Homeowner objects to reassessment secrecy--Again!
Got to give it to Lynbrook homeowner Dennis Duffy.
He continues to press for Nassau reassessment information to be made public, rather than kept hidden from property owners trying to figure out how the county came up with their new home values.
Duffy says he sent a letter to State Supreme Court Justice Steven Bucaria in Mineola this week, objecting to the judge's recent order directing that information provided by either side in an ongoing lawsuit challenging the county's 2018 reassessment remain confidential unless he rules otherwise.
That information, Bucaria wrote earlier this month, includes documents or testimony that "contain trade secrets, proprietary business information, competitively sensitive information or other information the disclosure of which would ...be detrimental to the conduct of the party's business...."
Duffy went to court last year -- to argue before Bucaria no less-- to demand the county reveal the computer formula used to come up with the residential new values. Nassau contended the formula, or algorithm was a "trade secret, " but dropped the claim before trial.
In his new letter to Bucaria, Duffy wrote:
"As you know, I am not an attorney but one does not have to be such in order to understand basic principles. Nassau County should not be able to use secrets to assess our homes. In my FOIL action you ruled that the County had to turn over copies of the “Formula,” wherever it appears on paper or in computer files. Now you have ruled that they don’t.
He continues to press for Nassau reassessment information to be made public, rather than kept hidden from property owners trying to figure out how the county came up with their new home values.
Duffy says he sent a letter to State Supreme Court Justice Steven Bucaria in Mineola this week, objecting to the judge's recent order directing that information provided by either side in an ongoing lawsuit challenging the county's 2018 reassessment remain confidential unless he rules otherwise.
That information, Bucaria wrote earlier this month, includes documents or testimony that "contain trade secrets, proprietary business information, competitively sensitive information or other information the disclosure of which would ...be detrimental to the conduct of the party's business...."
Duffy went to court last year -- to argue before Bucaria no less-- to demand the county reveal the computer formula used to come up with the residential new values. Nassau contended the formula, or algorithm was a "trade secret, " but dropped the claim before trial.
In his new letter to Bucaria, Duffy wrote:
"As you know, I am not an attorney but one does not have to be such in order to understand basic principles. Nassau County should not be able to use secrets to assess our homes. In my FOIL action you ruled that the County had to turn over copies of the “Formula,” wherever it appears on paper or in computer files. Now you have ruled that they don’t.
"Fine, have all the secrets you
want. Just don’t use them in
administering or defending the assessment system!"
As the present (“Berliner, et. al. ) case
proceeds, I ask you to place forefront the citizens’ right to know how they are
assessed, for, if the citizens don’t know, they cannot know that the system is
fair or not or properly exercise their right to grieve."
The current lawsuit, filed by Sands Point resident Eric Berliner and three other Nassau homeowners last year, contends that County Executive Laura Curran's reassessment was arbitrary, secretive and violated constitutional guarantees of equal protection.
Court proceedings have been stalled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The current lawsuit, filed by Sands Point resident Eric Berliner and three other Nassau homeowners last year, contends that County Executive Laura Curran's reassessment was arbitrary, secretive and violated constitutional guarantees of equal protection.
Court proceedings have been stalled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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