Bill Text: NY A08919 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Assembly Bill 8919

Introduced

Bill Title: Requires any contract or retainer agreement between a property owner and an attorney for legal services related to the filing and appearance before a board of assessment review regarding complaints in relation to assessments shall include a written disclosure that such complaints in relation to assessments can be completed without the assistance of an attorney; limits fees charged for representation before a board of assessment review.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-26 - referred to real property taxation [A08919 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A08919-Introduced.html




                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8919

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 26, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Real Property Taxation

        AN ACT to amend the real property tax  law,  in  relation  to  requiring
          certain  disclosures  and  charges by attorneys performing services in
          connection with a real property tax grievance procedure

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  The  real  property  tax  law  is amended by adding a new
     2  section 524-a to read as follows:
     3    § 524-a. Contracts for complaints with respect  to  assessment.    Any
     4  contract  or retainer agreement between a property owner and an attorney
     5  for legal services, including filing and appearances, related to a small
     6  claims assessment review shall include a clear and  conspicuous  written
     7  disclosure  in  a large print format that such complaints in relation to
     8  assessments can be completed without  the  assistance  of  an  attorney.
     9  Such  disclosure  shall state that information regarding the small claim
    10  assessment review process, forms, and assistance can be found on the New
    11  York courts website and shall contain that website and the  website  for
    12  the  appropriate  municipality  where  the property is located; provided
    13  that if such property is located in Nassau county the  disclosure  shall
    14  provide the website for the Assessment Review Commission and in New York
    15  city  the disclosure shall provide the website for the New York City Tax
    16  Commission. For the purposes of this section, large print  format  shall
    17  mean a printed font size of sixteen or larger.
    18    §  2.  Section 524 of the real property tax law is amended by adding a
    19  new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
    20    5. No person or other entity authorized  to  represent  a  complainant
    21  before a board of assessment review, the assessment review commission or
    22  the New York city tax commission with regard to real property assessment
    23  grievances  shall  charge  any  fee  which  is  in excess of twenty-five
    24  percent of any reduction determined by such board or commission.
    25    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01875-01-3