Senate Bill S4386

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  4386

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              April 4, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  ZELDIN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government

AN ACT to amend the real property tax law,  in  relation  to  complaints
  filed with the board of assessment review

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 524 of the real property tax  law,
as  amended by chapter 541 of the laws of 1996 and as further amended by
section 1 of part W of chapter 56 of the laws of  2010,  is  amended  to
read as follows:
  3. Notwithstanding the provisions of section five hundred twenty-eight
of this title, and except in cities with a population of five million or
more,  a  complaint  with  respect  to  an assessment shall be on a form
prescribed by the commissioner and shall consist of a statement specify-
ing the respect in which the assessment is excessive, unequal or  unlaw-
ful,  or  the  respect  in which real property is misclassified, and the
reduction in assessed valuation or taxable assessed valuation or  change
in  class  designation  or allocation of assessed valuation sought. Such
statement shall also contain an estimate of the value of the real  prop-
erty.    Such  statement  must  be  made by the person whose property is
assessed, or by some person authorized in writing by the complainant  or
his  OR HER officer or agent to make such statement who has knowledge of
the facts stated therein. Such written authorization must be made a part
of such statement and bear a date within the same calendar  year  during
which  the  complaint  is  filed.   WHERE SUCH PROPERTY IS A ONE, TWO OR
THREE FAMILY OWNER OCCUPIED STRUCTURE, SUCH STATEMENT SHALL ALSO CONTAIN
AN AFFIRMATIVE DECLARATION BY THE PERSON WHOSE PROPERTY IS ASSESSED THAT
SUCH PROPERTY IS A ONE, TWO OR THREE  FAMILY  OWNER  OCCUPIED  STRUCTURE
WHICH  IS  CURRENTLY  IN  COMPLIANCE  WITH  THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY
ISSUED FOR THAT STRUCTURE, IF ONE HAS BEEN  ISSUED,  AND  THE  STRUCTURE
DOES  NOT SUBSTANTIALLY VIOLATE ANY ZONING ORDINANCE AS DEFINED BY LOCAL

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD10542-01-1
              

S. 4386                             2

LAW, ORDINANCE OR REGULATION, OR IF NO CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY HAS BEEN
ISSUED THE STATEMENT SHALL INDICATE THAT THE STRUCTURE DOES NOT SUBSTAN-
TIALLY VIOLATE ANY ZONING ORDINANCE AS DEFINED BY LOCAL  LAW,  ORDINANCE
OR REGULATION. Such statement shall also contain the following sentence:
"I  certify  that  all  statements made on this application are true and
correct to the best of my knowledge and belief and I understand that the
making of any willful false  statement  of  material  fact  herein  will
subject me to the provisions of the penal law relevant to the making and
filing  of  false  instruments".    Such  statement shall also include a
statement, which, if signed by both the assessor and the complainant  or
his  or  her authorized representative shall constitute a stipulation to
the assessed value to be applied to the subject parcel. Where such stip-
ulated assessed value is entered on the final assessment roll, no review
of the assessment shall be allowed pursuant to  article  seven  of  this
chapter.
  S  2.  This  act  shall  take  effect  immediately, and shall apply to
petitions filed against assessment rolls prepared on or after the  first
of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.