A group that includes Related and the Durst Organization has sued in State Supreme Court to get the city’s cockamamie property tax assessment scheme kicked to the curb.
Tax Equity Now New York (TENNY) claims the current law and its implementation violate the equal protection and due process clauses of the New York and US constitutions, the state’s Real Property Tax Law and the federal Fair Housing Act.
They also request a “permanent injunction against the unlawful and discriminatory exaction of property taxes in New York City.” A similar lawsuit that had been filed by just renters was tossed out for lack of standing.
While no one likes to pay property taxes, what is fair?
“There is no reasonable relationship between the value one pays and the value of the property,” said Martha Stark, former finance commissioner and director of policy for TENNY, who has been trying to fix inequities for almost 30 years.
