Four in 10 Disapprove of Current Property Tax System
By Hank Russell
A survey that was released on November 12 found that approximately two-thirds of Long Island homeowners expressed concern about affordability and said they foresee their taxes continuing to go up in the future. The survey also found that nearly half of homeowners are dissatisfied with the current tax assessment system.
Ownwell, a property tax appeal platform, surveyed 164 property owners across Nassau and Suffolk Counties about their opinion of their county’s property tax system. Only 5% thought it was accurate and well-managed, 34% thought it was somewhat accurate but inefficient, 43% said it was inaccurate and outdated and 18% had no opinion. Additionally, 91% of respondents agree that the property tax system in their county negatively affects homeowners who don’t file grievances.
When separated by county, Nassau homeowners had a higher distrust in their county’s property tax system with 50% believing it is inaccurate and outdated, while only 35% of Suffolk homeowners thought the same way.
Additionally, 65% of property owners say they are extremely concerned about the long-term affordability of owning a home on Long Island due to property tax increases. An overwhelming 96% expressed at least some concern (true for both counties individually and combined). These results point to a broken system that rewards those who appeal and punishes those who don’t — regardless of whether their assessments are fair. Citing a Newsday article, Ownwell said homeowners who don’t file grievances are often left paying inflated assessments and rising tax rates, effectively subsidizing those who do take action.
To combat this system, property owners’ only option is to file a grievance each year. Eighty-one percent of Nassau property owners report having filed a property tax grievance before, nearly quadruple the national rate of 22%. Appealing is more common among Long Island homeowners because it’s the only option to combat one of the nation’s most expensive property tax markets, according to Ownwell.
Homeowners must file a tax grievance whether they think they qualify for savings or not, because those who don’t appeal end up subsidizing those who do. The survey found that 62% of respondents have filed a property tax grievance in Nassau or Suffolk County (or permitted a third party to file on their behalf).
When broken down by county, 81% of Nassau homeowners have filed a property tax grievance, while only 43% of Suffolk homeowners have filed a grievance.
Of the 38% who have never filed a grievance or had a third party file for them, 35% weren’t aware they could file a grievance, 16% found the process too confusing and 6% say they don’t trust grievance firms, according to the survey. In addition, 92% of respondents either strongly or somewhat agreed that their county’s property tax system negatively affects homeowners who do not file grievances.
“It’s clear homeowners are dealing with more than just rising costs — we’re dealing with a broken process,” said Ownwell CEO/Founder Colton Pace. “Homeowners shouldn’t be penalized for trusting the system. Filing a property tax grievance shouldn’t be reserved for those with legal teams or insider knowledge. Ownwell works to level the playing field and ensure that no homeowner is left paying more than their fair share simply because they didn’t know how to fight back.”
Long Island Life & Politics reached out to Suffolk and Nassau Counties for a response, but did not hear back as of press time.