On Friday evenings I like to unwind after a busy week of work by reading the Levittown Tribune to catch up on local news and events. I find the paper to be a good source of local information and will read it from front to back including a quick scan of the legal notice and classified sections. My quick scan of the County Treasurer's Public Notice (Sale of Tax Lien on Real Estate in the Town of Hempstead) contained in the Jan. 27 edition of the Levittown Tribune turned a relaxing evening into a night of troubled astonishment. Much to my disbelief, I found that my wife and I were listed for unpaid property taxes.

I came to the quick conclusion that the listing was a big mistake since I promptly receive my property tax bill receipt from the Town of Hempstead Receiver of Taxes and routinely confirm payment of the same with my bank. Careful examination of the section, lot and block numbers revealed that my wife and I do not own the property in question. In fact it was sold approximately 18 months ago (July 2004) to another family. We in turn moved only a mile to the north in Levittown to settle into a larger home. Foreshadowing the shocking mistake was the recent issuance of the Notice of Tentative Assessed Value for 2007/2008 by the Nassau County Department of Assessment for my current home. This document was sent to the correct address but had the prior owner listed. Perhaps this should have served as a revelation for my sudden surprise.

As a former school board member who pays his taxes in a timely manner, I find the mistake to be both extremely embarrassing and troubling. The listing prompted numerous phone calls from concerned friends and neighbors in the community. Like me, they were relieved to find the listing to be a mistake but are equally very concerned by the blunder.

This gaffe begs several fundamental questions. Why does the Town of Hempstead have the correct owner information and Nassau County does not? This proves that at least one segment of government can get it right. If the county was furnished with the proper information then why after 18 months am I still listed as the owner of my old home? Keep in mind the Nassau County Department of Assessment is still sending information to my new home with the prior owner listed. This indicates that the problem may not be an isolated one. Finally how can I confidently believe that my property along with all of the homes in the community are being properly assessed if Nassau County cannot correctly and promptly record basic property owner information? With all due respect to our public officials, Nassau County needs to address the fundamentals before any meaningful dialogue and study of our high local property taxes can take place.

Paul J. Granger