And uh my apologies that was a little late this morning.

Uh it is uh about nine ten a.m.

Uh and the uh just as a reminder, these meetings are recorded uh and shown live on YouTube.

Uh and you can access them at a later date also.

Uh so with that we'll take a roll call.

My name is Joe Saya.

William Epollito, Bill Ryan.

Okay, thank you.

And I think we have uh our first uh petitioner here.

If you want to come on right up to the chairs here, have a seat in either one.

How are you?

That's fine.

Yep.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Again, my apologies for being a little late this morning.

Um so if you could just slide this just a little bit uh closer to you.

Uh, and then we'll pull her down a little bit.

Okay.

Um so it looks like you're here for uh eight oh five Highland Street.

Yes, I'm Priscilla Brown, I'm the owner at 805 Highland Street.

Okay, let me I'm I'm gonna swear you in, okay, and I'm also gonna swear Tom in as well.

Uh uh being this the first uh uh hearing of the morning.

So if you could just raise your right hand, Tom as well.

Uh state your name for the record.

Zilla Brown, Thomas Johnson.

Uh do you both affirm to tell the truth and give accurate information to the best of your ability?

I do.

Okay, great.

Thank you.

Uh okay, so let me just read this in and some numbers, and then uh and then I will turn it over to you.

So again, this is eight oh five Highland Street.

Uh not Highland Ave.

Um is this uh this is a residence, is this uh multi-unit?

Single family.

Single family.

Okay, let me just note that.

Yeah, and I have a current tentative assessed value of $72,000 with a land value of six thousand dollars.

Uh that would be a full market value of a hundred and thirty-eight thousand four hundred and sixty-two dollars.

Uh petitioner believes the fair market value is eighty thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine dollars, and that would be an assessed value of forty-two thousand even.

Uh and let me just see if I can pull out of here.

Okay.

So looks like you purchased the property for 155,000 on August uh fourth of 2025.

So last year uh was a contract uh sale of house.

And it appraised for 156,000.

Um the appraisal services.

I'm not sure what uh the what's the name of the appraisal company uh B something.

If you have an you don't have to find it if you're gonna give us a copy of the appraisal.

Okay, yeah, I can't.

I mean, I don't have the whole appraisal, just you know the important stuff.

Okay, no, no, that's fine.

Anything that you can provide because all I have is the application at this point.

Um so with that, let me turn it over to you.

So the the uh you just to reiterate, uh you paid 155,000.

Uh it appraised for 156,000.

Um, but you believe the market value should be eighty thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine uh dollars.

Okay.

Well, whatever it was that I mean, because you know, I got the notice in the mail saying that it was going up thirty thousand dollars, you know, and I had only purchased the house six months ago, and then I came down here to inquire about why it had raised, and somebody down here told me that it was because of improvements to the house, and I'm trying to figure out what improvements.

I mean, there's carpet through every room at a house.

I mean, it's still cabinets from the 90s.

Um, the same dishwasher.

Um do you know who you spoke with?

Um I think I talked to you at one point, and then I talked to somebody else too, and she went in and looked at at all the other houses on my block, and she said they're all still your house is the only one that went up 30,000, and why those are still valued at 42,000 or whatever the value is.

And I'm like, you know, trying to figure out because I'm looking at my street, and you know, if you know where my street is, you know, I have pictures of you know, houses that are right next to me, and you know, it kind of looks like a war zone, but how did you arrive at the 155,000?

Um, because I had to outbid somebody else.

So they were originally selling it for 139, I believe.

Okay.

And I had to go over to beat out the other person.

So I guess that's the only reason why it was appraised at that price, because I'm sure if it had, you know, I had a bought it at 139, it would have been valued at 140 or whatever, you know.

I won't speak on that, but um, like it to, you know, stay the same.

And I mean, you know, I have a lot of different things.

Yeah, let's see what you have to uh submit.

Well, the official grievance appeal letter, just you know, to try to keep it at where it's at, I don't know.

And and all right, so and just to confirm it was uh it was at uh 42,000 assessed value, and then it was raised to 72,000.

Okay.

Are you are Tom, are you covering for somebody or this is you?

No, this is my area.

Okay.

Um I'll go to you in one second here.

And I'm like, I don't know how, you know, I hear that you know, it's from you know, people riding by and looking at the house and assessing it.

I'm like, how can they assess it more than uh uh actual appraiser?

But um, yeah, so that the official grievance letter and then a financial impact summary of so I guess it would be nine ninety-four a year extra um eighty-three dollars a month, um added on to my currently pay, and then comparative market analysis, um, just of other properties.

Yeah, yeah, this is like two houses, two or three houses down from me.

How about a picture of your house?

Um I don't have it.

Just the ones like from the appraised.

I mean, to be honest, my house does look the best of you know, the ones that are right there, but I mean, I don't think I should be punished for that.

That's no, you're you're not you're not being punished, but you established market value by what you paid.

I I understand about um you know bidding up and and that kind of thing.

It's been that kind of market.

Yeah, because that's all I really wanted to pay.

I didn't want to have to go over, but no, I understand, but even at 139, it's much more than what the original, you know, the prior assessment was at 80,000 market value at 80,769.

And I'm just wondering, like the other properties in the area that have sold for that price, did they also go up $30,000 at as well?

Well, I don't know.

I don't know about $30,000, but I'm gonna zero in on that in a minute.

Um let me take uh uh yeah, let me take this information and I'll I'll definitely take the appraisal also.

Okay, and this is just a couple pages because it was like 50 pages.

I don't want to bring the whole thing.

No, no, that's quite all right.

See I'm um what you brought, I can tell right here is what we're looking for.

Um so uh uh let me let me say that I'm sure that uh uh Tom did a canvas of the whole area uh and not you know did not single out your house.

Um but let's let's get a little feedback from Tom at this point that I'll come back to you.

No, we obviously we don't single out any particular property, but whenever there is a sale in the neighborhood, we review the assessments and we look at all of them.

Um of the things that happens is realtors with putting these properties online, they put pictures of the inside of the house, which we don't have the advantage of knowing.

And when we see a house that's over 50 years old, and I've got pictures of the inside of the house, that shows you know that the condition isn't, you know, like I'd expect to see a 50-year-old bus house to be.

And I looked at sales, and it's hard to argue that the house sold for 155, regardless of whether it was bid on or not, that it's only worth $80,000 now.

