PROTESTING PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS IN NASSAU COUNTY

Recently, the Long Island newspaper Newsday had an article about how Nassau County's new assessor suggested in an internal email that residential tax protest firms may be committing fraud through misleading solicitations. These firms charge a fee, usually 50% of your tax saving, if successful, plus costs. Without commenting on them, Nassau County residential landowners should know that they can protest their tax assessment themselves without the help of a tax protest firm or lawyer. The Nassau County Assessment Review Commission ("ARC") website at http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/ARC/index.html is both informative and useful. The ARC is an independent agency, separate from the Nassau County Department of Assessment and is responsible for annually reviewing all applications for correction of assessment filed in Nassau County. They encourage you to look at their website which has up-to-date and accurate information on taxes, assessments and filing appeals and is the only administrative review commission in New York State that enables you to file an appeal directly through a website. Their on-line appeal system is called AROW – Assessment Review On the Web. Through AROW, you can do an automated search of recent sales in your area to determine if your home is overvalued. This sales search feature is available to you year round, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If, after your search of recent sales, you find the value of your property is excessive, they encourage you to file an application for correction of assessment. The next opportunity to file an appeal will be after the Department of Assessment sets its next tentative assessment roll on January 2, 2010. Your time to file an appeal based on that tentative assessment is between January 2, 2010 - March 1, 2010.