Monday, April 5, 2010

Senator Addabbo & Assembly Members Miller, Nolan, Pheffer, Councilwoman Crowley Co-Host Tax Lien Help Event at Cordon Bleu...

Local Electeds Co-Host Tax Lien Assistance Outreach Event

Senator Addabbo, Assemblyman Miller, Assemblywoman Nolan, Assemblywoman Pheffer, and Councilwoman Crowley Offer Help to District Property Owners

Click on Image to Enlarge...

NYS Senator Joe Addabbo is co-hosting a free Tax Lien Assistance Outreach Event, along with southern and western Queens electeds Assemblyman Mike Miller, Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer and Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley.

Constituents who are struggling with tax lien issues should come for help to prevent losing their homes/properties on Tuesday, April 6, to Cordon Bleu, 96-01 Jamaica Avenue, Woodhaven, between 5:30 – 8:00 PM. All are welcome to this free community outreach event. The site is conveniently located near the Woodhaven Boulevard train stop (J, Z) and the Q 11 and Q 56 bus routes and is handicap accessible.

Property owners must bring their water/sewer bills, property taxes and Department of Housing and Preservation loan paperwork. The City will have representatives on hand to offer customer service and be able to check your eligibility for billing programs, including their new Water Debt Assistance Program and provide help with setting up payment plans. Representatives from New York City Environmental Protection (DEP), New York City Finance (DOF) and New York City Department of Housing and Preservation (HPD) will be there to assist residents.

The DEP will provide customer service regarding payment of water and sewer bills; water conservation education and water assistance program; the Department of Finance will cover Real Property Tax Credit guidelines; the Department of Finance will cover its Exemption Programs; the Department of Housing and Preservation will provide assistance in preventing foreclosures and predatory lending and assist with securing low-interest loans.

A tax lien usually involves real estate although it can also involve other forms of personal property. A lien is placed on the property when the owner fails to pay, or is delinquent in paying, certain taxes. Less common are tax liens that involve other fees owed to a government agency.

For example, in New York City, if you don't pay your water bill and you've run up a bill of $1,000 or more that you owe the City, then they can file for a tax lien against your property. In most situations, however, tax liens are issued because of delinquent property taxes.

When a tax lien does involve real estate and the property does exchange hands, the obligation of repayment is said to "run with the land." That means the new property owner is now responsible for repayment of taxes owed even if the non-payment occurred because of a prior owner. This is one of the reasons a title search and title insurance is so important to new homeowners.

A State Senate resolution has urged bipartisan support for Property Tax Relief aimed at reversing New York’s skyrocketing property taxes in order to put more money back in the hands of middle income families and senior homeowners.

For more information about the tax lien outreach event, please call David Giller at Senator Addabbo’s office: 718-738-1111.