But when I revalue the property, I revalued it at $134,000, which I thought was a more equitable figure.

Now one of the things that I'm willing to do, and this is for you know Mrs.

Miss Brown, is it?

Yes.

Yeah.

Uh we don't look at anybody's ability to repay, you know, to pay the taxes.

But one of the things that I would like to do, if the board will allow her to amend her complaint, I can offer her a 485 J, which would give you a um a five-year exemption on half of the increase, and then the rest of it would be bought in over a period of five years with a 20% increase, so the financial impact won't be as great, but she has to agree, and the board has to allow her to amend her complaint as a late application for the exemption, and I've got the exemption application with me.

Um we don't have any problem uh with that trying to um give some uh uh relief, if you will.

I don't know what that means.

I think somebody at the office gave me that.

Is that like a homestead?

No, no, that's we don't have homestead in Europe, but the star application, which gives you New York State will send you a check for about $350 or so once you apply, but you gotta apply for that online.

I think I did already apply for that, but so and she uh so you think you applied for the star?

I'm pretty sure I did.

And then uh it hadn't went into effect yet, I don't think, because I only been there for six months.

So yeah, that that'll she'll get a check probably in the fall, I believe, depending on when you applied.

If you applied during 2025, you'll yeah, you'll get a check, you know, later this year.

This would kick in effective um July 1st on the city and school tax portion of her bill only.

Um so what you're saying is it would only be half of what you said originally, the increase would be 15,000 instead of 30, but then the other 15,000 will be phased in over a five-year period until the sixth year, you get the full exemption.

So either that or wait and see what the board says about it, or well, you can do both.

You can apply for that and then wait and see what the board says.

Because once the board makes their decision and you haven't applied, you can't apply for it.

You're out of luck.

See, this would only I'm allowed some.

I'm sorry.

Well, that I believe believe I received that from somebody else, but they said that you know, if you go to the board and you know they deny it or whatever, then you can come back and put that in.

Hey, missing whoever you spoke to, either you misunderstood them or they misinformed you because I'm the one that would have to say yay or nay.

And normally it would go to the former owner, but the former owner fixed it up, and they never applied for the permit, and that's a problem that that we're seeing citywide that houses are being renovated without building permits, that's when we know people have fixed up their houses.

So giving you how do you know, like just because it was sold?

Yeah, and I mean, you know, when you see pictures online, realtors use it as a marketing tool.

You know, they want to make the house look good, make it available to everybody, so they take all these nice shots.

I've seen, you know, we had one famous case where the house had been totally renovated and no permit.

And that's how we found out because the realtor put all these pictures in, and the house was from basement to the roof.

So let me let me interject for a second.

Um so the asking price was 140,000.

1390.

139,000.

And then the the prior owner obviously did some work uh little bit of you know, not major things.

I still have to do, you know, stuff if I can, if I can afford it, but all right.

So the point is that uh it shows well.

Uh and then, you know, there was another party interested that got up to bidding where you know, unfortunately, it went from 139 to 155.

The appraisal came in at 156, so that was you know, obviously right where you purchased it.

Um, so um if the appraiser didn't think that it was worth the 155 that you paid, and apparently thought it was worth 156, you know, they would not have um uh gone that high and allowed the bank to give you the money.

Okay.

So the appraiser apparently thought that the property was worth what you paid for it.

All right.

So with that, um what Tom is saying is that you should fill out this uh 485 J application, okay, and at least get the ball rolling to apply for it.

And then my question is if we did lower her assessment, that would uh that would uh would that figure into this?

Well, we would adjust this the exemption to be just say you knocked off this for argument, say ten thousand dollars, right?

So the increase would be twenty thousand, the exemption would be applicable to the twenty thousand.

So it would be a ten thousand dollar increase right now, and then the other ten thousand would be so that that would be your best option.

Uh I'm not saying we're going to do anything, but the point is that uh I think we got uh there was two empties here.

Uh there were two empty stuff the next two are.

Yeah, okay.

All right.

Uh yeah, all right.

Well, this is a little complicated.

Joe, let me let me say this.

That right now you would have to have her check off the box on her application on her grievance application to allow her as a late filing for the exemption.

So there's one part in there for the denial of an exemption.

She'd have to sign off on that and ask that the uh you know that the exemption be considered.

It should be what section on uh page three.

Okay.

Yeah.

The well before you mark anything.

I'm not gonna mark anything.

Okay.

Uh how do you want to handle this?

Do you want to um I mean, I guess that would be the best course.

I mean, if I can get it to no increase, then that would be good.

But I mean, if you know, yeah, that would be the only thing I would do that, you know.

It would be under excessive assessment number two.

You know, and you know, I'm willing to stipulate that I think the house is only worth 134, but I valued it at one of the problems that we have with some of the appraisals as a state certified appraiser.

I can tell you that a lot of the appraisers that do them, they always have in the back of your mind that if you lowball a purchase price, you won't get any more work from that particular lender.

I've had it happen to me when I used to do fee work.

I'm not saying that this is what the person that did this particular appraisal did, but um, you know, the bank makes their loan based on just you know, does the value meet or exceed the purchase price and the credit worthiness of the borrower?

Because I've I've been at both ends as an underwriter and as an appraiser, so I know how it, you know, how it works.

Okay.

Um are you familiar with this stuff if we send her over to you for this denial of the application denial of uh exemption well that's what it is, you know.

They don't say for a subsequent approval of an exemption, just you know, the denial.

So she didn't apply for it, so it would have been denied, you know, in that sense, but right, but we use that particular category because that's the one that fits it.

Okay.

So anyway, a little convoluted, but the suggestion is that uh your best bet's gonna be to apply for the exemption, let us take a look at everything.

Let us take a look at everything.

Tom has made a recommendation of 134,000.

Uh I'm sorry, 138,462.

Um, and so um I can't speak today, but you know, I believe that that's probably gonna be you know your best option.

Um you establish market value at 155,000, so that's kind of tough for us to mess with, but it looks like everybody's do gonna do try to do a little bit to uh write the situation.

Okay.

Um so if that's the case, then you've got to cross off this and initial it and then check off box number two and initial it.

Okay.

That's on your application.

So cross off your check mark, initial that, and then check off box number two and then initial that.

Okay.

As you go over to the right side of the page, it'll say denial of the right in 485 J.

Okay.

