Suffolk County Property Tax Grievance Questions and Answers

Can't I do this myself?

Yes.

You are not required to hire anyone to grieve your assessment.

You'd want to first acquire this form (pdf), and then perhaps review this document (pdf) from New York State.

There are a number of resources on the Town websites, the NYS.gov website, as well as Facebook groups.

Google "(Town Name) Property Tax Protest", or something similar, to get started.

Basically, you'll want to determine which type of argument is appropriate for your situation, gather the applicable information and then fill the form in properly and file it with the appropriate office prior to their deadline.

Then, the Board of Assessment Review will make a determination on your filing.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the "BAR" hearing, you may opt to apply for "SCAR" ‐ Small Claims Assessment Review ‐ essentially a specialized court hearing.

So, bottom line: you absolutely can do it yourself if you’re willing to put in the time and effort to learn and participate in the procedure.

What are the requirements to be eligible for applying for a property tax grievance?

Only:

1. a person named in the records of the Suffolk County Clerk as a homeowner; or
2. that person,s authorized agent; or
3. a person who has contracted to buy a home; or
4. the estate of a deceased homeowner

is eligible under law to receive a tax assessment reduction and property tax refund.

If you are unsure if you meet these qualifications, have a unique situation, or have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact PTA.

My property is in a Trust, is it still eligible for a grievance?

Yes. Property tax grievances are filed by ⁄ on behalf of an "aggrieved party," which is generally understood to be the entity responsible for the property taxes.

In the case of a trust, it is a "trustee" who would have standing to file the grievance, regardless of who may be occupying the residence.

Can I sign with more than one representative in a filing year?

No, and doing so can hinder you by delaying the grievance process, this includes duplicate pro se submissions as well.

Only one filing may advance through the process in a given year.

In the case of a duplicate filing, we will withdraw our paperwork from consideration unless you contact us and instruct us to proceed.

If you signed with another representative, but wish to continue with us, it is your responsibility to determine if the other firm has any "de‐duplication" fees, or some other nonsense in their agreement.

Can my assessment be raised because I filed a grievance?

No. By law, the assessor cannot raise your assessment because you filed a grievance. Your assessment can only go down, or remain the same, as a result of this process.

What if I already have property tax exemptions*?

Any benefit from a reduction in assessed value would be separate from, and in addition to any exemptions you may already have.

Your existing exemptions, including STAR, and future eligibility will be unaffected by the grievance process.

It may be helpful to think of a grievance as affecting the property itself: regardless of who owns it, the value is the value; whereas most exemptions are based upon the property owner's eligibility, with requirements such as age, or service history, for example.

More information on available exemptions can be found at the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance website, as well as your Town Assessor's office or website.

* Exemption information is provided as a courtesy; PTA has nothing to do with property tax exemptions: they are benefits completely separate from our service. We take no credit for them, nor can we assist in applying for them. But, if you believe you may be eligible, we do recommend you apply.

Can I grieve taxes I have already paid for previous years?

No. The grievance process only applies to the current tax year, and may impact future years, but there is no process for correcting previous incorrect assessments.

How long does the grievance process take?

The tax grievance process generally takes about a year from the filing period to the conclusion of the administrative process, but potentially could take longer in the case of an appeal.

However, regardless of when your case outcome is determined, the results will always be considered effective as of the beginning of the tax year for which you filed, and would even be applied retroactively if need be.

With all this data, do you guarantee success?

We guarantee nothing.

Of course, we have to guarantee nothing, legally speaking; but still there are just too many possibilities to ever be able to account for them all.

Understand that we put a lot of time, money, and effort‐ in addition to our reputation ‐ into this endeavor and don't do it with the intent of being anything other than successful.

Our interests are aligned: the more we save you, the more we earn.

I just purchased. Won't the town update the assessment roll with my new market value?

That might make sense, but, no.

Excepting when an individual property is changed via permitted work ⁄ CO issuance, the only way for the Town to reassess properties is to reassess the entire Town.

It's not a frequent occurrence, so you probably don't want to wait for it and then hope they get it right.

Each spring, the Towns will publicly post the Tentative Assessment Roll for the upcoming tax year. It is considered the property owners responsibility to ensure that the information on record is accurate.

If necessary, the procedure for having it corrected is the grievance process.

There is a limited timeframe in which to file your petition, from the beginning of May to "Grievance Day" which varies by jurisdiction, but it's usually only about a 3 week window of time.

Where can I get more information on the STAR program*?

There have been changes to the NYS School Tax Assessment Relief exemption program over the years, you can find the latest information at the Department of Taxation and Finance website.

* STAR, like other exemptions, is a separate benefit from the service PTA provides ‐ Property Tax Agency does not take credit for ‐ nor can we assist you in applying for ‐ these entitlements. But, if you believe you may be eligible, we do recommend you apply.

You're depriving schools of funding

No. School budgets, and the voters in the district, ultimately determine the amount of funding a school district collects from property owners.

Property tax assessments determine the relative portion of that tax levy that each owner is responsible for.

A corrected assessment ensures that you are paying your fair share of that property tax levy, and no more (and no less‐ I'm not a miracle worker, unfortunately).

This isn't tax avoidance, it's "tax correction"

You're still going to have to pay your property taxes, but the point is that you should only have to pay your fair share property taxes and no more. (And, we really don't recommend paying less).

As a matter of fact, due to the timeline of this process, it will often be the case that you will have to pay the "wrong" bill at first, and then wait for a retroactive correction ‐ perhaps a refund of overpayment ‐ after successful conclusion of the protest procedure.

Once corrected, you'd continue to benefit from the reduction ‐ year after year ‐ while the assessment remains in effect, but the process takes a while.

If you want to be outraged about property tax avoidance, have a look into the IDA and PILOT programs and their impact on school funding ‐ and your tax burden.

A reduced assessment will affect the sale price of my home

This is probably true, but not the way you think.

There is no requirement, when putting your home up for sale, to adhere to ‐ or otherwise consider ‐ the property tax assessed value when determining asking price, it's market forces that determine that.

As a matter of fact, the majority of properties sold in Suffolk County sell for more ‐ sometimes much more ‐ than their assessed value.

We know this because we've "done our own research," and our pool of potential customers are in the minority, which limits how many we can market to (and how much money we can make).

Properties with lower taxes are in higher demand, and keeping your taxes as low as possible will be advantageous when you attempt to sell the property: your house can be more easily sold, and for a better price

Real estate tax burden is particularly critical in the Long Island real estate markets, where property taxes are a major consideration in the purchase of a home and recent changes to federal tax laws have had a considerable impact on deductability of State and local taxes ("SALT deduction").

Think of it this way, how much is having lower taxes worth to you?

Say you're looking at two properties ‐ same neighborhood, same commute, same School District, but one has significantly lower property taxes.

Would saving hundreds or thousands of dollars, year after year, have any influence your decision?

Exactly.