Many years ago, a Schenectady property owner decided to change the wording on the deed so that if anything happened to her, the son or daughter would automatically be the owner of the property. She was then listed as having a “life estate” on the property with her child, who lives with her, on the deed as “remainderman.” She continued to received the “Enhanced STAR” she was entitled to until this year. When she went to submit her STAR application for this year, she was told that she now needed to report her child’s income and it would be considered when deciding whether she would be “Basic” or “Enhanced.” The assessor told her that this was because the son or daughter lives in the house with her (but she pays all the bills). She ended up getting “Basic.” At this point, I became involved because I know that other towns and cities were doing this differently and in New York state we should all be the same. After many phone calls back and forth, with the assessor’s office insisting that they are correct (and the city attorney looking it over and agreeing with her), I went online and discovered that the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has the exact question and answer as a remedy to this ongoing dispute, with just a gender change from male “life estate” (father) to female “life estate” (mother). As the son or daughter is considered the remainderman who will inherit the property upon the death of the life tenant, “the life tenant is considered the owner for purposes of the exemption” and the remainderman’s income is not considered. I asked the city assessor to verify and correct this error on my friend’s bill, and it has been corrected, with her getting the “Enhanced” STAR back. I then asked the assessor if she is going to notify and correct all the others whose STAR exemptions/bills were changed this year due to her inaccurate interpretation of the law, but she told me she would only change those who complained and no one else had complained. You obviously won’t complain unless you discover (through this letter) that New York state has already made a ruling on this and all those who were forced by Schenectady to include the remainderman’s income should immediately notify the assessor’s offi ce in writing that they want this correction made and their school tax bill reissued.
Just more proof of the democrat leadership/administration/leadership in the city screwing the real taxpayers, the financially struggling homeowners while the democrat leadership/administration/leadership allows high paid cronies to illegally have STAR exemptions -- the high paid--quarter of a million dollars of COUNTY TAX DOLLARS to pay Philip Morris at Proctors -- is allowed to have two STAR exemptions, LIES on his STAR application for his second house and does he face any criminal charges? NO, the dems protect him.
But I do hear someone reading that story, who, by virtue of not/never owning a house, not/never being a taxpayer is saying "hmmm, is that what an L.E. is that the nayboob has mentioned a few times, oh 'mommy 1 and mommy 2' do you have ....?"
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Morris caused a lot of problems for taxpayers in Schenectady. New homeowners are getting grilled about their eligibility when they file for STAR, and asked for proof that they don't have to have. Nothing serious, but an annoyance that they shouldn't have to put up with. The worst part is that Cuomo and the tax department are now getting involved, just because of this. More people are going to get cheated out of exemptions they are entitled to or made to jump through unnecessary hoops, because they got caught with their pants down here in Schenectady. We're now locking the barn door after the horse is stolen. Nobody in Schenectady government understands taxes, exemptions, real estate, credit, purchasing, budgeting...shall I go on?
Morris caused a lot of problems for taxpayers in Schenectady. New homeowners are getting grilled about their eligibility when they file for STAR, and asked for proof that they don't have to have. Nothing serious, but an annoyance that they shouldn't have to put up with. The worst part is that Cuomo and the tax department are now getting involved, just because of this. More people are going to get cheated out of exemptions they are entitled to or made to jump through unnecessary hoops, because they got caught with their pants down here in Schenectady. We're now locking the barn door after the horse is stolen. Nobody in Schenectady government understands taxes, exemptions, real estate, credit, purchasing, budgeting...shall I go on?
And apparently nobody, or very very few, understand how the dems are ruining the city. Wait, the overwhelming majority of people don't understand because they aren't taxpayers, they sponge off the government in some way. Sad. The good people have fled.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
True dat. They don't understand, or they don't want to understand because they don't want to think about what is going to happen when the music stops. Willful ignorance.
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