NY Real Prop Tax L § 542 (2021)
2021 New York Laws RPT - Real Property Tax Article 5 - Assessment Procedure Title 2 - Assessment and Taxation of Certain State Lands 542 - Assessment of State Lands; Approval Thereof.

§  542.  Assessment  of state lands; approval thereof. 1. a. Except as provided in paragraph b of this  subdivision,  state  lands  subject  to taxation  shall  be  valued  as  if  privately  owned  and  assessed  by multiplying the value of the lands by the latest state equalization rate established for the  assessing  unit  or  a  special  equalization  rate established  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section twelve hundred twenty-two of this chapter.   b. Where an assessing unit implements a revaluation or  update  on  an assessment  roll  completed  on or after January first, nineteen hundred ninety-one, state lands subject to taxation in such assessing unit shall be valued as if privately owned as of the valuation date  applicable  to the revaluation or update and assessed at the same uniform percentage of value as other taxable real property in the assessing unit. In each year subsequent  to  a revaluation or update, state lands subject to taxation in such assessing unit shall be valued as if privately owned and  valued as  of  the  valuation  date applicable to the revaluation or update and assessed at the same uniform percentage of value as other  taxable  real property in the assessing unit.   2.  In the case of state lands subject to taxation for school purposes only, the assessors shall enter the assessments on the  exempt  part  of the city or town assessment roll, as the case may be. When preparing the appropriate portion of the assessment roll for school district purposes, they shall enter such assessments on the taxable part thereof.   3.  (a)  Not  later than twenty days prior to the date provided by law for the completion of the tentative assessment  roll  in  any  assessing unit  in  which state lands are subject to taxation, but in no event any earlier than the taxable status date for such roll, the  assessor  shall notify  the  commissioner  of the amount of any assessment of such state lands. In the case of a  village  which  has  enacted  a  local  law  as provided  in  subdivision  three of section fourteen hundred two of this chapter, the town or  county  assessor,  who  prepares  a  copy  of  the applicable  part  of  the town or county assessment roll for village tax purposes, shall also notify the commissioner of the amount of such state lands located within the village. Thereafter and  not  later  than  five days  prior  to  the last day set by law for the completion of the final assessment  roll  each  such  assessment  shall  be  approved   by   the commissioner in accordance with subdivision one of this section.  (b)  No  such  assessment  shall  be valid for any purpose without the approval of the commissioner, which approval shall  be  evidenced  by  a certificate  attached  to  the  assessment roll of the assessing unit or copy of the applicable part thereof used for school district or  village purposes,  when the village is not an assessing unit, or filed therewith in accordance with section fifteen hundred eighty-four of this  chapter. Where  administrative or judicial proceedings are commenced to review an assessment approved by the commissioner, a certificate of approval shall not be deemed a waiver of any right to review  of  the  assessment,  nor shall such certificate constitute an admission in any such proceeding.  (c)  Notwithstanding  the  foregoing provisions of this section or any general or special law to  the  contrary,  the  total  taxable  assessed valuation  of  those  state-owned  wild or forest lands lying within the Adirondack  park  as  approved  by  the  commissioner  upon  any   final assessment  roll  completed,  verified  and  filed  in the year nineteen hundred sixty, shall not, upon any assessment roll hereafter  completed, or  applicable  part  thereof  used  for  village tax purposes where the village is not an assessing unit, be reduced  by  the  approval  of  the commissioner  to  a  total  amount  less than the total taxable assessed valuation of such state-owned wild or forest lands within such  park  as approved  by  the  commissioner  upon the corresponding final assessment  roll completed, verified and filed in the year nineteen hundred sixty as adjusted by the commissioner for any change in the level  of  assessment thereafter  occurring  as  hereinafter  provided, and such total taxable assessed  valuation  of all state-owned wild or forest lands within such park as approved by the commissioner  upon  any  final  assessment  roll completed,  verified  and filed in the year nineteen hundred sixty shall be adjusted by  the  commissioner  upon  its  own  motion  or  upon  the application  of the assessing unit, or village which is not an assessing unit, to reflect a subsequent increase  or  decrease  in  the  level  of assessment  for the assessing unit, or village which is not an assessing unit,  as  compared  with  the  corresponding  final   assessment   roll completed,  verified  and  filed  in nineteen hundred sixty. "Adirondack park" or "park" as used in the last preceding sentence means land  lying within  the  area  described in subdivision one of section 9-0101 of the environmental conservation law including any future amendments thereto.   4. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of  this  section  or  any other  law,  an  assessment  of  state  lands  taxable  pursuant  to the provisions of this title acquired by the state prior to the lien date of taxes thereon may, at any time within two years from the time  made,  be approved  by  the  commissioner  in  such  an  amount as will place such assessment at the same percentage of full  valuation  as  other  taxable real property in the assessing unit at the time the assessment was made. Upon  approval of such an assessment of state lands, taxes thereon shall be legalized, ratified and confirmed in an amount which would have  been payable  had  such assessment been approved by the commissioner pursuant to subdivision three of  this  section.  Such  taxes  may  thereupon  be audited  and  paid  by  the comptroller in the same manner that taxes on such lands would ordinarily be audited and paid.