Larchmont village services (New York, New Rochelle, Eastchester: broker, attorneys, house)

[ehmom]

I'm looking at a house that is listed in Larchmont (the 10538 zip code) but apparently it isn't actually part of the village. It is in the Murray School district.

My broker claims the only thing being in the village gets you is additional taxes - that I would be able to get services like rec camp, etc, at the same rate as others in the village - but I can't believe that's true. What does the village tax actually pay for? Is there some benefit to living within the village that I'm not understanding?

[jjinla]

I'm in the same boat - it's actually very common. You park in a different train lot than village residents do. You cannot attend the village's summer camp from what I've been told at any price (but there are a bunch through Mamaroneck and others) and your fire and police are through Mamaroneck, not Larchmont.

[ehmom]

OK. Train isn't an issue, fortunately - I work from home. Can you use manor beach?

[jjinla]

I've been told yes, even though on the website I checked way back when, it said that we got 2nd priority over village residents. My neighbors are members of it I believe.

[Walter Greenspan]

Originally Posted by ehmom

My broker claims the only thing being in the village gets you is additional taxes - that I would be able to get services like rec camp, etc, at the same rate as others in the village - but I can't believe that's true.

Recommend you get a different broker because his/her advice is not worth spit.

You need to be aware that in many areas of New York State, the problem of non-conforming postal zones leads to a situation where the majority of places have a different community name in their mailing address than the community where that place is actually located.

When you do find a house that you like, you can find out in which community (city, village or CDP) that house is actually located, which is oftentimes different from the community named in that house's mailing address, by using the Census Bureau's online address search function. (CDP, or Census Designated Place, is the Census Bureau equivalent for a hamlet.)

And, very importantly, among other things, the Census Bureau's online address search function also indicates in which school district an address is located.

NYS Geographic Glossary may be of some help to you in understanding the geography of New York.

[ehmom]

Originally Posted by Walter Greenspan

You need to be aware that in many areas of New York State, the problem of non-conforming postal zones leads to a situation where the majority of places have a different community name in their mailing address than the community where that place is actually located.

Thanks - I am familiar with this (my father grew up in Bronxville PO on the yonkers side, have a friend in Bronxville PO, with Tuckahoe schools but also part of new New Rochelle for other services, looked at homes in scarsdale village vs. PO, etc), I just didn't realize that Larchmont had the same deal.

Your links are interesting - thanks very much.

[jjinla]

"Recommend you get a different broker because his/her advice is not worth spit."

With all due respect, your broker knows a whole lot more about Larchmont than Walter does.

This has nothing to do with Bronkers...or Scarsdale PO/Eastchester schools.

You are in the same schools, unlike the other two. Your realtor should have pointed out that you had different services, but none of my neighbors says that they "live in the small unincorporated area of Mamaroneck with a Larchmont PO." Huge difference over the other situations. It's just Larchmont.

[Walter Greenspan]

Originally Posted by jjinla

It's just Larchmont.

No.

Regardless of a place's mailing address community, only those who actually live within the borders of the Village of Larchmont can validly claim that they live in Larchmont.

[bg7]

Thats bull, "valid" by some esoteric legal definition that nobody but village attorneys and those with an OCD obsession about specified boundaries care for - but to everyone else - including people who live there, that part is Larchmont.

[ehmom]

To get back to my original question all I wanted to know is what the differences in services is, which boils down to:

--Is this address in the Murray Ave School district? Yes - I confirmed with the school

--Do I have access to village recreation services? Sounds maybe to some - not to the rec camp, but Manor beach maybe? But the Mamaroneck rec services are an option.

--Are there other services that I should be aware of that I may not have access to? Commuter parking, which isn't an issue for me at the moment. Any others?


(but thanks for this very interesting and diverting side discussion of 'can I claim to live in Larchmont if I don't live in the village?')