Written by Staff
Jan. 14, 2015: The new year means it's time for village residents who want to reduce their property assessments to gather facts, prepare their cases, and begin the process.
Grievance Day, the day set once a year to hear property assessment appeals, will be Tuesday, February 17, from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm in Bronxville Village Hall. Contact the village assessor, Jerry Iagallo, at 914-337-6500 for specific instructions on how to present grievances. Notification of an intent to grieve must be registered with village hall by Tuesday, February 17, the same day the Grievance Committee meets to hear appeals.
Owners of single-family homes and business properties, as well as co-op boards, who want tto address the fairness of their property tax assessments should schedule a meeting with the village tax assessor before February 1, when the village publishes its tentative tax assesment roll. Residents can consult the tax assessor's page on the village website for current assessments.
Property tax bills are driven by two factors: the property's assessed value and the village tax rate for any given year. The village tax rate is out of the hands of taxpayers. It is based on the size of the village budget approved by the Bronxville Board of Trustees for that year. The rate is a function of the amount of money needed to be raised (given the current tax assessments) to match the size of the approved village budget.
But the assessed value of a given piece of property is not entirely out of the taxpayer's hands. Single-family homes in Bronxville are to be taxed at "fair market value." If the taxpayer can prove that recent sale prices of other comparable homes in his or her neighborhood have decreased substantially, a case can be made that his or her house is assessed at a value that is too high.
When coming before the grievance committee, property owners should be prepared to supply data on the recent sales of homes in their neighborhood. Jerry Iagallo can be helpful.
Members of the assessment review board are Robert Shearer, chairman, Lisa Connors, Christina Eldridge, John Hill, and Eugene Piper.
Photo by A. Warner
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Link to Village of Bronxville One Square Mile Monthly Newsletter
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
337-6500
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Police Department
337-0500
Open 24 hours
Bronxville Parking Violations
337-2024
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400