What's happening
This bill requires municipalities to send a second notice about senior citizen property tax exemptions thirty days before the application deadline.
Why it matters
Increases Awareness and Access. By mandating a second notice about the senior citizen property tax exemption, the bill aims to ensure that more eligible seniors are reminded in time, potentially increasing participation and easing financial burdens for those who may have missed or forgotten the initial notice.
Targets a Vulnerable Population. Seniors can be particularly vulnerable to missing deadlines due to health, memory, or mobility issues. This bill specifically addresses their needs, which could help prevent unintended lapses in tax relief that some may rely on to stay in their homes.
Reduces Risk of Lost Benefits. Missing the application deadline can mean a year without valuable tax relief. The required second notice, sent a month before the deadline, provides a safety net to help ensure eligible individuals do not inadvertently lose out on benefits due to oversight or missed mail.
May Improve Municipal Communication Practices. The law could set a precedent for other important notices, encouraging municipalities to adopt similar double-notification practices for other critical deadlines, thereby improving public service delivery and transparency.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Remind Seniors of Tax Breaks
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to aging
- Referred to aging
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3435
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 29, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ, JAFFEE, SEAWRIGHT, WALLACE, BARRON -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Aging
AN ACT to amend the real property tax law, in relation to required notice of tax exemptions for senior citizens
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 467 of the real property tax law, as amended by chapter 406 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
4. Every municipal corporation in which such real property is located shall notify, or cause to be notified, each person owning residential real property in such municipal corporation of the provisions of this section. The provisions of this subdivision may be met by a notice or legend sent on or with each tax bill to such persons reading "You may be eligible for senior citizen tax exemptions. Senior citizens have until month.........., day......., year......, to apply for such exemptions. For information please call or write....," followed by the name, telephone number and/or address of a person or department selected by the municipal corporation to explain the provisions of this section. Each cooperative apartment corporation shall notify each tenant-stockholder thereof in residence of such provisions as set forth herein. Failure to notify, or cause to be notified any person who is in fact, eligible to receive the exemption provided by this section or the failure of such person to receive the same shall not prevent the levy, collection and enforcement of the payment of the taxes on property owned by such person. A second copy of the notice required by this subdivision shall be sent thirty days prior to the filing deadline.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00741-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.