As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
COMPLAINANT
The owner, contract vendee or estate of the decedent owning
real property.
DIRECTOR
The head of the Suffolk County Office of Citizen Affairs.
OFFICE
The Suffolk County Office of Citizen Affairs.
OWNER
The last person in whose name the affected property appears
in the records of the Suffolk County Clerk as certified by an abstract
or title insurance company licensed by the State of New York. "Owner"
shall include the authorized agent of an owner.
PERSON
Any natural person, individual, firm, partnership, association,
entity or corporation, other than an attorney.
PROPERTY
Any residential property eligible for assessment review.
TAX ASSESSMENT CONSULTING SERVICE
Any person, individual, partnership, corporation, joint venture
or other entity who or which provides or offers to provide, for any
compensation or consideration, whether direct or indirect, any service
to assist the complainant or the authorized agent of the complainant
of any property located within the County in obtaining a reduction
in the assessed valuation of such premises from the Board of Assessment
Review and the town assessing unit.
It shall be unlawful for any person to provide, or offer to
provide, tax assessment consulting services within the County of Suffolk
for or on behalf of any complainant without first obtaining a license
from the Office in accordance with the provisions of this chapter,
except for the following:
A. Attorneys licensed to practice law by the State of New York.
[Amended 12-17-2002 by L.L. No. 4-2003]
A. All applications for licenses shall be submitted in writing on forms
furnished by the Office.
B. The license application shall be signed under oath. Where a corporation
is an applicant or a participant in an application, the application
shall be signed under oath by an officer of such corporation.
C. All applications shall include the residence address of the individual
who subscribes his name to the application.
D. The Director may require the names and residence addresses of any
employees or officers of the applicant, in addition to any other information
which he or she may deem advisable and proper.
E. An individual applicant must be at least 18 years of age and of good
character.
F. The Director shall investigate such applicant as to good character
before he or she shall issue the applicant a license.
G. Applicants shall meet such further qualifications as may be prescribed
by this section and any other appropriate section of this chapter,
including such licensing examination as may be established by the
Director.
H. The Office shall issue a license or temporary license to each applicant
who has submitted satisfactory evidence of his qualifications and
who has complied with all of the requirements of this chapter.
[Amended 12-17-2002 by L.L. No. 4-2003]
A. All licenses, except temporary licenses, shall be for a period of
two years from the date of issuance thereof at the discretion of the
Office and shall expire on the last day of the 24th month after such
issuance. Subsequent renewals shall be for periods of two years. Fees
payable upon renewal shall be in the amount of $400. The initial application
fee shall be $200. The fee for a tax grievance consultant license
shall be $200 per annum. The biennial renewal fee shall be $400.
[Amended 8-5-2008 by L.L. No. 32-2008]
B. No license issued hereunder shall be assignable or transferable.
C. Failure to make application and pay the required annual fee for a
license renewal prior to the expiration date of said license shall
render the license null and void on the expiration date. Compliance
with the provisions of this subsection shall entitle the licensee
to the renewal of his or her license, provided that such license has
not been suspended or revoked by the Director.
D. The death of an individual who holds a valid license issued pursuant
to this chapter shall terminate such license.
E. A license issued in the name of an individual may be assigned or
transferred for the remainder of the license period to a partnership,
corporation or other entity, provided that the individual holding
such license is a general partner of such partnership, the owner of
not less than 25% of the outstanding voting shares of such corporation
or the holder of not less than a twenty-five-percent interest in any
other entity at the time of the assignment or transfer. The application
for such transfer or assignment must be accompanied by evidence satisfactory
to the Director that the requirements set forth above have been satisfied.
No assignment or transfer shall become effective until proper endorsement
evidencing said transfer or assignment has been made on the face of
the license by the Director, and such license, so endorsed, has been
returned to the assignee or transferee. All such endorsements shall
be made by the payment of a fee of $25.
F. Each individual licensee shall, within 10 business days after a change of control of ownership or of management, apply for the assignment or transfer of a license specified in Subsection
E, or such license shall terminate. Every other licensee shall, within 10 business days after a change of control in ownership or management, notify the Office, in writing, of such change.
G. No licensee shall authorize or permit the use of his or her license
by or on behalf of any other person.
H. Each licensee shall, within 10 business days after a change of address,
notify the Office in writing of such change.
I. A licensee who determines not to engage in the activity regulated
herein may make application to the Office to deactivate temporarily
his or her license issued pursuant to this section for a period not
to exceed three years. The licensee will submit with the application
for shelving said license a fee of $50 for each annual period of inactivity
sought.
[Amended 12-17-2002 by L.L. No. 4-2003]
A. A duplicate license may be issued for a license which has been lost,
destroyed or mutilated, upon application therefor on a form prescribed
by the Director and the payment of a fee of $25. Each such duplicate
license shall have the word "duplicate" stamped across the face thereof
and shall bear the same number as the one it replaces.
B. A licensee shall attain a supplementary license for each additional
place of business maintained by such licensee within the County of
Suffolk upon application therefor, on a form prescribed by the Director,
and the payment of a fee of $50 per annum. It may be renewed biennially
for a fee of $100. Each such supplementary license shall have the
word "supplementary" stamped across the face thereof, shall bear the
same number as the original, and shall be conspicuously posted in
each additional place of business.
This chapter shall apply to any agreements or contracts to render
tax assessment consulting services entered into on or after six months
subsequent to the effective date of this chapter.