City Council Members Torres and Levine Introduce Bill to Create Affordable Housing Watchlist and Online Map

The watchlist and online map would keep track of affordable housing rental units at-risk of becoming unaffordable, as defined by specified criteria. On April 7, 2016, New York City Council Members Ritchie Torres and Mark Levine introduced a bill to implement the creation of a watchlist for affordable residential rental units Citywide that are at risk of losing their affordable-housing status.  The bill provides the requisite criteria to be met by a residential rental unit … <Read More>


City Developer Denied Tax Abatement

Court found that application was not filed within the statutory time period of one year. On January 27, 2016, the New York State Supreme Court denied a Brooklyn developer’s petition to reverse a Department of Finance decision to not grant a tax abatement. The Developer, 96 Wythe Acquisitions, filed the petition after the Department of Finance denied the application for the tax abatement because it was not filed within the mandatory one-year requirement. 96 Wythe … <Read More>


Comptroller Releases Findings of Lost City Revenue in Audit of Department of Finance

The audit report reveals that the misclassification of 140 properties has deprived the City of $1.7 million annually in lost property tax revenue. On February 18, 2016, the Office of the NYC Comptroller publicized the results from its audit of the New York City Department of Finance.  The audit sought to investigate whether the Department of Finance had implemented procedures that adequately safeguard against the misclassification of Brooklyn property sites. The Comptroller’s Office and DOF … <Read More>


Comptroller Audit Finds $10 Million Wrongly Given In Tax Abatements

Audit determined the Department of Finance improperly gave abatements to condos and co-ops owned by corporations over a four-year period.  On January 28, 2016 the Office of the City Comptroller Scott Stringer released a report of an audit conducted of the Department of Finance.  In the final report, the Comptroller’s Office found the Department of Finance wrongly gave out over $10 million worth of property tax abatements to corporate-owned condominums, co-ops, indoor parking spaces, … <Read More>


Center for NYC Neighborhoods Hosts Panel on Affordable Homeownership

The keynote panel focused on the issues and challenges raised by affordable housing creation and preservation in New York City.  On September 30, 2015, the Center for NYC Neighborhoods held its conference on the Future of Affordable Homeownership in NYC.  The event was hosted at New York Law School and sponsored by NYLS, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, the Center for Real Estate Studies, the Center for New York City Law, and several other … <Read More>


Nonprofit’s Parking Facilities Ruled Subject to Property Tax

Court of Appeals reversed decision of Appellate Division recognizing a tax exemption.  In 2011, the Department of Finance revoked a property tax exemption granted for five public parking facilities owned by the nonprofit Greater Jamaica Development Corporation and its LLC, Jamaica First Parking.  The exemption, granted in 2007 pursuant to RPTL §420-a in recognition of Greater Jamaica’s mission to spur development and growth in the downtown Jamaica area, was revoked on the grounds that operating … <Read More>