of Liens Sale; 4/13; PS 316; 5PM

State Senator Eric Adams and Council Member Letitia James present...

a special community outreach program for individuals behind on their water or sewer taxes.

"On Tuesday, April 13, we have arranged for representatives from both the Department of Finance and the Department of Environmental Protection to come to our district to enable you to make arrangements to begin
a payment plan. Representatives of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development will be present
with information on low-cost loans."

The information is as follows:

LIEN SALE HELP SESSION
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
PS 316– Elijah G. Stroud School
750 Classon Avenue
(between Sterling Place and Park Place)
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

ATTENTION: 2010 Lien Sale Information

Snow storms bring about lien sale season again, let's dive right in:

A lien sale is when the City sells debt to a private collector (known as a lien holder) who assumes the right to collect the debt, charge an additional 5% surcharge and 18% interest, and move to foreclosure if owner remains in arrears. In a lien, the lienholder assumes the debt, not property.

Property Tax Debt:
You are at risk if you own— a 1-3 unit residence, a condo/co-op, a small business with 1-2 residences, or a vacant land zoned for residential use.
[-any of the above categories with 3 years back taxes are at risk]
You are at risk if you own— a 4+ units
[-the above category with 1 year back taxes are at risk]

Property tax liens will not be sold on 1-3 family homes with the Senior Citizen Homeowner Exemption (SCHE), Disabled Homeowner Exemption (DHE), or the Real Property Circuit Breaker Personal Income Tax Credit (PIT); military personnel may also request an exemption.

Water/Sewer Liens:
You are at risk if you own— single-family and multi-family residences, as well as commercial properties, that have acquired water/sewer debt $1,000 or more for 1+ years.

Water/sewer liens will not be sold on 1-3 family homes with the Senior Citizen Homeowner Exemption (SCHE), Disabled Homeowner Exemption (DHE), or the Real Property Circuit Breaker Personal Income Tax Credit (PIT); military personnel may also request an exemption.

NYC Finance is making an effort to allow those who would be excluded from liens (SCHE, DHE) to resolve their debt through outreach sessions, data match of at-risk persons/mailings, and automated phone calls.

Stats on At-Risk Properties:
-Total Parcels CityWide- 24, 963 (Brooklyn- 11,017)
-In 2009- 4,792
-Total Liens CityWide- 53,184 (Brooklyn- 21,990)

Important Dates:
February 2- 90-Day Mailing & Publication
March 3- 60-Day Mailing
April 2- 30-Day Mailing
April 22- 10-Day Publication
May 7- Lasy Day to Pay
May 10- 2010 Lien Sale

Important Contacts:
Finance Tax Lien Ombudsperson- (212) 504-4039
Senior Citizen’s Tax Lien Ombudsperson- (212) 504-4037
Business & Community Outreach- (212) 232-1776
*Lien sale customers with any complaints or concerns should contact the Ombuds Unit at (718) 595-6628 or ombuds@dep.nyc.gov.

Brooklyn Outreach Session:
-April 8- Brooklyn- Finance Business Center
210 Joralemon Street, 1st Floor

Payment Options:
-All property and water/sewer payments must be received before May 7th (any payments sent after April 28th must be sent using an official bank check or money order sent to “NYC Department of Finance”).
-(Water)- Checks and money orders (with acct #) to “NYC Water Board, P.O. Box 410, Church Street Station, NY, NY, 10008”
Brooklyn Borough Office- 250 Livingston Street, 8th Floor
(between Hoyt and Bond Streets)
-Others who are at risk may pay through installment agreements; those eligible must make 5-20% initial down payment on delinquent balance (plus installment payments). Must see Finance Department for eligibility.
-May also pay online or in person at any Business Center.
-DEP has developed a Safety Net Referral Program, managed through the Ombuds Unit. Seniors, low-income customers, and those affected by the national mortgage and foreclosure crisis will be will be referred to other agencies in collaboration with this program.

Please give us a call at (212) 788-7081 if you have any further questions.

teamtish

ATTENTION: NYC Penalty Relief Program

The NYC Penalty Relief Program, a joint program between the administration and the New York City Council that was established through Local Law 47-2009, will begin on September 21st.

The Penalty Relief Program will allow businesses and homeowners who have outstanding default judgments against them from the Environmental Control Board (ECB) to pay only the base violation fine amount, with the City waiving the default judgment, late fees, and all other penalties and interest. The program will be open for three months, from September 21st through December 21st, 2009

Basic Info:

· This is a three-month program that is authorized by Mayor Bloomberg and City Council that allows businesses to resolve ECB violations by paying a base fine without having to pay any other penalties.

· If the violation regards a correctable condition, then this condition must be met before being eligible to enter the program.

For more information, please see the Department of Finance website, or call 311.

ATTENTION: CM James Sponsors Lien Sale Help Session; 4/16; 4PM; PS 20

Following-up on the information we posted regarding the 2009 lien sale (which is, effectively, everything you'd ever need to know about the 2009 lien sale); we'd like to let you know that our office has contacted the individuals on the 2009 Lien Sale list who live within the 35th District. If you are one of those individuals, and have not yet settled your outstanding liens, we hope that you attended the April 2nd Outreach Session at the Brooklyn Finance Business Center (210 Joralemon Street, 1st Floor). If you did not, we want to make you aware of a special outreach program sponsored by Council Member Letitia James.

