Mineola, NY) It has been reported that Nassau County paid over $31 million dollars in Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR) tax refunds from 2001-2003 yet few people are aware of the fact that the hearing officers who settle property assessment challenges in New York State Supreme Court receive less training than New York City Administrative law judges who adjudicate parking code violations.
"Establishing Fair Market Values on properties for assessment purposes is a complicated and highly technical process that requires years of professional training," stated Assessor Levinson. "Yet, millions of dollars are awarded each year by individuals who pass a three hour training course and are required to decide thousands of cases filed by the voracious cottage industry of tax grievance specialists and attorneys each year."
To help educate SCAR hearing officers and enhance the decision-making process, Assessor Harvey Levinson, in cooperation with Nassau Community College President Dr. Sean Fanelli, has proposed the creation of a two semester "Property Tax Assessment Certificate Program." The Certificate Program will include introductions to important fields of study including: assessment systems, mass appraisal, commercial and residential data collection, statistical analysis, and assessment administration.
"It is my hope that the State of New York will replace its existing SCAR hearing officer certification program with a more comprehensive course of study, to ensure decisions affecting millions of taxpayer dollars are handled intelligently and carefully," stated Assessor Levinson. "And, as Assessor, I will be working each day with the County's reassessment contractor to improve the methodologies used to establish property values that are as accurate as Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) will allow so that the number of challenges are significantly reduced." |
