Question

John wants his assessment reduced by 30% since his property is located next to a power plant. The SCAR hearing officer granted John a 20% reduction, which is the maximum allowed in the State of New York. What should John do to get the full 30% reduction he desire?

Answer 1

John must first complete a process that starts with Form RP-524. Since the problem states that he already had a SCAR hearing, the only option left is the Tax Certiorari Proceeding which is a legal lawsuit filed in the New York State Supreme Court.

Explanation:

The compete process is as follows:

John must first file a grievance form, if he lives outside of New York City and Nassau County, he can use Form RP-524 "Complaint on Real Property Assessment" and file it with the assessor or the board of assessment review (BAR) in John's city. New York City residents and Nassau Country residents must contact directly their tax or review commissions by telephone. The grievance forms must be filed before Grievance Day in John's city (it varies depending on the city).

Then John will have to appear before the BAR and present his claim. The BAR is made up of 5 members and it cannot include the assessor or any member from the assessor's office.

If the BAR's decision doesn't satisfy John, then he can proceed with a Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR). Since John was granted only a 20% reduction by the SCAR hearing officer, the only option left is the Tax Certiorari Proceeding which is a legal lawsuit filed in the New York State Supreme Court.