Honorable Thomas Suozzi

Nassau County Executive

1 West St. Mineola N. Y. 11501

September 21, 2002

Dear Mr. Suozzi:

As I’m sure you’re aware there is a complete reassessment in progress for the County of  Nassau . There is no question that the reassessment is warranted. Instead of bringing the 1938 Building Value System up to date to correct its wrongs the County, unfortunately chose the highly discriminatory Market Value System [see attached letter]. In checking with Assemblyman Weisenberg’s and Senator Skelos’s office, I was told that Market Value appraisals are not required by the state. There is no reason why my home should be assessed higher or lower than any other home of equal size in land, number and type of rooms and square feet of living space. Same sized homes and property equals same services required no matter where you live in Nassau County ! Homes should be assessed at Building Value which would be the fairest way to levy taxes.

In light of the above and the attached letter. I hereby request under the freedom of information law a copy of the enabling legislation which authorizes the County to collect taxes and for what purpose. I also request to know why the highly discriminatory Market Value System was chosen and exactly who chose it.

I have pulled up on the www.mynassauproperty.com website a comparable home to mine located at 12 Smith St in Freeport [the home is very close to same size and the property is about two and a half times larger] it is assessed at less than half the value placed on my property. I am sure there are numerous imbalanced assessments in Nassau County . There is no justifiable way that I should pay more than twice the taxes for an equal sized property.

Even under the discriminatory Market Value System, it is incomprehensible that my land, 35’ by 60’, is assessed at $244,350.00 and my neighbor’s land 70’ by 60’ is assessed at $272,700.00. It seems to me that my property should have been half of the $272,700.00 meaning $136,350.00 clearly an inequitable assessment and open to legal challenges. I thought the re-appraisals were supposed to get rid of inequities not create new ones that will continue to cost Nassau many tax dollars due to new challenges. It is clear after reviewing the new assessments that there will be many lawsuits due to the unfair Market Value System.

I have noticed gross inequities in Point Lookout. Here are a few. A small old bungalow on three lots being charged over $16,000 a year in taxes. A .0918 of an acre lot on the bay is assessed at $378,000.00 while an identical size lot on the bay next to it is assessed at $67,200.00. A .0918 of an acre lot at 101 Lido Blvd is assessed at $60,000.00 while an identical size lot at #107 Lido Blvd is assessed at $270,000.00. Have you noticed that the above properties are all the same size and are all assessed vastly different. Oh yes, I do know bayside is waterfront and some of the properties listed are commercial and some residential, but we all know that residential homes can be built on commercial property so their values should be the same.

A .3435 of an acre lot at 101 Lido Blvd. in Lido is assessed at $259,240.00 which is [based on acreage] less than one third of the value being assessed on Point Lookout residents. Last I heard, these are similar beach communities and even under the discriminatory Market Value System they should be assessed equally.

In closing, I respectfully request that you take immediate action to abandon the discriminatory Market Value System and replace it with a Building Value System of taxation. The old system was on building value but was never updated and that is what caused the inequities in taxation. That was all that had to be corrected. Where we live shouldn’t dictate what our tax’s are. The size of our property does require equal services as the same size property anywhere in Nassau County . If this is not done the discriminatory Market Value System will no doubt force seniors and those on fixed incomes to leave our community.

Respectfully

Harold Wondsel

105 Bellmore Ave.

Point Lookout N.Y. 11569

516-432-2184

CC:

Legislator David Denenberg

District 19

1 West St .

Mineola N.Y. 11501

www.mypointlookout.com