Riverhead Property Owners See Tax Bills Spike

Friar's Head Case: What Long Islanders Should Know

Many Riverhead property owners recently saw an unexpected increase on their tax bills tied to a large tax refund owed after a long-running property tax dispute involving Friar’s Head, the private golf club in Baiting Hollow.

The issue has frustrated many homeowners because they had no direct involvement in the litigation. However, when a municipality is required to refund taxes after a successful tax certiorari case, that cost can ultimately be spread across the tax base. The key takeaway is simple: property tax assessments matter.

What Happened?

Friar’s Head successfully challenged the assessed value of its property and obtained a substantial refund. As a result, Riverhead was required to account for that refund through tax charges imposed on property owners.

Importantly, this does not necessarily mean that each homeowner’s individual assessment increased. Rather, the higher bill was tied to the town’s obligation to fund prior tax refunds.

That distinction matters because a tax grievance usually challenges the assessed value of your own property. It is generally not a direct challenge to tax rates, town-wide charges, or refund-related charge-backs.

Can Homeowners Grieve This?

A homeowner usually cannot file a grievance simply because the tax bill went up. The better question is whether the property itself is over-assessed.

You may have grounds to file a grievance if your property is assessed as though it is worth more than its actual fair market value, or if similar properties appear to be assessed more favorably.

That is why property owners should review their assessments before the grievance deadline, not after receiving a tax bill.

Why This Matters Beyond Riverhead

The Friar’s Head case is a reminder that inaccurate assessments can have major consequences. For property owners, an excessive assessment can mean years of over-payment. For municipalities, assessment disputes can result in large refunds. For taxpayers generally, those refunds can affect future tax bills.

This is especially important for commercial and specialty properties, including golf courses, shopping centers, apartment buildings, mixed-use buildings, industrial properties, and office buildings, where valuation issues can be more complex.

Review Your Assessment

If you own property in Riverhead, Suffolk County, Nassau County, or elsewhere on Long Island, you should periodically review whether your assessment makes sense.

A review may be worthwhile if your property is assessed higher than its likely market value, your property has condition, vacancy, income, zoning, or marketability issues, you recently purchased the property for less than the value implied by the assessment, your tax bill increased and you want to understand whether the issue is your assessment or another charge.

Not every tax increase creates grounds for a successful grievance; however, if your property is over-assessed, filing a grievance may help reduce your tax burden.

Speak With a Long Island Property Tax Grievance Attorney

Blodnick Fazio & Clark represents homeowners and commercial property owners in Nassau County, Suffolk County, and throughout New York in property tax grievance and tax certiorari matters.

If you are concerned about your assessment or believe your property may be overvalued, contact us today to discuss whether a grievance may be appropriate.