Grievance Day flood relief available

Legislature opts into Flood Assessment Relief Act of 2005 - Residents must file for reduced value assessment during May 24 Grievance Day

MONTICELLO, NY — Governor George Pataki on Monday afternoon, May 23, signed the "Flood Assessment Relief Act of 2005" and the Sullivan County Legislature in special session immediately passed a resolution opting into the provisions of the relief act.

The resolution will allow anyone who feels they need to make a claim for a reduced value assessment due to April's floods to make that claim to their local Board of Assessment Review during Grievance Hours on May 24. In essence, the law allows the board to re-value the property based on the value of the property after the flood instead of the usual March 1 taxable status date.

As it stands the law allows the assessment break on May 24 only, however Pataki’s announcement of his signing stated that the governor requested an amendment providing an extension that would allow property owners up to three years to file for the relief benefits. Residents should contact their town offices to determine when the Assessment Review Board will hold grievance hours.