(Long Island, NY) Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Edward Hennessey (D-Medford) that will provide real property tax relief to residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Superstorm Sandy was signed into law by the Governor.
“So many Long Island families are facing an enormous financial burden, and this legislation aims to ease some of that,” Assemblyman Hennessey said. “In a time like this, it’s not right to ask property owners to pay their full property taxes on property that is damaged or destroyed.”
The Superstorm Sandy Assessment Relief Act must be adopted by eligible municipalities to lower the 2012-2013 tax assessment of properties that lost a certain percentage of their structural value due to the storm. If a reduction is granted and taxes have not yet been paid, then the tax bill will be reduced, but if taxes have already been paid, a refund will be provided.
In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, Assemblyman Hennessey fought to help families begin to rebuild by:
- Supporting the Homeowners Bill of Rights (A.2287) which requires insurers to provide property owners with an easy-to-understand disclosure notice detailing their coverage in the event of a catastrophic event;
- Improving the state’s emergency response procedures to better prepare for future natural disasters (Ch. 101 of 2013); and
- Supporting the law to allow counties to grant exemptions for the filing fees associated with federal Small Business Administration Disaster Loans taken out for Sandy recovery efforts (Ch. 350 of 2013).
