Westchester County
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Westchester County, New York
148 Martine Avenue
White Plains, New York 10601
Tel: 914-995-2000
County Website: Westchester county
Assessor Website: Westchester county assessor
Westchester County Property Assessment Adjustment Instructions
- Complete and sign a Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR) Petition (OCA Link). You can fill it in online and print it to affix your signature. Instructions for completing the petition (OCA Link).
- Next, you will need to use the New York State Courts E-Filing System (NYSCEF) to create an e-filing account and e-file the petition. Visit www.nycourts.gov/efile and click CREATE ACCOUNT to apply for your NYSCEF user ID. You can click the link for Unrepresented Litigants for instructions for non-attorneys on creating an account and using NYSCEF. Complete the online application and then log into NYSCEF using your User ID and Password.
- After filing your Petition in NYSCEF County Clerk staff will review your Petition to ensure that it is complete and assign your Petition an Index Number. You will receive an e-mail notification that your Index Number has been assigned (generally within a few hours after submission during business hours) and you will be able to access a File Stamped copy of your SCAR Petition immediately in NYSCEF.
- Within ten days after filing your Petition in the NYSCEF site, you must deliver copies of your petition in accordance with Real Property Tax Law § 730. For further details, please see the Unified Court System's Small Claims Assessment Review General Information and Filing Requirements (UCS 900) (OCA Link)
URLs
- https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/LITIGANTS/scar/New%20Petition%20ONYC%20Form%202019.pdf
- https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/LITIGANTS/scar/Petition-Instruct-OS-NYC.pdf
- http://www.nycourts.gov/efile
- https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/UnRepresentedHome
- https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/litigants/scar/SCAR-genInfo-OS-NYC.pdf
Here's how to lower your property taxes in Westchester county
Contact the county assessor
Contact the Westchester county tax assessor's office and ask for a review of the property's value. Visit the Westchester 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. Westchester 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 Westchester 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 Westchester 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 Westchester 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 Westchester 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 Westchester county New York tax assessor's office for specific information about how to reduce your property taxes.
About Westchester County
Homes in Westchester county have a median home value of $543,509.
Westchester county home values are ranked 3 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, Westchester county homes have a median home value that is above the national median value of $130,626 by ~316%.
The median household income in Westchester county is $99,489.
Compared to the state of New York and the United States, Westchester 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.
Westchester county's population has grown from 874,866 in 1990 to 1,004,457 in 2020, an increase of 15% 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.
Westchester county's population change from 1990 to 2020 is greater than the population change for New York and less than the population change for United States.
Westchester County New York Cities
Amawalk, Ardsley, Ardsley On Hudso, Armonk, Bedford, Bedford Hills, Briarcliff Manor, Bronxville, Buchanan, Chappaqua, Cortlandt Manor, Cross River, Croton Falls, Croton On Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, East White Plain, Eastchester, Elmsford, Goldens Bridge, Granite Springs, Harrison, Hartsdale, Hastings On Huds, Hawthorne, Heathcote, Irvington, Jefferson Valley, Katonah, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Millwood, Mohegan Lake, Montrose, Mount Kisco, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, North Salem, North Tarrytown, Ossining, Pelham, Pleasantville, Pound Ridge, Purchase, Purdys, Rye, Rye Brook, Shrub Oak, Somers, South Salem, Thornwood, Tuckahoe, Valhalla, Waccabuc, White Plains, Yonkers, Yorktown Heights
Westchester County New York Zipcodes
10501 / 10502 / 10503 / 10504 / 10506 / 10507 / 10510 / 10511 / 10514 / 10518 / 10519 / 10520 / 10522 / 10523 / 10526 / 10527 / 10528 / 10530 / 10532 / 10533 / 10535 / 10536 / 10538 / 10543 / 10546 / 10547 / 10548 / 10549 / 10550 / 10552 / 10553 / 10560 / 10562 / 10566 / 10570 / 10573 / 10576 / 10577 / 10578 / 10580 / 10583 / 10588 / 10589 / 10590 / 10591 / 10594 / 10595 / 10597 / 10598 / 10601 / 10603 / 10604 / 10605 / 10606 / 10607 / 10701 / 10703 / 10704 / 10705 / 10706 / 10707 / 10708 / 10709 / 10710 / 10801 / 10803 / 10804 / 10805 /
New York Counties
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