S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
7942
I N S E N A T E
May 26, 2016
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Introduced by Sen. STEWART-COUSINS -- 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 a residential
reassessment exemption
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The real property tax law is amended by adding a new
section 485-s to read as follows:
S 485-S. RESIDENTIAL REASSESSMENT EXEMPTION. 1. APPLICABILITY. THE
GOVERNING BODY OF AN ASSESSING UNIT LOCATED WITHIN A COUNTY WITH A POPU-
LATION OF NOT LESS THAN NINE HUNDRED THIRTY THOUSAND AND NOT MORE THAN
ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND BASED UPON THE LATEST DECENNIAL CENSUS,
MAY, AFTER A PUBLIC HEARING, ADOPT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION BY
LOCAL LAW IN THE FIRST YEAR OF A REVALUATION TO PROVIDE A RESIDENTIAL
REASSESSMENT EXEMPTION. IF THE GOVERNING BODY OF AN ASSESSING UNIT PASS-
ES A LOCAL LAW PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION, SUCH EXEMPTION SHALL ALSO
APPLY IN THE SAME MANNER AND TO THE SAME EXTENT TO EACH VILLAGE, COUNTY,
SPECIAL DISTRICT OR SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT LEVIES TAXES ON THE ASSESSMENT
ROLL PREPARED BY SUCH ASSESSING UNIT. AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSING VILLAGE,
WITHIN AN ASSESSING UNIT THAT HAS CONDUCTED A REVALUATION AND THAT
CHOOSES TO ADOPT THAT ASSESSING UNIT'S LATEST FIXED FINAL ASSESSMENT
ROLL IS PERMITTED TO ADOPT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION WITHIN TWO
YEARS OF ITS IMPLEMENTATION.
2. ELIGIBILITY. (A) THE ASSESSORS IN EACH ASSESSING UNIT THAT HAVE
ADOPTED THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL, IN THE FIRST YEAR IN WHICH
REVALUATION ASSESSMENTS ARE TO BE ENTERED ON THE ASSESSMENT ROLL AND FOR
THE NEXT SUCCEEDING YEAR, APPLY TO EACH ELIGIBLE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY AN
EXEMPTION AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION. FOR THE
PURPOSE OF THIS SECTION, TO BE AN "ELIGIBLE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY" THE
FOLLOWING CRITERIA MUST BE MET:
(I) THE PROPERTY MUST BE A ONE-, TWO-, OR THREE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
PROPERTY, PROVIDED THAT IN AN APPROVED ASSESSING UNIT DWELLING UNITS
HELD IN CONDOMINIUM FORM OF OWNERSHIP THAT ARE CLASSIFIED IN THE HOME-
STEAD TAX CLASS SHALL ALSO BE ELIGIBLE;
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15595-03-6
S. 7942 2
(II) THE PROPERTY MUST BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE STAR EXEMPTION
AUTHORIZED BY SECTION FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE OF THE REAL PROPERTY TAX
LAW OR THE OWNER OR OWNERS MUST BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE PERSONAL
INCOME TAX SCHOOL TAX RELIEF (STAR) CREDIT AUTHORIZED BY SUBSECTION
(EEE) OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED SIX OF THE TAX LAW, AS ADDED BY SECTION 6
OF PART A OF CHAPTER 60 OF THE LAWS OF 2016, FOR SUCH PROPERTY.
(III) IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, THE OWNER OR OWNERS RECEIVING THE EXEMPTION
PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION MUST BE THE SAME AS THE OWNER OR OWNERS THAT
APPEARED ON THE ASSESSMENT ROLL UPON WHICH THE REASSESSMENT IS IMPLE-
MENTED;
(IV) THE PROPERTY MUST HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY OR A TEMPORARY
CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY; AND
(V) THE PROPERTY MUST NOT HAVE ANY DELINQUENT TAXES AS OF THE TAXABLE
STATUS DATE FOR THE ROLL ON WHICH AN EXEMPTION IS APPLIED.
