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Schenectady County, New York

County Courthouse 620 State St
Schenectady, New York 12305

Tel: 518-388-4220
Fax: 518-388-4591

County Website: Schenectady county
Assessor Website: Schenectady county assessor

Schenectady County Property Assessment Adjustment Instructions

Any person who pays property taxes can grieve an assessment, including property owners, purchasers and tenants who are required to pay property taxes pursuant to a lease or written agreement.
Only the assessment on the current tentative assessment roll can be grieved - you can’t grieve assessments from prior years.
There is no cost to grieve an assessment and it does not require you to hire a lawyer.
For property owners outside of New York City and Nassau County, use Form RP-524 Complaint on Real Property Assessment to grieve your assessment.
File the grievance form with the assessor or the board of assessment review (BAR) in your city or town.
If your property is located in a village that assesses property, you will have two assessments, one for the village and one for the town.
To grieve both assessments, you are required to file a separate Form RP524 with both the town and village.
Grievance dates for villages will vary from towns so contact your village clerk to determine if your village assesses property and for grievance dates.

URLs

How do I fill out my grievance application; can someone from the Assessment Bureau help me or fill out the application for me? Unfortunately, the staff of the Assessment Bureau cannot fill out the application for you. When you grieve your assessment the grievance is against the Assessment Bureau, therefore the burden is on you, the taxpayer, to determine how the application is to be filled out and what information is needed to plead your case. A staff member from the Assessment Bureau may assist you by providing the grievance instructions from the Office of Real Property Tax Services (ORPTS), answering general questions related to the grievance period, or photocopying information from the tentative assessment roll. Please note that photocopies can be made for $.25 a page in the office but the tentative assessment roll can also be found on the City’s website. The grievance process begins on May 1 of each year after the tentative assessment roll is published. During this time, homeowners have the opportunity to grieve the published assessed value of their real property in the City of Schenectady. The grievance materials are available as links from our homepage. For more information on the grievance process, please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) of our website of call us at 518-382-5075.

Here's how to lower your property taxes in Schenectady county

Contact the county assessor

Contact the Schenectady county tax assessor's office and ask for a review of the property's value. Visit the Schenectady county assessor's website to find the phone number to call. If the assessor determines that your property is worth less than the value on which your taxes are based, your property taxes may be lowered.

Tax exemptions

Start by finding what your tax bill is. Typically you will find your tax bill information on your mortgage statement. Look for tax exemptions or credits that you may be eligible for. Many states and localities offer exemptions or credits for homeowners who meet certain criteria, information such as being over a certain age or having a low income. Schenectady county may have these types of exemptions available for homeowners. These exemptions and credits can lower the property tax you owe.

Appeal tax assessment

Appeal the property tax assessment. If you believe that your property's value has been overestimated, you can typically appeal the assessment to your Schenectady county tax assessor's office. This is part of the services that your assessor's office provides. You will need to provide evidence to support your claim, such as a recent appraisal or sales data for comparable properties and homes in your area. Usually, you will meet with the Board of Equalization. If your appeal is successful, your property taxes may be lowered.

Challenge the tax rate

Consider challenging the tax rate. In some cases, the amount of property taxes you owe is not based on the value of your property, but on the tax rate set by your local government. If you believe that the tax rate is too high, you can contact your Schenectady county government and ask them to consider reducing it.

Property Tax Rules

Stay up-to-date on your property's value and property tax rules. For the purpose of lowering your Schenectady county property tax, property value is the assessed property value and not the market property value. Assessed property value is used for taxation purposes while market property value is what a buyer and seller would likely agree on. Typically the assessed value is lower than the market value. Your property's value can change over time due to a variety of factors, such as changes in the local real estate market or improvements you make to your property. To ensure that your property taxes are accurate and fair, it is important to stay informed about your property's value and contact Schenectady county local tax assessor's office if you believe there has been a significant change.

Keep in mind that property tax laws and regulations can vary, so it is important to consult with your Schenectady county New York tax assessor's office for specific information about how to reduce your property taxes.

About Schenectady County

Homes in Schenectady county have a median home value of $172,494.

Schenectady county home values are ranked 20 out of 62 counties in the state of New York for median home price. The average median home value in New York is $144,655. Allegany county has the lowest median price at $78,237. New York county has the highest median price at $1,029,260.

Compared to the rest of the United States, Schenectady county homes have a median home value that is above the national median value of $130,626 by ~32%.

$New York Median Home Values by County$

The median household income in Schenectady county is $66,488.

Compared to the state of New York and the United States, Schenectady county's median household income is higher than the state of New York's average median household income of $64,174 and the United States average median household income of $54,172.

income

Schenectady county's population has grown from 149,285 in 1990 to 158,061 in 2020, an increase of 5.9% over that time frame.

For comparison, the state of New York's population has grown from 17,990,778 in 1990 to 20,201,249 in 2020, an increase of 12% over that time frame.

In the United States, the population has grown from 248,790,925 in 1990 to 331,449,281 in 2020, an increase of 33% over that time frame.

Schenectady county's population change from 1990 to 2020 is less than the population change for New York and the United States.

population

Schenectady County New York Cities

Alplaus, Delanson, Duanesburg, Mayfair, Niskayuna, Pattersonville, Rotterdam, Rotterdam Juncti, Schenectady

Schenectady County New York Zipcodes

12008 / 12053 / 12056 / 12137 / 12150 / 12302 / 12303 / 12304 / 12305 / 12306 / 12307 / 12308 / 12309 /

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