How do property-tax grievances work?
Written and reviewed by Andrew Ragusa, Licensed Real Estate Broker and Broker of Record, REMI Realty LLC — 11+ years of transactions across Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens.
The short answer
A property-tax grievance is a challenge to the assessed value of your property, with the goal of lowering your tax bill. If the assessment appears higher than it should be, a grievance specialist can review the case and handle the relevant filings.
In New York, the review is normally administrative first, through the local assessment review process. If the owner is not satisfied with that result, court review may follow, but not every grievance goes to court. Deadlines and procedures depend on where the property is located. The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance explains how to contest an assessment.
For the grievance itself, I recommend the company I work with, Platinum Group, which handles the assessment challenge. That is different from tax advice. For questions about your own taxes, I recommend Joshua Kreitzman, the accountant I personally work with.