QNE_p020

QC03142013

FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com march 14, 2013 • THE QUEENS COURIER 19 SHORT DEADLINE MEANS ABATEMENT ON THE LINE BY MELISSA CHAN mchan@queenscourier.com Some co-op and condo owners have one month to prove their residency before the city takes away their tax abatement benefits. According to co-op leaders, a large number of residents have received a notice in the mail from the city’s Department of Finance (DOF) stating they have until April 1 to verify their apartment unit is their primary residence in order to quality for their full abatement. “Our records show that this unit is not your primary residence, so your abatement will be phased out,” the notice reads. But co-op presidents said residents who received the letter have been predominantly living in their apartments for decades. The notice, leaders said, stems from the department’s poor record keeping. “In true fashion, this is the Department of Finance’s inability to get their act together,” said Bob Friedrich, president of Glen Oaks Village Owners. “It doesn’t surprise me that the DOF shows themselves to be an agency that is shockingly out of touch with the average taxpayer.” The abatement loss could cost residents from $300 to $1,000, co-op presidents said. According to Warren Schreiber, president of the Bay Terrace Community Alliance, a DOF system glitch allows abatement credits to be transferred to new co-op owners when a previous owner moves out. Many times, the new owner is not eligible for those abatements but still benefits from them. DOF spokesperson Owen Stone said that happens because there are no deeds involved. The transfer of credits is not reversed until co-op boards report the discrepancies to the department. In regards to the abatement notice, Stone said the DOF is “working to ensure that those who qualify for the benefit receive it.” Residents have four weeks from when the form was mailed to complete and return it, he said. Friedrich said he fears residents who are away for the winter will miss the deadline and lose their abatements. HUD grants not enough say co-op, condo owners BY MELISSA CHAN mchan@queenscourier.com Co-ops and condos damaged by Sandy are now eligible for federal housing grants. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it will allow co-ops and condos to receive funding from Community Development Block Grants Disaster Recovery grants to help with repairs. “We have finally cleared a bureaucratic hurdle that prevented thousands of homeowners in New York “ City and Long Island from getting the help they needed,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “We have always said that condos and co-ops should be eligible it’s a bandaid “ fix bob friedrich for the same assistance as single family homes, and now they are.” But leaders and local co-op presidents said the fix is just a temporary one. The root of the problem, they said, is still not addressed. “This is a good first step. There’s no question about it. But it’s a band-aid fix,” said Bob Friedrich, president of Glen Oaks Village Owners. “This still discriminates against families of co-op apartments.” Co-op and condo owners currently cannot receive Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for Sandy-inflicted damages because they are categorized as “business associations.” The title makes them eligible for federal loans but not grants. The Stafford Act, which governs how FEMA responds to major disasters, does not include the word “co-op” in the law, according to Congressmember Steve Israel. But there is no statute that purposefully bans co-op owners from being eligible for grants, a privilege given to homeowners. “What we need is a permanent fix to how FEMA classifies co-ops and condos,” Israel said. “This is an interim solution that allows co-ops to access certain federal grants. But until FEMA changes the definition of co-ops, disaster assistance won’t be a sure thing.” Co-op and condo owners will now have to battle it out with other retail developments, towns, villages and cities for the competitive grant, leaders said. HUD allocated $5.4 billion to the recovery program last month. New Yorkers are eligible to receive about $3.5 billion of that total. The funds can be used to repair common areas in the building like lobbies, boilers and elevators. Some Queens co-ops suffered $1 million in damages, including Cryder Point Co-ops, a waterfront community which has to repair its pier. More than half of the total buildings in Glen Oaks Village endured “moderate to severe shingle loss,” Friedrich said. The co-op will have to shell out close to $300,000 for infrastructural damage. FIRST+MED IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CARE SINCE 1983 SICK AND SO TIRED… TIRED OF WAITING TO SEE A DOCTOR?? Try the First Med Option Urgent Care, 7 Days a Week Many Insurances Accepted Including: GHI, GHI Access, Aetna, CIGNA, HIP, Oxford, Vytra, Medicare, Emblem Health, Healthnet Guardian, Magnicare, UHC: NYC Ship, Power Authority, Postal, W/C, No Fault Board Certified & Experienced Doctors & Nurses st Voted Best Urgent Care Place of the 2013 THE QUEENS QueensCourier.com FLUSHING: 191-20 Northern Blvd., NY 11358 718-224-8855 Mon.-Fri.: 8am-9pm, Sat. & Sun.: 8am-7pm Everyone can afford to have a great looking smile FREE Consultation We offer No Interest Payment Plans 10% Senior Citizen Discount All special offer expires 5/31/13 Good reasons to visit our dental office Our doctors are gentle, caring and listen to you We explain your treatment so clearly you can understand We offer quality, professional dentistry that lasts $49 Cleaning--- complete X-rays, comprehensive exams, cleaning and consultation with doctor (new patients only and not valid with other offers or prior services) Morning Visit Special 20% off for Invisalign -- Dr. Im is an Elite Invisalign provider. Complimentary X-ray, exam, and consultation. $1,750 ---Spring Smile Complete Implant Package Complimentary Exam & Consultation Complimentary X-Ray (until the end of May) 2 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS 252-20 Northern Blvd. #200 Little Neck, NY 11362 GLENDALE: 82-17 Woodhaven Blvd., NY 11385 718-805-9581 Mon.-Fri.: 9am-7pm, Sat. & Sun.: 9am-3pm 718-224-9453 Morning visit for invisalign special must be made before 1 pm to receive 20% off. Insurance benefits accepted. Details given at complimentary consultation.


QC03142013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above