Schuyler County property owners being targeted by property tax scam

Kendall LeValley
·2 min read

SCHUYLER COUNTY, N.Y. (WETM) – Schuyler County officials are warning property owners of a scam that is circulating in the area involving assistance in challenging property taxes.

The scam involves a company or person who charges fees to dispute a property owner’s property assessment or offers to appear for them in court without being a licensed lawyer.

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According to Real Property Tax Office Director Kelly Anderson, some property owners have received a flier for a service to have their property’s tax value reduced for a fee. The flier demands that the person must appeal immediately and that they will be represented before the board of assessment review and in state court by the company or person leaving the flier.

The flier does not fully explain the services or the fees but contains a signature line for property owners to sign and indicate that they have hired them to challenge their property taxes.

While this task is something a property owner can authorize someone else to do for them, the process of grieving a property assessment can be done on your own for free by completing the New York State “Complaint on Real Property Assessment” form (RP-524) and filing it on or before your town’s grievance day.

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Those who are interested in completing the process themselves are encouraged to contact Anderson’s office at 607-535-8118 or visit the office’s official website.

Schuyler County Attorney Steven Getman states that property owners who believe they need legal assistance with appealing their tax assessments should contact a local attorney or the New York State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service at 1-800-342-3661 or online.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Hourihan encourages anyone who thinks they may have fallen victim to the scam to report their complaints to their local law enforcement agency or the Schuyler County District Attorney’s Office.

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