N.Y. Real Property Tax Law § 534: Certain state lands subject to taxation for all purposes except county purposes

§ 534. Certain state lands subject to taxation for all purposes except

county purposes. 1. Lands owned by the state acquired for reforestation

purposes pursuant to section 9-0501 of the environmental conservation

law shall be subject to taxation for all purposes except county

purposes.

2. Such lands shall be valued as if privately owned and assessed in

accordance with subdivision one of section five hundred forty-two of

this article.

3. Lands not otherwise subject to taxation and owned by the state

acquired for reforestation or multiple use purposes with monies from the

park and recreation land acquisition bond act of 1960 where the total

acreage of such property or properties in any assessing unit exceeds

three thousand acres and comprises at least nine and one-half percent of

the acreage of such assessing unit shall be subject to taxation for all

except county purposes.

a. State lands subject to taxation pursuant to the provisions of this

subdivision shall be valued as if privately owned and shall be assessed

in accordance with subdivision one of section five hundred forty-two of

this article.

b. The commissioner shall annually transmit to the assessors of each

assessing unit containing such state lands subject to taxation, and to

town or county assessors who prepare a copy of the applicable part of

the town or county assessment roll for village tax purposes as provided

in subdivision three of section fourteen hundred two of this chapter,

for each such village containing such state lands subject to taxation an

assessment form containing a list of all such lands therein. In the

transmittal of such form, the board shall notify the assessor of the

date as of which the state lands are to be valued. Such date shall

conform to the date which is the basis of the state equalization rate

established pursuant to section twelve hundred two of this chapter and

required to be used to determine the assessment of such state lands

pursuant to this subdivision.

c. Upon receipt of the assessment form containing the list of state

lands subject to taxation, the assessor shall provide the commissioner

with initial assessments of such state lands. The assessor shall return

to the commissioner the original assessment form, any proposed

corrections to the inventory or description of such lands, the

assessor's estimate of the value of such state lands determined pursuant

to paragraph a of this subdivision and the assessor's initial

assessments of such lands, at the uniform percentage of value

established by the commissioner as the latest state equalization rate or

special equalization rate for the assessing unit.

d. The commissioner shall review any initial assessment of such state

land subject to taxation. Such review may include a physical inspection

of the property, an appraisal, a comparison of sales data, or any other

technique relevant to valuation. Following such review, the commissioner

may accept, reject or modify the initial assessment. Where the

commissioner accepts the initial assessment, it shall establish the same

as the final assessment and so notify the assessor. Where the

commissioner modifies or rejects the initial assessment, it shall

substitute a preliminary assessment and so notify the assessor. For

information purposes, the commissioner shall provide copies of all

notices issued pursuant to this subdivision to the appropriate tax

levying bodies of each municipal corporation which levies taxes upon

such state lands.

e. Following receipt of such list of preliminary assessments, the

assessing authority may submit proposed corrections to such list to the

commissioner, together with such supporting documentation as may be

required by the commissioner.

f. The commissioner shall, after review of such documentation,

promulgate a final assessment for each such parcel and transmit a list

of such final assessments to the appropriate assessing authority, which

shall then enter such assessments on the final assessment roll for such

assessing unit.

g. In instances where the assessor does not provide the commissioner

with initial assessments, the commissioner shall promulgate a final

assessment for each parcel and transmit a list of such final assessments

to the appropriate assessing authority, which shall enter such

assessments on the final roll of such assessment unit.

h. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations, including

forms and dates for filings, to implement the procedures provided in

this subdivision.

i. Any final assessment promulgated by the commissioner pursuant to

paragraph f hereof shall be subject to review in a proceeding commenced

by the appropriate assessing authority pursuant to article seventy-eight

of the civil practice law and rules.