Challenging your assessment 101

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County Legislator Jeff Toback (D-Oceanside) hosted a series of forums last week on how people can challenge their property's worth. Last Thursday night, he visited Forest Road School in Mill Brook and addressed a crowd of about 50 people.
"There's nothing to lose," Toback said. "The challenge procedure is relatively straight forward. You may have to do a little bit of homework if you're doing it yourself."
Toback said the assessment system in Nassau County is very complicated -- archaic, actually -- so the challenge system is set up so that everyone is treated fairly. He noted that in a recent reassessment of county property, the value of most homes went down reflecting the current housing market. However, he said, that does not mean taxes will be lower since almost everyone -- 96 percent of homeowners -- went down together.
Dolores Sedacca, with the Nassau County Department of Assessment, took audience members through the challenge process. She noted that the recent assessment released is for the 2010-11 tax roll and that there is only a small window of opportunity to make a challenge. The deadline is March 2. "That's the only time you're allowed to file a grievance," she said.
Once a challenge is filed, Sedacca said the county's Assessment Review Commission has until March of 2010 to render its decision. "They can deny it or they can lower it," she said. "They cannot raise your assessment."
Sedacca said that there is a line on the application form in which the property owner must put in the value they believe their home to be. She explained that it is better to put in a low-ball figure because the Assessment Review Commission cannot award a reduction beyond that figure. Usually, she said, if the commission does rule in the property owner's favor the new assessment is somewhere between the old one, and the suggested figure.
She cautioned that when one fills out their application, make sure that the section, block and lot numbers are correct to ensure that the commission is reviewing the correct property.
There is also a part on the form where a property owner can write why they think their home's assessment is too high. She said that assessment figures are generated by a computer based on comparable homes in the same neighborhood and school district. What it does not take into account, however, are factors such as if the house is located on a busy street or near noisy businesses.
Sedacca said anyone filing an assessment may provide pictures to illustrate their point.
Toback said the county refunds about $20 million a year to property owners for assessment reductions. In the past, the county used to have to borrow $100 million a year for repayments, he said, one of the contributing factors to the county's financial troubles in the late 1990s.
Phil Pile, a Mill Brook resident, has challenged his assessment in the past and plans to do so again this year. He said that last Thursday night's forum provided very useful information. "They've made it very clear and I think it is very helpful, especially for senior citizens," he said.
Pile said it is much better to hear directly from county officials, and be able to ask questions, rather than just to get information in the mail. "It's good when they can come into the community," he said.
Sedacca stressed to all those who attended that the most important thing they need to do is file their application on time. She said don't wait until the last minute, either. "If you don't file it timely, you're out of luck," she said. "Keep in mind that those deadlines are really important and there's no getting around them."