Middle Class STAR Rebate.

Copies of Homeowners' Deed

Lewisboro residents have recently been receiving official looking letters in the mail, offering to obtain copies of property deeds and other documents for fees of about $60.00. Town Assessor Gordon Washburn cautions residents to be wary of the offer. Copies of property deeds may be obtained From the Assessor's Office for

only 25 cents per page

and documents like mortgages may be procured from the county for a similarly low fee.

Regarding Assessment:

Taxable status date: June 1st

All exemptions, including Veterans and Senior Citizens are completed on or before June 1st.
Call to question if you qualify.

Taxes are based on the prior year's assessment roll.

NOTE: The 2003 New York State Office of Real Property Services has rated Lewisboro's assessments the most equitable in the entire County of Westchester. This survey is basically a statistical analysis that measures the equity of each municipality's assessment roll. The C.O.D. (coefficient of dispersion) is an indicator of the assessment to sales ratio accuracy. The lower the C.O.D. figure the more accurate the assessment roll. Industry standards for the most acceptable C.O.D. in a mass appraisal universe are around 10%. Lewisboro is under 10%. This is a very high equity rate amongst all the properties within the Town . Reported by Gordon Washburn, Town of Lewisboro Assessor.

Exemption for Volunteer Firefighters and Ambulance Workers in Westchester County

Authorization for exemption: Section 466-d of the Real Property Tax Law authorizes the governing body of a county, city, town, or village in a county having a population of between 900,00 and 950,000 according to the latest federal decennial census (only Westchester County currently satisfies this standard) to partially exempy the residence of a volunteer firefighter or volunteer ambulance worker. This exemption does not apply to school taxes. The firefighters exemption does not apply if the area served by the company encompasses an area served y five or more professional firefighters. The ambulance workers exemption does not apply if the area served by the company encompasses an area served by five or more professional ambulance workers.

If you believe that you qualify, please complete and mail this form to the assessor for the Town of Lewisboro.

Link to: Town of Lewisboro Tax Rate for 5 years

SCHOOL TAX RELIEF/STAR PROGRAM

Residents of the Town of Lewisboro may be eligible for a partial exemption from school property taxes on owner occupied primary residences (one, two, three family homes, condominiums, and co-op units), under the School Tax Relief (STAR) Program. The STAR Exemption, authorized by Section 425 of the Real Property Tax Law, offers two types of exemptions:

1. Enhanced STAR Exemption is for eligible senior citizens (age 65 or over) whose combined income is less than $60,000 per year. If your property will already be receiving the Senior Citizen Exemption authorized by Section 467 of the Real Property Tax Law, you do not need to apply for the STAR Exemption. Your property will automatically qualify and receive the exemption. Other seniors must apply for it and reapply each year, in order to keep the enhanced exemption in effect.
2. If the basic exemption is granted, you usually do not need to reapply in subsequent years. However, you must notify the Assessor if your primary residence changes.

How does one get the STAR Exemption?

You need to obtain and fill out a STAR application and file it with the Town Assessor by June 1st. The Town of Lewisboro's Assessor's Office is located at Onatru Farm, 99 Elmwood Road, South Salem, New York 10590. (914) 763-3034.

The application can also be down-loaded from the Internet at: http://www.orps.state.ny.us/star/star_forms.cfm

What do you need to support the STAR Exemption application?

You need to provide the section, block and lot number of your property. If you are applying for the enhanced exemption you need proof of your date of birth: a copy of birth or baptismal certificate or a copy of your passport and a copy of your Federal Income Tax Return.

For any further questions please call the Assessor's Office at 763-3034.

Persons over sixty-five years of age (either spouse) where their primary residence is in the Town of Lewisboro and have a combined gross income (including Social Security) of an amount less than that indicated in the following schedule may be eligible for this exemption.

Applications and income documentation must be filed with the Assessor's office no later than June 1st of each year.

The Town of Lewisboro, County of Westchester and Katonah/Lewisboro School District have adopted the following income scale for calculation of Senior Citizen exemption provided for in Section 467 of the Real Property Town Law: