Halloran, Co-op Owners Call for Extended Deadline to Contest Assessments

Councilman Dan Halloran, R-Whitestone, is calling on the city’s Department of Finance to give co-op owners an additional two weeks to contest their assessments.

Currently, co-op owners must contest the valuations by March 1. But Halloran is calling for the deadline to be extended to March 15.

“The Department of Finance increased the assessed values of many middle class co-op owners,” the councilman said. “The least it can do is give them an extension in contesting their assessments. We know that . Co-op owners deserve more time to make sure their rates are as fair as possible.”

The DOF could not immediately be reached for comment.

This year, residents have seen on the market value of their co-ops.

And northeast Queens elected officials blasted the city after a “computer glitch” caused some co-op assessments to skyrocket.

Property taxes are based on the assessed valuations of homes, co-ops and other buildings.

Legislators have proposed in the same category as single-family homes in an attempt to minimize their annual tax increases.

Co-op owners said they were hoping for the deadline to be extended.

“They published the tax roll late through no fault of the property owners,” said Warren Schreiber, of the Bay Terrace Community Alliance. “Some of the assessments are very high. I know some co-ops have increased 47 and 50 percent.”

The city released its tax roll two days late on Jan. 19. But co-op owners were not given extra days to contest their assessments.

Co-op owners may contest their valuations through Small Claim Assessment Reviews or tax certiorari proceedings in the state’s Supreme Court.