NASSAU COUNTY CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC.
"The government is us, we are the government, you and I." Teddy Roosevelt
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NASSAU COUNTY CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC. "The government is us, we are the government, you and I." Teddy Roosevelt |
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January 31, 2004
Get Mad and Get Moving to Reduce Your County Taxes!
How to file for tax certiorari.
Surprise! Your property tax increase is as bad as they said, and guess what? It will be higher next year too! Get mad, get even, and get moving to reduce it. It should come as no surprise because for the past year and a half, or longer, the news bureaus have told us hard working Nassau County taxpayers about the double digit tax increases we would be hit with. For many of us it went in one ear and out the other.
Like the rest of you Nassau County homeowners, I was happy to see how my home grew in value when I received my assessment letter from the Nassau County Assessor Cole Layer Trumble Co., but my joy turned to disgust and fear when I realized that I have to pay the taxes based on this new high figure. So, I complained to my wife and procrastinated through 2003 and did nothing. I figured I would wait to see what happens; hoping that the tax hit wouldn’t be as bad as everyone was saying. Most of my friends did nothing as well.
In early January 2004 I received my new General Levy Tax bill. My increase, like many of you, was hundreds of dollars more, and my first reaction was to curse the County. However, I later cursed myself for not doing anything sooner. At times we see a fire off in the distance but don’t react until we feel the heat. Looking at my new tax bill set an inferno under my feet and made me jump!
Now is the time to act! Don’t put it off another day!! Do something, anything! If you are unsure of your property’s current value, because it has changed for 2004, go on your computer or the PC at your local library, to www.mynassauproperty.com and find out your current property value. The website is very user friendly and you will find your old appraised value and prior assessed value, at 1%, from January 1st 2002. You will also find your current appraised property value and assessed value (residence .5%, commercial prop: 1%) for 2004. I’m sure to your surprise you will see a nice increase; my property is now worth over 45k more in 2 years, which I have to pay more tax on.
The new values will be used for the Oct 2005 school tax bill, and the County and Town bill in January 2006. Incorporated villages can use these new values in spring of 2005. The website also has other helpful property value information and will get you started.
If you feel that you have been incorrectly reassessed or you want to learn more about the assessment process, visit the Assessment Review Commission website at: www.co.nassau.ny.us/arc/instr.html. This informative website will take you through the process step by step on how to challenge your new tax assessment. The site also has frequently asked questions, downloadable forms, and links to other helpful sites.
If you don’t have access to a computer you can get Assessment Challenge forms and info. at the Nassau County Dept. of Assessment, 4th floor, in County Office Bldg, 240 Old Country Rd. in Mineola N.Y. If you get confused easily, or you’re afraid of the paperwork, or you don’t have the time, don’t give up! You have an option. You can have someone else do all the legal work for you and still save about ½ the amount you would have gotten by yourself, if you’re entitled to it. Today on Long Island there are many law firms and tax reduction services that will represent you, file the paperwork, and appeal on your behalf. Best of all, if you are not entitled to a tax reduction you usually don’t pay the service provider a dime. Their services and fees are very standard; just carefully read their terms. You can find these service providers on the Internet, yellow pages, and brochures in your library.
I know that many of you are fearful to confront the County, but you are a taxpayer, probably an over-taxed one, and are part of the County. Remember, you should only pay your fair share, not a penny more, and the Assessment Review Commission cannot increase the amount of taxes you are scheduled to pay. Aside from property tax reassessment challenges, there are other ways to save on your property and school taxes. To investigate these ways, go to your town website, mine is the Town of Hempstead site at www.toh.li, which lists many programs you may be entitled to. Again if you don’t have access to a computer you can use one free of charge at your local library, or ask the librarian where you can get tax saving information.
Remember, act now! It’s not too late. The grievance-filing period is from January 2nd to March 1st of each year; don’t lose another year!!! If you have any questions feel free to contact us at this website.