Installment agreements for the payment of real property taxes, assessments and other charges.

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to installment agreements for the payment of real property taxes, assessments and other charges

Currently, when property owner owes property tax arrears they may enter into an installment agreement with the Department of Finance to pay off the debt over a period of up to ten years with a zero dollar down payment. The installment amounts are then calculated based on the amount owed, interest rates, and pay-off period, but without regard for income or ability to pay. This local law would create three income-based installment agreements for eligible one- to three- family and condominium property owners where such property is the primary residence. All three installment agreements would be available only to property owners with combined incomes of $58,399 or less. The senior low-income installment agreement would allow property owners who are at least 65 years old to defer payment of a percentage of their tax arrears and prospective tax liability until the termination of the installment agreement upon expiration, death, or transfer. The fixed-length income-based installment agreement would allow property owners to pay off tax arrears and one year of prospective tax liability by paying installments based on a percentage of income until the debt is repaid. Finally, the extenuating circumstances income-based installment agreement would allow property owners with extenuating circumstances (such as loss of income due to unemployment, death, treatment of an illness, military service, or involuntary absence) to enter into a one-year installment agreement to pay off tax arrears and property taxes that accrue during that year by paying installments based on a percentage of income. A property that is the subject of one of the installment agreements would be exempt from the tax lien sale. The current ten-year, zero down payment plan would continue to exist alongside these new payment plan options.