And that's across from number two.

Yeah.

45J 485J.

Okay.

That's okay.

And I'll have her initial that as well.

Okay.

All right.

Now what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna ask you to go over to uh just because we've got some other people waiting.

There's excuse me, those are the comparable sales that I use.

Okay.

Um I'm gonna hand you one thing.

Just go over to uh Michelle.

Yeah.

This is her folder, and then could you just tell her what to do with this?

It's just filling it out, and I guess she won't know the completion date because she didn't do the work, but we'll you know I'll waive that.

Okay.

Okay.

All right.

Uh what do we got?

9 30.

We're still out of time.

Okay, I've got 853 Emerson Ave as the next property.

Okay, if you want to come on up here.

Good morning, how are you?

Well, first time here.

I have no idea what's going on, so that's all right.

People have said we don't know what's going on either.

But that's all right.

That's our I won't say any more.

That's all right.

Um so you're here for one property, 853 Emerson Ave?

Yes.

Okay.

So let me swear you in.

I'm gonna read some information in and uh, and then we'll we'll uh we'll help you through it.

Right.

Okay.

Um if you could raise your right hand, state your name for the record.

Richard J.

Goldman.

Do you affirm to tell the truth and give accurate information to the best of your ability?

Yes.

Okay, very good, thank you.

All right, once again, 853 Emerson Avenue.

Um I've got the application in here.

Uh this is a uh so is it your mom uh passed away?

Yes.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Uh you are the son, you are not the owner.

Okay, so it's still part of the estate.

Uh yes, well, I'm handicapped, that's why I was able to stay there.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

All right.

Let's hold that thought just for a second.

Um, so is this a single family house?

Uh I'm the only person that lives there, and my entire life I've lived there, and it's always been one family living there.

It's two floors.

But but it's it's not two apartments or anything.

It's a single family.

It's one big house.

Okay.

Upstairs and downstairs.

Okay, very good.

Uh okay.

We have a current tentative assessed value of $56,000 with a land value of $6900.

Petitioner believes the fair market value is $25,000, and that would be an assessed value of $13,000.

And the full value on $56,000 is $107 $692.

$107,692.

Okay.

Now when did your mom pass away?

Oh a couple years ago.

So your mother passed away a couple years ago, and you haven't done anything as far as paperwork's concerned.

No.

Okay.

Um I'm assuming you don't have an attorney.

Uh no.

No, I just came down because the only house that sold in my neighborhood was next door, and that just sold a couple years ago for 25,000.

Was this an increase?

No.

Oh, that's been about similarly about the same, you know.

Before she was getting the deduction.

So, you know.

Okay, so this is a senior exemption issue.

My mother was getting that before.

I'm not.

Okay.

And how old are you?

Yeah, I'm 60, uh, I'll be 68.

What is the age on the senior exemption?

Okay.

But it's not my name or anything.

Right, exactly.

So that's the first problem.

Um there's not a lot that are you gonna go through with the paperwork to get it in your name?

I did call up the surrogate's corn, they're sending me up.

I got a problem with the post office.

I'm not getting mail there.

So I get a PO box out of town where I get my mail at, so I have to be out of, you know, with the weather lately, I haven't been out there to get the paperwork.

So eventually I will uh I will take care of it.

Okay.

I don't know.

Okay.

So uh uh I guess so this wasn't uh an increase.

I'm sympathetic with this situation, but he has no standing.

He's not the owner of the property.

Right.

And until the estate is settled and somebody has actual ownership, and my understanding, this isn't my area, it's the commissioner's area, so I'm covering for him.

But um that uh you know that he doesn't have standing because he's not the owner, and to get the seniors, he'd have to own the property for at least one year before he can apply.

Is this your signature?

Yes, it is what's left of it.

You can you can refer to the court counsel for the official ruling, but you know, unfortunately he he couldn't even apply right for the grievance.

Right, technically.

Okay.

Uh there's not a lot that we can do here.

Um you've got to go through the processes to get the property in your name.

Uh, and you're saying that surrogate's court is sending you uh well, yeah.

I don't leave the house when I got agoraphobia, it's kind of like uh, you know, I get had anxiety task just coming down here and everything.

So okay, all right.

Well no, but I made it here, you know.

I parked down the street, and I realized it didn't take that took this long to walk here and everything from where I parked the car.

Okay.

Yeah, you know, you know, with my budget and everything else, you know, every every quarter counts.

Is there any uh John uh Meg uh is there any free legal services uh that we could point him in the direction of to try to Piscock legal aid is maybe the search university locked.

Can we get him some contact information?

Okay, all right.

I think that would be good.

You definitely need to have been there maybe 20, 30 years ago, and I didn't know if there were any of them places even left anymore.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, this would be a good option, and and uh and you know, I I uh um appreciate your issues, right?

Um but if you can do what you did today and uh try to get started, uh that would uh uh definitely help.

Our hands are tied because I understand that you're primarily I want to come down and see what yeah what was happening here and everything, so I'm not totally ignorant next time I come down.

Okay.

I do have to mention too that because we were never notified of the death, they got the senior citizens' exemption for a couple of years, which they weren't entitled to.

You know, which I don't know what legal principle I don't think the city will go back to try to get those taxes, but that's that's a whole nother scenario.

Yeah, yeah.

What would the exemption amount to?

Well, it would have been 50 percent.

And I don't know what the you know what the actual tax would have would have been, but it would have been half if they paid a thousand dollars in property taxes because of the senior citizen, it was fifty percent.

Yeah, it would be two thousand dollars in property taxes, and somebody applied in her name.

Yeah, yeah.

Are the taxes current?

As far as I know they are.

So are you paying the taxes?

Yes, I am.

Yeah, okay.

Okay, yep, I get it.

I get it.

Um our hands are tied, there's nothing we can do with the assessment, you know, based on the fact that you're not the owner.

Yeah.

But um we're gonna supply you with some information for the Hiscock Legal Aid Society.

Uh and I believe those are free legal services.

I don't know exactly what the situation is, but you definitely want to call them and set up an appointment uh to go wherever they are uh locally and uh explain the situation.

What I would do is uh um uh when do you expect to receive the paperwork from uh surroundings?

As soon as I make it out, you know depend uh probably okay, it might be in your mailbox won't it's in the mail out to my P.O.

box which is where it's in Madison County.

Okay.

Why don't you get a local PO box?

