Posted on 07/31/2026 8:15:08 PM PDT by grundle
City Councilwoman Gale Brewer spotted her name tied to the brownstone she owns.
“I’ve been living there 365 days a year since 1994,” said Ms. Brewer, who said she did not own another home. “I can’t figure out why I was listed.”
She had been in favor of the pied-à-terre tax, but she said she was rethinking her support after hearing from angry constituents worried about their names turning up on the lists, too. City officials need to handle the rollout better, she said.
Some residents said the city mistakenly sent them letters saying they owed a second-home tax on property they have lived in as a primary residence.
Some residents were troubled by what they thought was a short timeline for appeals: Aug. 21 for residential properties or Aug. 24 for co-ops.
Karen Young was surprised when she opened a letter this week and found a notice that she might be subject to a “surcharge,” as the letter called the new tax, on her Upper West Side home, of about $43,000. The five-story house, steps away from Central Park, is the only home she has lived in since 1997.
“I have been a primary resident of New York City since 1972,” said Ms. Young, who spent years restoring her Upper West Side home to its late 19th-century grandeur. “Everything — voter registration, driver’s license, jury duty — all right here. What were they thinking?”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
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WHY AM I CONVINCED THEIR VOTER ROLLS ARE JUST AS INACCURATE?
Check against the voter registration rolls. Someone probably registered her name in several locations so additional votes could be submitted in her name (and likely without her knowledge)
I’m confused about this tax.
It’s a property tax on people who own property in NYC but have a principal residence somewhere else. At least that’s my understanding.
I get confused,, because aren’t these property owners already paying the regular property tax? Whatever that tax might be on those properties?
Isn’t this an additional property tax? And maybe there’s even an equal protection violation, because they’re already paying the regular property tax?
She had been in favor of the pied-à-terre tax, but she said she was rethinking her support
“Don’t tax you, don’t tax me, tax that guy behind the tree.”
I’ll wager those receiving a letter “in error” file their NY Tax return as a part year resident. Typically, you can only use that filing status for a year of permanent residency change. i.e. move into or out of. Perhaps their snow bird tax games are catching up with them.
Ok, so she's in favor of taxing other people but not herself, apparently because she's a member of the politburo. She wanted the hot mess NYC is turning into, now it affects her. I'm fresh out of cares for her.
As for the people who are on the list for their full time homes, is it possible they are using a P.O. box or other mail drop as their official address for privacy, thus not matching their property address making it appear to be a second home.
“The “logic” is that they are living outside of New York to avoid the income tax”
Except a resident of New York City with an investment property that’s not a primary residence also gets the privilege of financing his nibs socialist dreams.
The NYC pied-à-terre tax requires luxury second-home owners to prove that their city property is not their primary residence. Because the city placed the burden of proof on homeowners, residents who received warning letters must use documents like voter registration lists, driver’s licenses, and income taxes to disprove the city’s assumption and claim their property is exempt.
The connection between the tax and voting records is specifically outlined in the city’s appeals and exemption process:
How Voting Records Tie Into the Process
Identifying Exemptions: If a homeowner received a notice indicating they may owe the surcharge (aimed at single and multi-family homes above $5 million and co-ops/condos over $1 million), they must actively apply for an exemption.
Proof of Primary Residency: To successfully appeal, owners must submit proof of primary residency. The Department of Finance accepts a voter identification card issued by the New York City Board of Elections or an income tax return listing the property as their permanent home.
Two-Document Rule: Homeowners who do not have an NYC tax return listing the property must generally provide at least two forms of supporting documentation, of which a NYC voter registration card is a primary accepted piece of evidence.
The controversy surrounding the tax’s rollout is largely tied to how this data is being used. Rather than the city proactively checking its own voting and tax databases to filter out full-time residents, the Department of Finance sent out about 17,000 blanket warning letters to owners above the property value thresholds.
Many die-hard, year-round New Yorkers found themselves on this list and are now being forced to compile government documents—including their local voting history—to prove they actually live in the city.
This is not innocent. They are trying to scam unknowing old people into paying this tax when they don’t owe it. It is a literal scam operation.
Just get on the first highway you come to heading south.
Pay your fair share!
Many jurisdictions have lower tax rates on primary residences.
The Democrat party is in general a literal scam operation, so yes, it follows.
Spoon fed rich commie mayor
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