Holy tax increase, Batman! (Smithtown, Hauppauge: house, buy, construction)

[jak0lantern01]

Long story short: My wife and I purchased a run down, 1100sq ft fixer-upper in Nesconset almost 7 years ago and my taxes are currently about $3400/yr with STAR (I know, I had a free ride). We recently added an 864sq ft second floor. Smithtown is telling me that, with STAR, my taxes are going up to $8400 (over $9,000 if STAR is really scrapped). Last year we were told $6900, which I found acceptable. Why the sudden increase? I know homes in St. James that are 3500 sq ft and beautiful that are only paying 10k a year. Also, they did their appraisal a year ago, before the housing market really dumped. I might add that my home is only two bedrooms. This is preposterous, Smithtown is full of crooks.

[SouthBound3]

What in God’s name are you complaining about?
Don't you know that you are among the privileged in our society to be graced with the opportunity to call Long Island home? The beauty, the beaches, the cultured and well educated inhabitants, schools that are cranking out geniuses faster than McDonald’s cranks out French Fries, not to mention the restaurants, the East-End, and an ample supply of illegal’s to perform life’s menial tasks for you – and all only an hour from lovely NYC!
And you are complaining - that for all this – you have to pay a measly $8,400 a year? LMAO, well my friend – you had better bend the hell over and get used to taking it – because I own nearly the same house as you do and when I purchased it I started out at your $8,400 number and am now quickly closing in on $14K in property taxes.
I pray every night that I will soon find some moron to fall for the “Long Island’s a Paradise” lie and buy my house so I can get the hell out of here.

[Peter B]

HAHAHA Sounds familiar. We bought a house in 1999 in Smithtown & the taxes were $6700. We ran away from LI in 2004 when the taxes were $12k per annum. Don't worry. You'll find some moron willing to pay those taxes. We did

Originally Posted by TheBucks

What in God’s name are you complaining about?
Don't you know that you are among the privileged in our society to be graced with the opportunity to call Long Island home? The beauty, the beaches, the cultured and well educated inhabitants, schools that are cranking out geniuses faster than McDonald’s cranks out French Fries, not to mention the restaurants, the East-End, and an ample supply of illegal’s to perform life’s menial tasks for you – and all only an hour from lovely NYC!
And you are complaining - that for all this – you have to pay a measly $8,400 a year? LMAO, well my friend – you had better bend the hell over and get used to taking it – because I own nearly the same house as you do and when I purchased it I started out at your $8,400 number and am now quickly closing in on $14K in property taxes.
I pray every night that I will soon find some moron to fall for the “Long Island’s a Paradise” lie and buy my house so I can get the hell out of here.

[jak0lantern01]

Hmmm.....I think the simplistic point of my post was to figure how my taxes more than doubled for an addition that didn't even double the size of my home. By the way, I am well educated, I spend time on the beach, take trips to the city and out east to the vineyards. Yes, there is a reason why I stay here and thank you for your sarcasm.

[twingles]

The point is there is really very little reason as to how taxes are calculated here on Long Island. If someone builds a house that is the same size as yours across the street from you they would be paying even more than you are...just because it's new. That's life. They gave you a quote last year and now they've changed their minds? Oh well.

[twingles]

Originally Posted by jak0lantern01

Long story short: My wife and I purchased a run down, 1100sq ft fixer-upper ... We recently added an 864sq ft second .

OK, you didn't DOUBLE the size but you came pretty darn close. My guess is they think you were underassessed to begin with.

[jak0lantern01]

Could be, but it still doesn't explain why the assessment went from $6900 to $8400.

[Walter Greenspan]

Originally Posted by jak0lantern01

We recently added an 864sq ft second floor. Smithtown is telling me that, with STAR, my taxes are going up to $8400 (over $9,000 if STAR is really scrapped). Last year we were told $6900, which I found acceptable. Why the sudden increase?

Did you ask the Town of Smithtown why $6,900 pre-constuction last year and now $8,400 post-construction?


A map of the Hamlet of Nesconset in the Town of Smithtown, Suffolk County:


The Hamlet of Nesconset has a different border than does the "Nesconset, NY 11767" ZIP Code postal zone (i.e., a place can have a "Nesconset, NY 11767" mailing address and not be in the Hamlet of Nesconset and a place can have other than a "Nesconset, NY 11767" mailing address and be in the Hamlet of Nesconset): places that have a "Nesconset, NY 11767" mailing address that are not in the Hamlet of Nesconset are in the Village of Lake Grove and the Hamlet of Ronkonkoma; and, at the same time, there are places in the Hamlet of Nesconset that have a "Hauppauge, NY 11788" and "Smithtown, NY 11787" mailing address.

[rocafeller05]

It seems like the new taxes are in line of what the rest of LI pays. As another poster said, you were underpaying now they are corrected. And they will be going up soon. Welcome to LI.

[WJFM]

Property values for the sake of taxes are capped at a 6% annnual increase(in Nassau, not sure what the case is in Suffolk). That is, unless there is a major renovation ( adding a second floor and increasing your home sq footage by more than 40% will be considered major renovation), then the cap is no longer valid. So, the home in St.James with 3500 sq ft might still be under the 6% increase since it might have had no major renovation, so even though it could have been valued higher on the market, it might be valued lower due to the 6% rule.