Because it cost about five times more and my local between the local post office is the one I'm fighting with, you know, because uh, you know, I've lived in this house since I've been uh five years old.

Okay, for over sixty years.

Had one mailman from the early sixties until uh the eighties, and then from the eighties to a couple years ago, then a couple years ago, all of a sudden, you know, you got these uh new postal workers out to say what uh you know, so sometimes I would get my mail, sometimes I'd get some other people's mail, I'd go deliver other people's mail.

So finally I get sick and tired of this because I didn't get my water bill from here, I didn't get uh notifications about credit cards and this and that, and so I went down to complain so they could deliver my mail totally.

You know, so it was a safety issue, right?

So then I went down to pick up my mail.

There's no mail there, and the girl starts screaming at me, and this went on and on and everything.

So, you know, why would I go all get a pill box in this post office that is you know totally worthless?

I understand.

Uh all right, let's see what Meg's got.

Yeah, I just have three numbers here.

These are unique people.

I mean to a lot of it.

There's HISTAC legally, try them for loyal lawyer referral service, and then legal services of CNY.

There's one for S U too, or you know, no, no, there was a good law students before you're you're passed by one of those.

Like I said, I would try to stop these items.

Okay.

Are they where they still on last I knew they were on Warren Street?

They're still there.

Are they still there?

Okay.

All right.

So uh what I would do is try to get out to your po PO box, uh get the surrogate court information.

Uh and uh and maybe simultaneously call uh one of those two.

Because they said I had to go down and get the death certificate too and everything.

You're gonna have to do all that.

Oh listen, like I said, I don't like leaving the house, and today today was enough for me today because I was thinking maybe today I'll go out to the P.O.

box and everything.

I'm not okay.

Uh was the uh exemption cancelled.

Yeah, okay.

Maybe that and that's why he's coming in, probably.

Uh okay, so there isn't any more exemption.

Okay.

Uh and again, there's nothing we can do.

Um until the property, so you you know, you've got some things you gotta do.

Okay.

All righty.

All right.

We done here.

We're done.

Okay.

Appreciate you coming in.

The city will send you a notice first week of April.

Okay, but thank you.

All right, but thank you for coming down.

Yes, I appreciate it.

Good luck and definitely definitely follow through, though, because it's not gonna go away.

And and and once you get it in your name, then you can reapply for the exemption.

Um so you know, there's no reason why you know you're you want to pay more taxes.

Yeah, you know, like I said, I get you know, I live on like a thousand dollars a month, and yes, no stay and age.

That's right.

No, that's right.

So this is the best for you, but you gotta you gotta follow through.

All right, thank you.

All right, thank you.

Okay, sir.

Uh 5105 Skyline Drive Rear.

How are you?

Okay.

Well, it's not as complicated as the first two have not been simple.

Well, that should be that's um good.

Uh okay, 5105 Skyline Drive Rear.

Um so let me swear you in if I could.

And uh thank you.

Uh state your name for the record.

Oh, Mulhound.

Do you affirm to tell the truth and give accurate information to the best of your ability?

I do.

Okay, thank you.

Uh okay, so what we have here is 5105 Skyline Drive Rear.

Uh so I'm guessing you uh own 5105 Skyline Drive.

Correct.

All right.

Well, let's start there.

Um let me read some numbers in, and it sounds like this piece would be behind it.

Um it's an attached parcel.

Uh this looks like my writing.

Oh, did we read this in, Michelle, before?

Uh were you did you have a uh previous time set?

I did.

Uh they had wrote Michelle called me.

I would had me scheduled for the 10th, but they actually wrote the 11th on that thing.

Oh, I see.

So I didn't show up and then scheduled for today.

Very good.

Um so let me reread it in.

Uh once again, 5105 Skyline Drive Rear.

Uh we have a current tenative assessed failure of $300 with a land value of $300.

Um the uh equitable market value would be $577.

Uh petitioner believes the fair market value is $174, and that would be an assessed value of $90.

Um, so if you want to just explain the situation.

So the this $1,800 square foot of property is in the rear of my property.

It's within the city boundary line.

The rest of my house is in town of Honda.

Um if you're this parcel, I believe has a right away from Dorwyn Ave.

If you're familiar with the valley coming up Dorwyn, then you cut would come out across you.

Several properties.

My my complaint is I don't think it's big enough to ever put anything on, number one.

My biggest complaint is not really the taxes.

My my complaint is the assessment that's going forward.

The major complaint is sidewalk fee.

Um eighty dollars this year.

I paid twenty dollars, laughed about it.

I used to laugh about it.

I get a tax bill for a dollar two or for a property and a dollar sixty-four for school taxes for the last 20 years.

Then all of a sudden it went up twenty bucks for a sidewalk fee.

I've been told you can't do nothing about the sidewalk fee that that doesn't fall in your realm.

My complaint is there's obviously no sidewalk.

It's in the middle of the woods in the ran track parcel kind of.

Um 20 bucks, uh 2003, 2004, 40 bucks, 60 bucks, 80 bucks this year.

Now it's gonna go to 100, they're telling me next year.

Property that to have to pay that kind of money on something that is you're assessed gonna assess to 300 bucks seems ridiculous to me.

That's where I stand.

Um and e even uh uh you know the increase on the property seems a little outrageous to me to almost triple it from 100 bucks to 300.

Again, I I've always laughed off the tax is you know to everybody.

I'm like, oh, I pay a dollar in the city, and you know, get nothing for it.

I've tried to get swim lessons, I've tried to get trash pick up, I've tried to get different things, but of course you won't, but hundred dollars sidewalk fees is starting to get doesn't make any sense.

All right to me.

Have you thought about combining the properties?

I I have.

Um I I had to do that at another property that I have up in the town of Amboy.

Um that process, I mean, can you do that here?

Okay, can we?

I I thought not here, he has to go through a formal resubdivision.

Yeah, which which I did, you know, little paperwork and what have you, but I think that's the way to go.

Just attach that property to the sidewalk fees and the whole bit.

Now it's all one.

That's a resubdivision.

That was going to be one of my questions because I had I got a camp up in the town of Amboy, and I did the same thing.

Attached properties and saved me like 500 bucks.

Yeah.

I think that would be in the city, right?

No, my house in the town of Another.

I pay West Hill School District taxes and you know, but that still can be done, right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

You'll have to get a new survey and it'll be you know some upfront money.