On Thursday, April 16, we have arranged for representatives from both the Department of Finance and the Department of Environmental Protection to come to the 35th District so you can make arrangements to begin a payment plan. Representatives from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development will also have information on low-cost loans. The information is as follows:


LIEN SALE HELP SESSION
Thursday, April 16
PS 20
225 Adelphi Street
(between Willoughby & DeKalb)
4:00-7:00pm

Please be aware that there is a similar event on Tuesday, April 21, sponsored by Council Member Albert Vann, in Bedford Stuyvesant at the Boys & Girls School, 1700 Fulton Street (Utica/Schenectady), 5:00-8:00pm.

*Note that if you are a senior, or disabled, you may be eligible for a property tax reduction that could prevent the sale of a lien on your property. Properties owned by active duty military personnel may also be removed from the lien sale.

If you do not contact the City of New York by May 1, 2009, the City will sell a lien on your property. Please see our original post for more information.

teamtish

ATTENTION: 2009 Lien Information

A lien sale is when the City sells debt to a private collector (known as a lien holder) who assumes the right to collect the debt, set fees and interest, and even move to foreclosure. The City may do this depending on how much is owed and how old the debt is. In a lien, the lienholder assumes the debt, not property.

The 2009 Lien Exemptions apply to:
PROPERTY TAXES-
-1, 2, and 3-family homes with Senior citizen Homeowner Exemption (SCHE); Disabled Homeowner Exemption (DHE); or Real Property Circuit Breaker Personal Income Tax Credit (Circuit Breaker PIT);
-active duty military personnel may also request an exemption.

WATER/SEWER EXCLUSIONS-
-1-family homes;
-2-and-3-family homes with SCHE, DHE, Circuit Breaker PIT.

*There are 24,111 “at-risk” properties in New York City; 10,670 in Brooklyn (highest number in all boroughs).
-20,089 of the total number (46,830) of liens sold in New York City from 1996-2008 were from Brooklyn properties.

*There are approximately 8,771 lien sale eligible accounts in Brooklyn (from a total of 260,503 “active” accounts), or 3.4% of accounts.
-of 8,771 eligible accounts, 7,057 of those accounts are made eligible due to water liens alone.

*DEP has the authority to conduct stand-alone lien sales on delinquent water and sewer accounts.

DEP Payment Incentive Program (PIP3):

*Through April 7, 2009, DEP will offer a Payment Incentive Program to Residential Mixed Use properties and Condos.
-Customers who make payments in full or enter into a payment agreement by that date, will have 100% of their late payment charges removed;
-Customers owing more than $2,500 after these reductions will be able to enter into a payment agreement on this reduced amount;
-Customers who don’t enroll will have to pay the full, original charged on their account. If the lien goes to sale, customers will pay an additional 5% surcharge and 18% per year in interest.

*As of January 2009, there were 4,000 Residential Mixed use and Condo Properties PIP3 eligible accounts with a total delinquency of approximately $85.3Million, including late payment charges;

*The total incentive being offered is nearly $15.4Million, leaving an approximate settlement amount of $70Million.

*For customers having difficulty making payment, DEP has developed a Safety New Referral program.
-Seniors, low-income customers, and those affected by the national mortgage and foreclosure crisis who request assistance via DEP’s call center will be referred to one of these partner agencies, who can enroll customers in programs of: mortgage and foreclosure counseling/legal advice, emergency grants to cover household expenses, assistance with energy costs, and food stamps.

DEP Contacts:
Brooklyn Office-(718) 923-2601

2009 Lien Sale Important Dates:

February 3: 90-Day Mailing & Publishing
March 3: 60-Day Mailing
April 1: 30-Day Mailing
April 22: 10-Day Publication
May 1: Last Day To Pay
May 4: 2009 Lien Sale

*There is a 2009 Lien Sale Outreach Session in Brooklyn on April 2, 2009 at the-
Brooklyn Finance Business Center
210 Joralemon Street, 1st Floor*

How to pay your water bill:
Send check or money order with account number to—
NYC Water Board
P.O. Box 410
Church Street Station
New York, NY 10008-0410

Bring check to Brooklyn office at—
250 Livingston Street
8th floor, btwn Hoyt and Bond Streets
(alt. entrance at Schermehorn Street)

PAY ONLINE at www.nyc.gov/dep

PAY over the TELEPHONE at (866) 622-8292 (must have DEP account number, bank number, and checking account routing number available)


*Those needing further information on the 2009 lien sale, or any of the programs mentioned are encouraged to visit www.nyc.gov/liensale, or call—

Finance Tax Lien Ombudsperson
(212) 504-4039

Senior Citizen’s Tax Lien Ombudsperson
(212) 504-4037

DEP Ombuds Unit and Dispute Resolution
(718) 595-6628

Customer Relations Helpline
(212) 504-4080

Business & Community Outreach
(212) 232-1776