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Paul Jonke
Town Assessor
Town of Carmel
60 McAlpin Ave.
Mahopac, NY 10541
Telephone: (845) 628-1500
Fax:
(845) 628-7085
For Questions & Answers about the STAR Exemption and to download STAR Applications go to:
http://www.orps.state.ny.us/star/star_forms.cfm
Important Assessment Dates:
Taxable Status Date March 1
Tentative Completion of Roll May 1
Grievance Day 4th Tuesday in May
Final Filing of Roll July 1
The Town Assessor is responsible for estimating the value of real property within the Town's boundaries. This value is
converted into an assessment, which is one factor in the calculation of real property tax bills.
The Town Assessor maintains the assessment roll, which is the document that contains every property's assessment. To do this,
the physical description, or inventory, and value estimate of every parcel of real estate in the municipality is kept up-to-date. The property inventory is available for inspection by
appointment before the filing of the tentative assessment roll.
The assessment roll shows assessments and appropriate exemptions. Every year the roll, with preliminary, or tentative, assessments,
is made available for public inspection. After the Board of Assessment Review (BAR) has acted on assessment complaints and ordered any changes, the tentative roll is made final.
WHAT KIND OF PROPERTY IS ASSESSED?
All real property, commonly known as real estate, is assessed. Real property is defined as land and any permanent structures
attached to it. Some examples of real property are houses, gas stations, office buildings, vacant land, shopping centers, apartment buildings, and restaurants.
HOW IS REAL PROPERTY ASSESSED?
Before assessing any parcel of property, the assessor estimates its market value. Market value is how much a property would sell
for, in an open market, under normal conditions. To estimate market values, the assessor must be familiar with all aspects of the local real estate market.
A property's value can be estimated in three different ways:
(1) Market approach: The property is compared to others similar to it that have sold recently, using only sales where the buyer and
seller both acted without undue pressure.
(2) Cost approach: Calculate what the property would cost, using today's labor and material prices, to replace the structure
with a similar one. This method is used to value special purpose and utility properties.
(3) Income approach: Analyze how much income a property, like an apartment building, a store, or a factory, will produce if rented.
Operating expenses, insurance, maintenance costs, financing terms, and how much money owners expect to make on this type of property are considered.
Once the assessor estimates the market value of a property, its assessment is calculated. New York State law provides that all
property within a municipality be assessed at a uniform percentage of market value. Everyone pays his or her fair share of taxes as long as every property in a locality is assessed at the
same percentage of value.
WHERE CAN I GO WITH QUESTIONS?
The assessor is continually communicating with the public, answering questions, and dealing with concerns raised by taxpayers.
Anyone can examine the assessment roll and property records at any time.
It is up to individual property owners to monitor their own assessments. Taxpayers who feel they are not being fairly assessed
should meet with their assessor before the tentative assessment roll is established. In an informal setting the assessor can explain how the assessment was determined and the rationale
behind it.
Assessors are interested only in fairly assessing property in their assessing unit. If your assessment is correct and your tax bill
still seems too high, the assessor cannot change that. Complaints to the assessor must be about how property is assessed.
Informal meetings with assessors to resolve assessment questions about the next assessment roll can take place throughout the year.
If, after speaking with your assessor, you still feel you are unfairly assessed, ask for the booklet, How to File a Complaint on Your Assessment. It describes how to prepare and file a
complaint with the Board of Assessment Review for an assessment reduction and indicates the time of year it can be done. To learn more about the assessment process, please call the
Assessor at (845) 628-1500.
The following easy-to-understand and very informative brochures published by the NYS Board of Equalization and Assessment are
available at the web site of the N.Y.S. Office of Real Property Services and the Town Assessor's Office:
· The Job of the Assessor
· How the Property Tax Works
· The Property Tax Cycle
· Veteran's Exemptions
· Senior Citizen Exemptions
· How to File a Complaint on Your Assessment
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