Um, but it's not going to be astronomical, and then you put it to bed.

I think that's the way to go.

What should he do?

A house is located in the town of Anadog.

You can't combine them.

No.

I thought the house was in the city.

No.

You thought the house was in the city.

That's why.

Right.

Yeah.

Okay.

But the lot is in the town of Geddes.

Town of Anadaga.

And uh so a resub is not an option because of the uh differences.

Uh yeah, I think so.

Let's see.

Yeah, that's okay.

Okay.

And maybe that's something that needs to be looked into, but it's not our department that would be.

I think somebody else came in with this same type of issue, and Michelle, you said something about common counselor.

It might have been me.

It was another person.

It was another person, but uh um, but that that would be another option, maybe to try to take it up with them.

So with that being said, I I did reach out to my common counselor, the office haven't heard nothing back from anybody.

Um is that the meeting tomorrow?

That's like a general meeting for common counselor.

Can anyone show up to that to state your case?

Yes.

So um anybody that is okay.

Public it's not public things or speak to that.

But I mean, I think that's a good thing.

Well, I'm just gonna say you talked to the common counselor for that area on a one-on-one basis, and then they'll proceed through with the you know, through whatever steps maybe they would talk to the administration to see if they re need to redefine that legislation to exclude rear parcels, because you know, to me it doesn't make sense, but I'm not the one that has to make that choice.

I just thought this was a place to start.

Yeah, no, that's good.

Uh the other thing is before you leave here, is somebody man in the common council office during the day?

Yeah.

Yeah, so you could you could hop hop right in there and and leave a floor at all.

Yeah, okay.

Not good.

Is that on this floor?

Yeah, it is.

Okay.

Yeah, I call I called them not too long ago, and uh they said Corey Williams was my counselor.

Then when I went on to the website and looked at all the tracks, it looks like uh the trip butrona Jones might be actually have that little snippet property area.

So I would definitely it's on this floor.

If you come out of here and take a right and go all the way to the end near the stairwell, that's the common council office.

Just knock on that door uh and say, hey, here's the situation.

Uh I'd like to leave a message, you know, for the correct person to call me back.

Uh and I would definitely attack it that way.

Unfortunately, you can't subdivide it, so I apologize for that.

Oh, that's fine.

I I was thinking that because I have done that before.

Yeah.

Right.

But again, yeah.

Different municipalities, I get it.

Um yeah.

Um I guess uh Does it make sense what I'm asking?

Worse they could tell you is no.

No, it definitely makes sense, no question about it.

And you know, he says, Well, see my property.

I don't want to get it.

I don't want to get it done.

Yeah, we're not gonna take a rear parcel.

Yeah, yeah.

I was gonna say uh um that you know you could get into situation where you just don't pay it.

Uh you know.

Try to do things the right way.

Yeah, no, I I agree with you, and that's good.

Um, as far as the assessment, you won't lower the assessment anyway.

I I don't and again and again.

No, not necessarily.

We'll we're still gonna take a look at it.

Okay, and uh the city will still send you a notice first week of April.

Um we'll dig in a little bit more, get a little more feedback from Tom.

Uh or who was the assessor on this one here.

I believe it's the commissioner.

Uh Matt?

Yeah.

Okay.

No, no, no.

Yeah, they they made that clear when I filled out that.

No, we'll we'll uh but we'll we'll check in with Matt and uh is he back?

I believe he is.

Okay.

Still recovery.

All right, but I think he is back.

Okay.

So we'll check with Matt as far as the uh uh to just get a little feedback on why the uh uh all these were raised.

Yeah, I mean, and again going to a hundred bucks on a rear property where there's not a sidewalk within you have a very valid RUN.

Yeah.

Well the taxes aren't going to go up a hundred bucks, they'll probably go up eight dollars a year.

Yeah, based on the assessed uh uh value.

So yeah, so it's not yeah, where you're gonna be paying an another hundred dollars.

Oh no, it's a block fee.

If I don't lose that, it's going up to a hundred dollars next year.

Oh, yeah.

So it's not the tax that you're added.

The tags I the tax kind of laugh at.

Yeah, exactly.

But oh ten bucks.

Yeah, no, seriously, the tax.

I I was gonna do a quick snip and go to almost go to the audit office and say, really?

So this was something that took place and it's automatically going up over how many year people.

Just curious.

It probably cost 20 bucks to process two bucks back.

This is the initial ordinance, this is the final year.

Here's my most recent one.

That's what I paid in the taxes, circled, and that's the sidewalk fee.

Yep, I see that.

Yeah.

There was 60 bucks.

There was this one here.

There's 40 bucks.

There's 20 bucks, you know.

Yeah, cap that one.

At 100.

Yeah.

Until it doesn't.

Until it becomes on camera.

So yeah, that that was just my complaint that 100%.

Absolutely.

Hey, we're on the same side as far as that's concerned.

We continue to have to do more with less.

Yeah.

When does it stop?

All right, thank you for hearing me.

Thank you.

Appreciate you coming in.

City will send you a notice first uh first week in April.

City will send you a notice first week in April.

Okay, thank you.

Joe, how are you, sir?

Good.

Okay.

I got a question for you when we're done.

Thank you.

Uh Joel, uh when the petitioner comes up, uh, I'll swear you in as well.

Yeah.

Okay, ma'am, we're all set for you.

Thank you.

Good.

Do you know Bill?

Yeah.

Oh I just saw the name of the sheet.

I threw it 50-50.

I was gonna I was gonna hold it against you.

Uh okay.

That's fine.

Well, we're the we're the independent board.

Yeah, and we're gonna move that.

Thank you.

Um so we're so we have somebody that represents the city.

Okay.

And then uh and then we're an independent board.

Um so we we represent ourselves, uh, we listen to what you have to say in the city and then make our own decision.

Okay.

So if you can just push that a little bit closer to yeah.

All right.

And uh so you're here for one property, 141 Shotwell Park.

Yes.

Okay, all right, very good.

Um so let me swear you in.

If you can raise your right hand for the record.

Uh Joe, uh state your name for the record.

Diana Clayton.

Joseph Luss, no.

Okay.

You both affirmed to tell the truth and give accurate information to the best of your ability.

Okay.

Very good.

I did.

All right, let me just read some information in and then we'll take it from there.

So this again is 141 Shotwell Park.

And it looks like we read this in also.

