New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, WE-Sag Harbor) has introduced legislation that would make private property ineligible for property tax exemptions if the property is in violation of local zoning, building, or fire codes.

Thiele stated, “The public should not be subsidizing tax breaks for property owners who are in violation of the law. Property tax exemptions are an important part of our property tax system and provide relief to property owners for good and legitimate policy reasons. However such tax breaks should be reserved for those property owners who play by the rules. Law abiding taxpayers should not be subsidizing law breakers who do not comply with these local codes. These violators often already benefit financially from these violations. Towns and Villages spend money to pursue and prosecute these violations. The violators should not be eligible for a tax break to boot.”

Thiele added that obtaining compliance will be more likely if the public is not reducing the taxes of these violators.