Q. What are the functions of the Department of Assessment? A. The Department of Assessment locates property and inventory data, tracks ownership of all property in the town, places value on property, processes exemptions, prepares and creates the assessment roll, prepares and submits reports to the New York State Office of Real Property Services and assists the public by providing information with regard to all of the above.
Q. I think that my property tax/assessment is too high, how do I check this? A. Try to locate three or four properties, within your neighborhood of similar size and style. The Department of Assessment will check the assessments of these homes for you.
Q. My assessment seems higher than similar size and style homes in my neighborhood. How do I go about getting my assessment reduced? A. A grievance form along with supporting documentation can be filed with the Department of Assessment on or before Grievance Day which is the third Tuesday in May of each year.
Q. How do you arrive at my assessment? A. To arrive at your assessment, we use The J.M. Cleminshaw Co. Cost To Construct Manual. The assessment is based on square footage and any amenities that may contribute value to your home.
Q. Are there any programs that can help lower my taxes? A. Yes, you may be eligible for a property tax exemption. To inquire about the various property tax exemptions that are available to those residents who meet the N.Y.S. requirements, please contact the Department of Assessment at 631-957-3014.
Q. How do I apply for the STAR exemption? A.
Residents of the Town of Babylon can apply for the STAR exemption and other property tax exemptions between January 1st and March 1st through the Department of Assessment. Appropriate forms can be downloaded from this website (from this link: http://www.townofbabylon.com/forms.cfm) or obtained from the Assessor's Office in Town Hall. Please keep in mind that the deadline for filing applications is March 1st.
Residents of the Town of Babylon, including those living in one of the three incorporated villages (Amityville, Lindenhurst, and Babylon) all apply for STAR exemption at the Town's Department of Assessment.
If you have any questions, contact the Department of Assessment at (631) 957-3014.
Q. Where can I find out about boarded-up homes in my neighborhood? A.
Though there is no public listing of boarded-up homes in the town, finding the owner of the property would give you the ability to contact that person/entity. If you are trying to find out who owns a specific property, but you do not have an exact address, such information is available by filing a Freedom of Information in the Town Clerk's Office (957-3005), which is located in Town Hall.
However, in the case that you do have a specific address, the owner of a specific property can be found by using the computer system in the Assessor's Office (957-3014) in Town Hall.
Once the owner of the property is found, you would have to contact that individual owner to inquire about the property further.
Have a general question? Submit it here for review:
*Please note: Inquiries submitted in this section cannot be responded to by
individual email as only your question will be sent for consideration –
no personal information, i.e. your email address will be sent along with your inquiry.
If it is determined that an answer to your posted question is not already contained
in this section and will be beneficial to other Town of Babylon residents, it will
be posted. If you have a specific need that needs to be addressed, you can email us
by clicking on the Contact Us section on the navigational bar to the left of your screen.