Uh so we'll read it in again.

We've got a current tentative assessed value of 11,000 with a land value of 16,200.

That would be a uh full market value of 219,231 dollars.

Petitioner believes the uh fair market value is 193,700, and that would be an equitable assessed value of 100,724.

Uh let me see if I can just pull some information out of here.

Okay.

So it looks like you purchased the property for 185,000 on June 16th of 2025.

All right, okay.

Was it on the market?

Uh was it uh listed for sale?

It was a private sale.

Okay.

Uh and uh who was the seller?

Uh Abni Jar Jay Hope.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Uh yeah, I can't pronounce his last name uh either, but we're familiar with with him.

Yeah.

Uh okay, so private sale.

How did you hear about the property?

Um uhni is an acquaintance of mine, and I was looking.

I was in the market myself.

Um I just asked him if he had anything available or coming up, and he said sure do when I had a couple of properties, and um he had a couple of offers on the on the house, and I offered him what I 185, and he took it.

So uh okay, I've got a picture of the house that I think you supplied so I added my house first, and all the information that I have on that.

That's just you know your Zillow.

Okay, and then I added um, I believe three comparables that were recently sold with the same um specs.

Okay.

And we've got some comp information.

Okay, what can you tell us about the house, your house?

Uh what would you like to know?

Uh any recent updates.

What did what did uh what did he do?

Uh AVNI fixed some of the exterior foundation because it was had some major cracks and crumbling.

Um he did a lot of foundation work to the exterior.

Um so that it would I had to get like approval from the bank, so there's a few things.

Um the inside of the home had been vacant for four years before I took before he took possession of the property.

Um so I believe the pipes burst on the inside of the home.

Um there was significant damage to the ceiling and walls.

Um so he went in and redid some of the plumbing.

Um I'm sorry to interrupt.

The house was vacant for four years.

Four years before I moved into it.

Yes.

And was this a uh closure?

Oh the sale.

Yes.

Well, what when first sale?

Yeah.

Yeah, it was a uh referee's deed.

Okay.

Uh to Agni, and then he did some rehab and uh just very little.

Two months prior to her purchasing it.

Oh the previous owner only had it for two months.

Oh, okay.

So he did uh some basic stuff that absolutely needed to be done.

He put a new electric panel on.

Because uh it was it needed to be done.

I it wouldn't have it wouldn't have passed for like take for me to get my loan for me to get my mortgage.

So he did some, he put a new panel on.

Um he did a lot of foundation work and um fixed some some plumbing.

I would say some.

I've had to go in and do all the new fixtures.

But this house was if I had just purchased it from him and he didn't do any of the work, it would not have been approved for a loan.

So there was like so we got it, you know.

Uh we got the bare minimum on that, so we were able to get it financed.

The uh uh kitchens, kitchen and baths, uh still old style.

All old all old style, yes.

It hasn't been updated in an I mean I'm not sure, maybe the fifties or sixties.

What's the square footage?

17 175, I believe it's is right there on the on the um zillow there.

Uh 1712.

1712.

1712 and uh old style.

How many bedrooms?

Four.

Four bedrooms.

How many baths?

One and a half.

One and a half.

Yes.

Half down, one up.

Yeah.

Full attic, full basement.

Yes.

Uh old kitchen, old baths.

Okay.

Um was this uh Joe, was this uh uh an increase?

It was a neighborhood review.

Neighborhood review, okay.

And uh 219.

And you paid the 185, I think.

Yeah, 185.

Okay.

Okay.

Um Joe, anything you want to add?

I'll come back to you.

But I just this is my first time doing this, so I just wanted to ask a few questions to get like a better understanding of what we're doing here.

So I see that the full market value is based on is 219, 231.

I wanted to see how how everybody how they get that number.

All right.

The full market was uh excuse me.

The full market value is based on the level of assessment uh that the city is currently at, which is based on an analysis done by the state.

So the state every year analyzes our assessment rule, and based on our level of assessment as it relates to the current market conditions, they determine our uh level of assessment.

It's currently for the coming year it's gonna be 52 percent.

Last year it was 57 and a half percent, and over the last 11 years it's gone down from 85 percent, I think when I started with the city to 52.

So it's just it's just an analysis of our level of assessment.

And I think where you're going is uh I guess what I'm saying is I so I understand the 52 and the 50 seven, but where is the two nineteen coming from?

You is it just a random number based on two.

So if you were to divide 52 percent into the 114, you would arrive at the 219, 231.

Okay, so it's not like you think my home was worth two nineteen.

Yes, that's what they're saying.

That's what we're saying.

That is what he's saying.

Oh, you sold your house today, you could get two nineteen.

Yeah, that's what I think that's what I'm that's what full market value is, right?

Right, yeah, right.

It's just a rep it's a it's a representation of our assessment based on the level of assessment.

I gotcha.

All right, so now how does he arrive at 219?

Is what you want to know?

Pretty much, yeah.

Okay.

So current current sales.

Current sales.

Yeah.

Okay.

All right.

So I assume you have some that you want to supply.

Okay.

All right, subject property 185.

Billsdale, Hillsdale, some of the comps that and then it's a plus and minus type thing.

And also taking into consideration, Joe, that it wasn't on the open market.

Right.

Okay.

So he used some of the same comps that you used.

And you're definitely can uh view those if you want.

Yours is on the uh left hand side, and then you work your way over.

Um so they're not exact comparisons, but um then he does, you know, uh as an appraiser does uh the pluses and minuses, and he feels that your house is worth 219 231.

Um so we'll take what you've submitted as well as what he's submitted, and then we'll make our own decision.

Uh and it could be, you know, uh the 219-231, but we'll dig into the cops of what you've supplied as well as uh the city assessor and uh and then we'll make a decision from there.

Okay.

Um do I guess my last question for you is uh um uh were you aware of the condition?

Uh or um did you unless we're told otherwise we assume typical conditions and and do you think she's in typical condition?

I I'm not sure I'm not aware.

I haven't okay.

Uh I mean I guess my question is do you based on the sales that I've seen of current houses up there, the low end would be 190s to upwards of two fifty for that type of house.

So in that range is typically what things are selling for based on all the factors that go into a sale.

Not requiring, but do you think you should take a walk through?

No.

Okay.

Uh so based on the information you have.

Do you have any pictures or anything of the uh I didn't print any.

Um I do have some.

