Judge Throws Out Lawsuit Challenging Caps on Property Tax

Sept. 29, 2014 — Owners of single- to four-family homes in New York State get an annual cap on their property taxes. So do rich folks who own townhouses. You know who doesn't get a property-tax cap? Cooperatives and condominiums. That's because we are — and we're not making this up — Class 2 properties under the tax code, while those others are Class 1. That's right: Co-op and condo owners are second-class citizens, as far as property tax goes. So while this Associated Press story, via Crain's New York Business, may not seem immediately applicable to co-ops and condos, we like to look at it as a start. The gist? A State Supreme Court justice has tossed a lawsuit alleging that property-tax caps are unconstitutional. It may not be much for us cap-less types, but the fact that a judge affirms that caps are constitutional? Like we said, It's a start.