(B) IN ADDITION TO THE CRITERIA PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS
SUBDIVISION, AN ASSESSING UNIT MAY FURTHER LIMIT THE ELIGIBILITY TO
ELIGIBLE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY WHOSE FULL VALUE INCREASE EXCEEDED A SET
VALUE THRESHOLD AS SPECIFIED IN THEIR LOCAL LAW ADOPTING THE PROVISIONS
OF THIS SECTION. IF PROVIDED BY LOCAL LAW, THE ASSESSING UNIT MAY
REQUIRE AN INTERIOR INSPECTION OF THE PROPERTY BY THE DESIGNEE OF SUCH
ASSESSING UNIT. IF PROVIDED BY LOCAL LAW, THE ASSESSING UNIT MAY ELECT
TO GRANT EXEMPTIONS TO ONLY THOSE PROPERTIES THAT DO NOT HAVE OUTSTAND-
ING BUILDING CODE VIOLATIONS.
3. EXEMPTION CALCULATION. (A)(I) THE EXEMPTION SHALL BE COMPUTED WITH
RESPECT TO A PERCENTAGE OF THE "EXEMPTION BASE." THE EXEMPTION BASE
SHALL BE THE INCREASE IN THE EQUALIZED ASSESSED VALUE OF A PROPERTY ON
THE ASSESSMENT ROLL UPON WHICH THE REASSESSMENT IS IMPLEMENTED OVER THE
PRIOR YEAR'S EQUALIZED ASSESSED VALUE, AS DETERMINED IN THE INITIAL
YEAR. THE EQUALIZED ASSESSED VALUE SHALL BE DETERMINED BY APPLYING THE
APPLICABLE CHANGE IN LEVEL OF ASSESSMENT FACTOR. SUCH EXEMPTION BASE
SHALL NOT INCLUDE INCREASES DUE TO A PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENT OR A REMOVAL
OR REDUCTION OF AN EXEMPTION ON PROPERTY.
(II) ANY INCREASE IN THE ASSESSMENT OF A PROPERTY DUE TO PHYSICAL
CHANGES IN THE YEAR FOLLOWING THE IMPLEMENTATION ROLL SHALL NOT BE
ELIGIBLE FOR THE EXEMPTION. IN THE EVENT THAT ANY PORTION OF A PARCEL IS
FULLY OR PARTIALLY REMOVED FROM THE ROLL DURING THE YEAR FOLLOWING THE
IMPLEMENTATION ROLL BY REASON OF FIRE, DEMOLITION, DESTRUCTION OR NEW
EXEMPTION, THE ASSESSOR SHALL REDUCE THE EXEMPTION FOR ANY REMAINING
PORTION IN THE SAME PROPORTION ASSESSMENT IS REDUCED FOR SUCH FIRE,
DEMOLITION, DESTRUCTION OR NEW EXEMPTION.
(B)(I) THE EXEMPTION SHALL BE TO THE EXTENT OF SIXTY-SIX PER CENTUM OF
THE EXEMPTION BASE IN YEAR ONE, THIRTY-THREE PER CENTUM OF THE EXEMPTION
BASE IN YEAR TWO, AND ZERO PER CENTUM OF THE EXEMPTION BASE IN YEAR
THREE.
(II) THE FOLLOWING TABLE SHALL ILLUSTRATE THE COMPUTATION OF THE
EXEMPTION:
YEAR OF EXEMPTION PERCENTAGE OF EXEMPTION
1 66% OF EXEMPTION BASE
2 33% OF EXEMPTION BASE
3 0% OF EXEMPTION BASE
4. GRANTING OF EXEMPTION. (A) SUCH EXEMPTION SHALL BE GRANTED ONLY
UPON APPLICATION BY THE OWNER OR OWNERS OF SUCH REAL PROPERTY ON A FORM
PRESCRIBED BY THE COMMISSIONER. SUCH APPLICATION SHALL BE FILED WITH THE
ASSESSOR ON OR BEFORE THE APPROPRIATE TAXABLE STATUS DATE FOR THE
ASSESSMENT ROLL UPON WHICH THE REASSESSMENT IS IMPLEMENTED.
