Residents pack town halls amid rush to prepay property taxes

<p>Tax offices at town halls are packed Friday as people scramble to prepay their property taxes.</p>

News 12 Staff

Dec 29, 2017, 7:42 PM

Updated 2,321 days ago

Share:

Tax offices at town halls are packed Friday as people scramble to prepay their property taxes.
News 12 was at Mount Pleasant Town Hall where people lined up on the last day to get a maximum deduction. The new federal tax code passed earlier this month caps property tax deductions at $10,000. Many homeowners in the Hudson Valley and Westchester far exceed that amount. 
Town officials say there has been massive misunderstanding about which kind of taxes residents can prepay since Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order last week allowing municipalities to accept prepayment.
"The process has changed over and over again. As each day has unfolded, there's been different advice, different legal options," says Mount Pleasant Town Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi. "To this day, we don't even know if the IRS will totally accept the deduction for 2017."
Marc Wilenzick, of Briarcliff Manor, says he's willing to take his chances on the IRS. He said he's not happy that he can't prepay county taxes too, since Westchester County has refused to issue a tax warrant.
"This is terrible given all the other counties are doing it," said Wilenzick. 
Many offices are accepting checks by mail, as long as they are postmarked by Dec. 31. 


More from News 12
1:46
 21-year-old SUNY Purchase art student overcomes childhood trauma through music

21-year-old SUNY Purchase art student overcomes childhood trauma through music

1:15
Police: Man pulled from Ossining house fire dies at hospital

Police: Man pulled from Ossining house fire dies at hospital

2:26
STORM WATCH: Showers, isolated thunderstorms during Wednesday morning commute

STORM WATCH: Showers, isolated thunderstorms during Wednesday morning commute

1:08
Hospital workers picket over Westchester Medical Center Health Network layoffs

Hospital workers picket over Westchester Medical Center Health Network layoffs

0:57
5 puppies rescued from sealed shipping container on I-84 in Bedford

5 puppies rescued from sealed shipping container on I-84 in Bedford

1:42
Poughkeepsie council weighs opting into rent stabilization under Emergency Tenant Protection Act

Poughkeepsie council weighs opting into rent stabilization under Emergency Tenant Protection Act

1:58
Officials mull traffic safety projects following 5th child struck by car in 5 months in Rockland neighborhood

Officials mull traffic safety projects following 5th child struck by car in 5 months in Rockland neighborhood

0:36
Reports: Body of missing Army National Guard sergeant found

Reports: Body of missing Army National Guard sergeant found

0:25
Pine Bush man pleads guilty to aggravated vehicular assault that left teen paralyzed

Pine Bush man pleads guilty to aggravated vehicular assault that left teen paralyzed

0:39
Westchester County Health Department to inspect 235 children’s camps ahead of summer

Westchester County Health Department to inspect 235 children’s camps ahead of summer

0:24
Mount Vernon launches new grant program for small businesses

Mount Vernon launches new grant program for small businesses

0:39
 ‘Melanie’s Law’ passes state Senate, heads for final approval

‘Melanie’s Law’ passes state Senate, heads for final approval

0:29
Attorney General James sues local clinics for abortion-reversal claims

Attorney General James sues local clinics for abortion-reversal claims

0:20
East Ramapo parents rally for school reform

East Ramapo parents rally for school reform

1:56
Ceremony held to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day in White Plains

Ceremony held to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day in White Plains

1:42
24-year-old double organ transplant recipient hosts blood drive in Pomona

24-year-old double organ transplant recipient hosts blood drive in Pomona

1:49
SUNY Purchase faculty and students want disciplinary action against protesters dropped

SUNY Purchase faculty and students want disciplinary action against protesters dropped

0:50
Orange County cracks down on drivers who illegally pass school buses with cameras

Orange County cracks down on drivers who illegally pass school buses with cameras

1:36
‘Very best’ of PD: City of Newburgh promotes longtime lieutenant to chief

‘Very best’ of PD: City of Newburgh promotes longtime lieutenant to chief

0:23
State police work to ID body that washed ashore in Poughkeepsie

State police work to ID body that washed ashore in Poughkeepsie