The Clarkstown Town Board approved settlements totaling $66,675.74 for challenges for four properties at its Tuesday meeting. The West Nyack, Nanuet and Valley Cottage property owners had filed challenges to their property tax assessments for the years from 2007/2008 through 2011/2012.
Exit 12 Associates, which owns 100 Snake Hill Road in West Nyack, will receive a total refund of $22,568.02. Its assessment for 2007/2008 will be reduced from $1.4 million to $1,330,000 at a cost to the town of $1,471.39. Its assessment for 2008/2009 will be reduced $1,260,00 at a cost to the town of $2,853.84. The 2009/201 and 2010/2011 assessment is decreasing to $1,190,000 at a cost to the town of $9,631.31. For the years 2011/2012, its assessment changes to $1,050,000 at a cost to the town of $8,611.48.
Rockland Hospitality Associates, LCC, which owns property at 425 East Route 59 and 431 East Route 59 in Nanuet, will receive a total settlement payment of $15,993.10. Its assessment for 425 East Route 59 of $971,200 will be reduced to $912,928 for 2007 at a cost of $1,076.01 to the town and for 2010 to $835,232 at a cost of $2,963.32 to the town.
For the parcel at 431 East Route 59, the assessment of $2,980,000 will be reduced to $2,801,200 for 2007 and to $2,562,800 for 2010. The town’s payment for 2007 is $3,134.53 and for 2010 it is $8,819.24.
URARN, which owns 628 Corporate Way in Valley Cottage, will receive a total settlement of $21,859.66 for the years 2008 through 2012. The assessment of $2,088,700 will be reduced in 2008/2009 to $1,635,00 and in 2009/2010 to $1,638,500 at cost to the town of $4,624.24 and $5,516.11 respectively. For 2010/2011, the assessment will be decreased to $1,616,500 for a refund of $6,682.38. For 2011/2012 the assessment will be reduced to $1,773,750 at a cost of $5,036.93.
URARN Associates’ property at 616 Corporate Way in Valley Cottage will receive a tax certiorari settlement of $6,54.96 for 2008 to 2012. For 2008/2009 a refund of $1,363.22 will be paid for the reduction of the property tax assessment from $1,578,000 to $1,444,250. For 2009/2012, the assessment is being reduced to $1,469,000 at a cost of $1,335.53. For 2010/2011, the assessment is being reduced to $1,433,500 at a cost of $2,044.90. For 2011/2012, the assessment is being decreased to $1,483,500 at a cost to the town of $1,511.31.
When asked about why the town agreed to the settlements, Town Attorney Amy Mele explained it can be more cost effecive to settle then go through the legal process. The reimbursements will be paid within 60 days by ’s Office of the commissioner of Finance.
Some explanation! Sounds more like an excuse and a pretty lame one at that. Makes you wonder what we are paying her for! How many other Town Attorneys are there anyway? Don't we pay them to litigate? Guess not. The problem is that if the Town attorneys were any good they would be out in private practice. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out who will make up the difference in these lost property taxes. People like me living on a fixed income. Did Mele ever figure out that those contesting their assessments might pay more in their own attorneys' fees to get these reductions? Here's an idea ..... Ms Mele should write another check to Jay Savino for $87,000 and ask him to litigate it. After all from what she told us last time, he is the only legal brain within 20 miles of New City and one block of Alex Gromack. As we all know there are three categories of lawyers: able, unable and lamentable. Savino meets the Town attorney's tax certiorari requirements by falling into the second category. Given that I will leave it to others to guess into which category I would place Town Attorney, Amy Mele.