S. 7942 3
(B) IF THE ASSESSOR IS SATISFIED THAT THE APPLICANT IS ENTITLED TO AN
EXEMPTION PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, HE OR SHE SHALL APPROVE THE APPLICA-
TION AND THE PORTION OF THE INCREASED ASSESSMENT SHALL BE EXEMPT FROM
TAXATION AND SPECIAL AD VALOREM LEVIES FOR TOWN, COUNTY, SCHOOL, AND IF
APPLICABLE VILLAGE PURPOSES, AS IN THIS SECTION PROVIDED COMMENCING WITH
THE ASSESSMENT ROLL PREPARED AFTER THE TAXABLE STATUS DATE. THE ASSESSED
VALUE OF ANY EXEMPTION GRANTED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE ENTERED
BY THE ASSESSOR ON THE ASSESSMENT ROLL WITH THE AMOUNT OF THE EXEMPTION
SHOWN IN A SEPARATE COLUMN.
(C) IN THE EVENT THAT THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY GRANTED AN EXEMPTION
PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION TRANSFERS OWNERSHIP OR OTHERWISE CEASES TO MEET
THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS OF THE EXEMPTION IN SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS
SECTION, THE EXEMPTION GRANTED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE DISCON-
TINUED. UPON DETERMINING THAT AN EXEMPTION GRANTED PURSUANT TO THIS
SECTION SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED, THE ASSESSOR SHALL MAIL A NOTICE SO
STATING TO THE OWNER OR OWNERS THEREOF AT THE TIME AND IN THE MANNER
PROVIDED BY SECTION FIVE HUNDRED TEN OF THIS CHAPTER.
S 2. The following provisions shall apply in an assessing unit that
adopts the provisions of section 485-s of the real property tax law for
an assessment roll finalized in the year 2016. Notwithstanding paragraph
(a) of subdivision 4 of section 485-s of the real property tax law,
applications for exemption shall be filed with the assessor on or before
a date specified in the local law adopting the provisions of 485-s of
the real property tax law. If the form of the application for exemption
has not yet been prescribed by the commissioner thirty days prior to
such date specified in the local law, a form prescribed by the assessing
unit may be used in its place. Notwithstanding any other section of law
to the contrary, to the extent the taxable assessed value of the proper-
ty originally appearing on such roll exceeds the amount to which it
should be reduced pursuant to section 485-a of the real property tax
law, the assessor shall amend the assessment roll accordingly. The
assessor shall give written notice of such exemption to the property
owner, who may, if he or she believes that the exemption was recomputed
incorrectly, apply for a correction in the manner provided by title
three of article five of the real property tax law for the correction of
clerical errors. Where the assessor denies an exemption pursuant to
section 485-s of the real property tax law for the 2016 assessment roll,
the property owner may file a complaint with the board of assessment
review. Such board shall reconvene on a date or dates established by the
assessing unit, provided at least ten days' notice is given in writing
to the property owner, to hear the appeal and determine the matter, and
shall mail written notice of its determination to the assessor and prop-
erty owner. Notwithstanding sections 283.161 and 283.171 of the West-
chester County Administrative Code, for the purpose of implementing the
residential reassessment exemption, the assessor or assessors shall file
the 2016 assessment roll on or before the first day of December. The
rights contained in this act shall not otherwise diminish any other
legally available right of any property owner or party who may otherwise
lawfully challenge the valuation or assessment of any real property or
improvements thereon. All remaining rights hereby remain and shall be
available to the party to whom such rights would otherwise be available
notwithstanding this act.
S 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to assess-
ment rolls prepared on and after January 1, 2016.