Can you submit those?

Sure.

Where would you like me to submit them?

Yeah.

Um they can be emailed.

Yeah.

Michelle will give you the email if you could uh submit those by this Friday.

Yeah.

All right.

And uh if it's by email and you have them.

Um just want to see the condition of the uh uh everything but kitchens and baths type thing.

Oh yeah.

Oh I'll I've got some pictures, no problem.

Okay.

Yeah, it's gotta get it's a you know it's a full rehab.

Um it's again livable and I'm living in it, but it's gonna take a lot of money and it's gonna it's it's I have a large mortgage um and I have to put a lot more money into it to make it all of these houses that go on the market, they're they're they're ready to be sold.

They're they're nice, they're nicer.

Um you know, the reason I got this house for so cheap is because it will it was a rehab property.

It's not been renovated.

Um there's a lot of problems with it.

So I just wanna you know take that into consideration for you know the comps that are there.

Those are houses that have been painted and rehabbed and they're nice.

My house is uh definitely a fixed wrapper, so yeah.

I would just like to point out uh if this house were to sell on the open market, in order for the seller to receive the same amount of money, the house would be have to be listed for over 200,000 in order for the seller to receive the same 185.

Right.

Yep.

Aware of that, and uh yeah, they'd uh take into consideration uh uh that it wasn't on the uh open market and uh subject to overbidding and so on and so forth.

Uh okay.

Anything else you want to add?

Um yeah, so I just had a question.

So level of assessment's going down to it's at 52, right?

52 percent, that's right.

Right.

So market value.

So it went so in 2025 the full market value was at 187 of this house, and then it shot up to 219.

So again, is that just based on rerunning the numbers of sales?

It's based on based on two things moving.

The assessment was increased and the level of assessment was changed.

So it was every year we analyze our residential neighborhoods.

We have about 50 or so give or take in the city, and based on that analysis, we determine which areas are appreciating faster than others, and that's where we focus our attention.

Um so it's just a nature of Eastwood appreciating faster than the the rest of the city essentially, yeah.

Yeah, well that's always gonna happen because that's a nice straight.

You're on a great street.

You know, it's uh I wanna where I used to live in the valley.

Uh it's really on Oakley Drive.

Um beautiful, wonderful, you know, homes just like Shotwell, and there's there's no assess there's no increased assessment on that street this year, or that yeah, this year.

So I don't I just I've been asking, uh, you know, have you got a letter in the mail?

Have you got a letter in the mail?

No, I haven't.

Nobody's got a letter in the mail for their assessment at on that street.

On what street?

Uh East Oakley Drive.

That's in the South Valley.

Okay, yeah.

Well, they'll they'll look at that area may not, I don't know when the last time it was looked at, but um, you know, uh every two, three years, each area gets touched on.

Um so it's very possible that did not get looked at this past year.

Yeah, it just looks like in for particular just going through the tax history on my street and for this house, it looked like it changed in 20 from 24 to 25, and now again from 25 to 26.

And we're looking at uh let's see about a thirty three thousand dollar increase in one year.

And then it was the same from twenty-four to twenty-five.

It was like a significant, I think it was assessed at like eighty-six thousand or eighty thousand something in twenty twenty-four, and then one shot up to one oh eight before I obviously took um possession of the property.

So no one was there to grieve that assessment.

And then now it's going up again to six thousand in uh just one year.

So I just was unsure of, you know, why it's increasing so much over two or three year period, and then uh the rest of the city is not.

I think you've looked at uh Eastwood the last few years.

We I mean Eastwood and the last since COVID essentially has probably been the fastest appreciating neighborhood.

Yeah.

Uh I don't have the exact numbers and but it's it's up there, which is reflective of why it's been reviewed in twice in the last five years.

Right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's uh there's no rhyme or reason uh it's the activity that's taken place in the neighborhood and and uh uh not that it's uh uh uh targeted more frequently, but there's been a lot of activity in Eastwood over the last several years.

Yeah, I mean that's you know it's just a nice neighborhood.

Um and then I also I saw here on this assessment equity information.

I just did a little bit of um just looking around like the Department of Taxation and Finance website that in the city of Syracuse, the data and estimate type is sales only for residential.

So if I bought it for 185, I mean, does that is that taken into consideration based on what I actually paid for it versus what everyone else around me is selling for?

I think it's really there's no targeting going on.

It's pretty much uh are you asking to your assessment be based on your selling price?

Yeah, it looks like it's not in no, we don't one sale doesn't make a market, and particularly sales that are off market aren't considered in our analysis when we're determining assessments, so it would only be markets or the sales that we would look at and determining your assessment would be sales that were listed on the open market with buyer and seller that don't know each other that aren't uh sales that are historically influenced.

So when I say that I mean like the state sales, we don't include those.

So there's a whole number of types of sales that we don't include.

So those the sales that we do include, we call them arms length transactions, the buyer and seller don't know each other, there's you know they're on the market, available to anyone to purchase.

Those are the sales that we base our analysis off of.

Yeah.

Okay.

So send some pictures over your way.

Yes, please and uh any other questions.

Um would it be worth it to like maybe get my own assessment?

Would it be worth it to do what?

Sometimes people get their house assessed for you know, mortgage or refinancing or whatever, like would it be worth it for me to get something like that done and submit?

I don't think you'll be able to get it done in time this year.

Yeah.

Um so I would say probably to that uh I mean we have a fair amount of information that you supplied um uh under the the time constraints, I don't think I would worry about that this year.

Okay.

Uh we'll go off of the comps you supplied and also the city and then the pictures.

Okay.

Um but uh if for some reason the assessment gets raised again next year.

Um you know you may want to have an actual appraisal done.

That's good.

And does the assessment normally get you said two to three years, but based on the history of this house, it's been every year.

So would that typically happen again?

Like is there a chance it can get raised again next year?

Is there a chance that it would go up again in 2027?

There's always a chance, but um uh I think the city's cognizant of uh uh prior years increases, so you know, I can't speak for the city.

Yeah.

Um, but uh if your assessment went up uh two years ago and a year ago, uh or last year, this year.

You know, again, I can't speak for the city.

Yeah, but um I just was like looking trying to look forward to see or look ahead to see what's to be expected with this house living in this neighborhood, dealing with this assessment thing with the taxes increasing and all of that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I just don't want to be priced out of my own home, that's all.

