WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES APRIL 9, 2020 31
Crowley calls for freeze in real estate taxes
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BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
With the special election for
Queens borough president
rescheduled for June 23,
and early voting set to begin June 13,
one candidate has called for New York
City to enact a fi rst-ever freeze in real
estate taxes this year due to the COVID-
19 crisis.
Former Councilwoman Elizabeth
Crowley is urging Mayor Bill de
Blasio to stop increases in all Class
1 and 2 property taxes, including
residential, co-op, condo, and commercial
real estate, and for landlords
to transfer these savings to their
tenants.
“I am calling on the mayor to stop
all planned annual property tax
increases that were scheduled to
take effect this month, granting a
one-time reprieve for businesses
and homeowners,” Crowley said.
“In addition, for businesses and
homeowners hurt by coronavirus,
we need an added option to delay
real-estate tax payments for 90 days.
This is akin to what the governor has
secured from banks for homeowners
with mortgages and what the IRS
has done for income tax filers.”
Crowley has received support
in her call for stopping annual tax
increases and the 90-day delay option
from Queens civic leaders and
residents.
“As a long-time co-op owner, I know
how important relief is to my neighbors
during this horrible crisis,”
said Dee-Dee Goidel of North Shore
Towers. “We have been through a lot
in the past two decades, but this is
unlike any of the challenges faced
before. I support the plan to stop increases
for Class 2 property taxes.”
Bob Friedrich, the president of Glen
Oaks Village, added that business and
residential co-op communities that
provide aff ordable housing for thousands
of New Yorkers must protect
their liquidity and preserve their cash
if they hope to survive this crisis.
“New York Property taxes that
are due April 15th are the largest
single expenditure for most co-ops
and may put them in a perilous cash
crunch position if newly unemployed
residents cannot make their
monthly maintenance payments
during these unprecedented times.”
Friedrich said. “It is imperative that
New York’s elected officials allow
a 90-day interest and penalty-free
‘COVID-19 Waiver’ of property tax
payments like the 90-day waiver
the governor granted for mortgage
payments and the IRS granted to
taxpayers filing their income taxes.
Protecting working-class co-op communities
should be at the forefront
of elected officials.”
Warren Schreiber, the co-president
of the Presidents Co-op and Condo
Council, noted that co-op communities
are part of the backbone of the
middle class in Queens.
“In these unprecedented times we
need to do all that we can to support
co-ops and condos,” Schreiber said.
“This plan, including the 90 day delay,
is crucial as we start to navigate the
day to day financial perils on this
pandemic.”
ACTS OF KINDNESS
Queens borough president candidate Elizabeth Crowley is urging real
estate tax relief during the coronavirus crisis. Photo by Mark Hallum
/nycwell
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