Exactly.

Uh understood.

Yeah.

Um again uh it's based on market conditions and the activity that takes place over uh 2026 here as to if another look is uh makes sense.

I just want to point out our job isn't to uh generate revenue.

Our job is to equitably disperse the le the levy throughout the city.

So we're not we don't set the tax rates, which is what is driving the which is ultimately what drives your tax bill.

Our job is to just uh fairly assess everyone over the city so their houses are representative of market value.

Right.

I understand the relationship and I know how things work.

I'm not tone deaf on that.

But that's not what we're we're here for.

But like living in the the worst house on the block, which is kind of my scenario.

It's uh you know, the the least cared for and the least maintained uh if you walk up and down my block, you'll be able to see that.

Um so having a comparable tax rate or assessment based on everybody's else's houses who are really really nice.

My my house just isn't at that level.

It it can be and it might be someday, but it's it's not there.

Um so to have to kind of disperse my assessment of my home compared to all the wonderful beautiful houses in my neighborhood and my streets.

Um it's just I'm just trying to figure out you know, a way again to just I don't make it affordable for myself because it's uh it's only me.

That's it.

It's me and my daughter.

So I bought this house.

Um I apologize.

You did the right thing as far as purchasing is concerned.

I just don't know.

Just don't want to be afraid to not be able to afford it.

Yeah.

Yep, I get that.

Yeah, and all that.

Uh that would be through the state for her.

So she'd have to contact you.

I can't tell, no.

I mean, there's like no, you know, you your taxes are what your taxes are.

You get your star savings and that's it.

You don't I don't get anything else.

Um do you know if did you apply for the star?

Okay.

All right.

And so based on when you purchased it, it'll it'll come into play later on this year as far as uh actual check is concerned.

Uh but uh uh uh again uh we understand where you're coming from.

Uh home ownership is absolutely the way to go.

So you didn't have to make the ROM or uh but you know, you juggling a lot of things for sure.

Yeah, thank you for understanding um it is the big juggle, you know, and to have you know a tax bill that was I don't know, my last house was twenty-six hundred dollars a year, and then to go here it's um my taxes are almost six thousand dollars a year.

Um that's a lot for someone on my salary, and I'm making it work, I'm trying to make it work, but just you know when your assessed value goes up, you know your taxes are gonna go up.

And I know they they're they don't have anything to do with it, you know, the assessment office has nothing to do with it.

They say that's all the state, that's the state, that's the state.

Um, but I just I just want to put that out there.

This is the whole reason I'm here today.

And it's not that I care about my uh assessment going up six thousand dollars and probably not gonna make a huge difference for tax difference for taxes, but like every dollar I'm just I'm trying to budget and save.

So um yeah, that's it.

That's it.

I just again I don't want to be able to not afford it.

Based on the work I've needed.

No, this would be an equalization change.

Oh 45 would only be if there was work be done.

Well, there was work done.

I mean I obviously took it from going to Right, but the assessment would have to be, I mean, that would be something if it was like a structural thing, then we should have been we should typically we should be aware of that prior to the work being done.

In order, like I have no way of determining what the base assessment could be, and what the condition of the house was prior to uh the sale.

And uh what was the increase?

Was it six thousand dollars?

Um, yeah, so 2025 was 108 assessed value, and then 2026 is 114 assessed value.

So not even a good thing.

But I can look into that more if you'd like, but I don't know how I would be able to determine what the condition of the house was prior to and what work was done.

That's just uh that's why we tell people, you know.

That's why it's best when they when you do work like that to notify us, or if the assessment was you know let's uh we'll we'll uh uh submit submit those pictures if you would.

I will uh uh by Friday, and then uh once we start deliberating, we'll uh they'll be in the file, and then we'll we'll uh uh go over that information good and and uh uh we'll uh see if Joe will take a peek at the pictures as well.

Thank you.

So anyway, we'll give a good uh overview.

But uh again uh nothing to get uh uh upset about.

Uh definitely did the right thing with rents the way they are, you absolutely did the right thing as far as purchases concerned.

Thank you.

So it's the same.

Okay, thank you so much.

Our good news is that the city telling you it's worth more than your paper.

So you've got a value.

And it's like I I got um first time homebuyer's grant to get the house.

Sorry, to get the house, and um I ha to keep remain I have to keep possession of the house for five years.

Oh yeah, did you say five years?

I have I have to at least live in it for five years.

The grant to move into the house.

Um so you know, it's like, well, if I got priced out of the house and had him sell it, it's like um and I don't want to.

I like I want to live there for five years.

I love the street.

It's beautiful.

So um, but I'm just saying if I if this became unaffordable for me and then I was forced to sell it, um, you know, it's there's penalties with that.

So I I'm stuck here.

Um no, I'm not stuck.

I love it.

I don't feel like I'm stuck, but it just I'm trying to make this affordable for me.

Um, and that's the only reason, you know, that's why I'm here today.

So anyway, um, yeah, that's everything I have, and I'll send pictures.

Okay of what I've got.

I used to own the house at 137, 139, which is right next to you.

Steve.

Yeah.

Yeah.

He's a great guy.

Yeah, they're they're wonderful.

Yeah.

Um, right, yeah.

And then the the house next door to me um that was completely uh renovated before they purchased it.

Um they have like four bedrooms and three baths, and they paid a lot of money, a lot of money for their house.

Um, and my house is like, I feel like I paid a lot of money for my house, and it has none of that.

You know, everything is up to me to renovate.

So you know, it's it's a long, I don't know.

We're painting, that's what we're doing.

So but anyway, I will send you all the pictures of everything, um, and how the the status of the houses right now.

Yeah, it'll it'll all work out.

If you have you met Steve?

Yeah, oh yeah.

Okay, good.

Yeah, he's a good person.

Yeah.

And he's got his um his tenant upstairs.

She's wonderful too.

Yeah.

Yeah, they're good.

It'll be fine.

Thank you.

Uh okay.

Uh and then uh after we review everything, we'll uh the city will send you a notice first week of April.

Thank you so much.

Appreciate it.

Thanks for hearing me.

Yes, that's true.

Jill, thank you for it.

Michelle, that's it for today.

Okay, so uh uh that's the last hearing for today.

Thank you very much.

And uh we'll be in session uh tomorrow, Wednesday, uh the 18th of February uh from five o'clock until eight o'clock p.m.

Thank you.