Terms Used In New York Laws > Real Property Tax > Article 4 - Exemptions

• Abatement period: means the tax year or tax years in which the abatement is applied by the department of finance to the real property tax liability of an eligible building, provided that such abatement may not be applied to the real property tax liability of such building during more than five tax years. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAAA
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• Aggregate floor area: means the sum of the gross areas of the several floors of a building or structure, measured from the exterior faces of exterior walls or from the center lines of walls separating two buildings or structures. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Applicant: shall mean (a) with respect to an eligible building held in the cooperative or condominium form of ownership, the board of managers of a condominium or the board of directors of a cooperative apartment corporation, or (b) with respect to any other eligible building, the owner of such building. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAA
• Applicant: shall mean (a) with respect to an eligible building held in the cooperative or condominium form of ownership, the board of managers of a condominium or the board of directors of a cooperative apartment corporation, or (b) with respect to any other eligible building, the owner of such building. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAA
• Applicant: means an owner who files an application for tax abatement. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAAA
• Applicant: means any person or corporation obligated to pay real property taxes on the property for which an exemption is sought, or in the case of exempt property, the record owner thereof, provided, however, that such property is not commercial property located in an area designated as excluded pursuant to section four hundred eighty-nine-ccc of this title;
  
  2. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAA
• Applicant: means any person obligated to pay real property taxes on the property for which an exemption from or abatement or deferral of real property tax payments is sought, or in the case of exempt property, the record owner or lessee thereof. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Applicant: means any person obligated to pay real property taxes on the property for which an exemption from real property taxes under this title is sought or in the case of exempt property, the record owner or lessee thereof. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Application for tax abatement: shall mean an application for a green roof tax abatement pursuant to section four hundred ninety-nine-ccc of this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAA
• Application for tax abatement: shall mean an application for a solar electric generating system and/or electric energy storage equipment tax abatement pursuant to section four hundred ninety-nine-cccc of this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAA
• Application for tax abatement: means an application for a childcare center tax abatement pursuant to section four hundred ninety-nine-ccccc of this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAAA
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Approved plans: means plans submitted to and approved by the department of buildings in connection with the applicant's building permit, including any amendments to such plans approved by such department before final inspection of the work for which such permit was issued. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Approved plans: means plans submitted to and approved by the department of buildings in connection with an applicant's building permit, including any amendments to such plans approved by such department before final inspection of the work for which such permit was issued. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Architect: shall mean a person licensed and registered to practice the profession of architecture under the education law. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAA
• Architect: shall mean a person licensed and registered to practice the profession of architecture under the education law. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAA
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assessing unit: means a city, town or village. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-B
• Assessing unit: means a city, town or village. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-BB
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Attorney-at-law: A person who is legally qualified and licensed to practice law, and to represent and act for clients in legal proceedings.
• Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
• Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Benefit period: means the period of time when a recipient is eligible to receive benefits pursuant to this title, including in the case of a recipient of a certificate of eligibility for commercial construction work in a deferral area, the period of time tax payments are to be deferred, the interim period when no tax payments are to be deferred and no deferred tax payments are required to be made, and the period of time when the deferred tax payments are to be made. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Benefit period: means the period of time when a recipient is eligible to receive benefits pursuant to this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Board: means the industrial and commercial incentive board;
  
  3. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAA
• Certificate of eligibility: means the document issued by the department of finance pursuant to section four hundred eighty-nine-ddddd of this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Chambers: A judge's office.
• Charity: An agency, institution, or organization in existence and operating for the benefit of an indefinite number of persons and conducted for educational, religious, scientific, medical, or other beneficent purposes.
• Childcare center: means a childcare program for which a permit to operate such program has been issued by the department of health and mental hygiene pursuant to the health code of the city. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAAA
• Childcare desert: means a census tract in a city having a population of one million or more where, at the time of an application for tax abatement, there are three or more children under five years of age for each available childcare slot, or where there are no available childcare slots, as of the most recently published determinations by the office of children and family services. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAAA
• City: means a city with a population of one million or more. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAAA
• Commercial: means any non-residential property used primarily for the buying, selling or otherwise providing of goods or services, provided that the use of such property has not been designated as a restricted commercial use pursuant to section four hundred eighty-nine-ccc of this title;
  
  4. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAA
• Commercial construction work: means the construction of a new building or structure, or portion thereof, or the modernization, rehabilitation, expansion, or other improvement of an existing building or structure, or portion thereof, for use as commercial property. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Commercial construction work: means the modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or other improvement of the portion of mixed-use property to be used for commercial purposes. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Commercial construction work: means the construction of a new building or structure or the modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or improvement of an existing building or structure for use as commercial property. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Commercial exclusion area: means an area as defined in subdivision four of section four hundred eighty-nine-gggggg of this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Commercial property: means nonresidential property on which will exist after completion of commercial construction work a building or structure, or portion thereof, used for the buying, selling or otherwise providing of goods or services including hotel services, or for other lawful business, commercial or manufacturing activities; provided that property or portions of property dedicated to utility property shall not be considered commercial property for purposes of this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Commercial property: means nonresidential property (a) on which will exist after completion of commercial construction work, a building or structure used for the buying, selling or otherwise providing of goods or services including hotel services, or for other lawful business, commercial or manufacturing activities; and (b) (i) where, except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph and paragraph (c) of this subdivision, not more than fifteen per centum of the total net square footage of any building or structure on such property was used for manufacturing activities at any one or more times during the twenty-four months immediately preceding the date of application for a certificate of eligibility or (ii) where not more than fifteen per centum of the total net square footage of any building or structure on such property was used for manufacturing activities at any one or more times during the sixty months immediately preceding the date of application for a certificate of eligibility if such property is located, in whole or in part, in the area in the borough of Manhattan lying south of the center line of 96th Street; and (c) in the commercial revitalization area, and with respect to an application for a certificate of eligibility filed on or after July first, two thousand, "commercial property" means nonresidential property on which will exist after completion of commercial construction work, a building or structure used for the buying, selling or otherwise providing of goods or services including hotel services, or for other lawful business, commercial or manufacturing activities. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Commercial purpose or use: means the buying, selling or otherwise providing of goods or services, including hotel services, or other lawful business or commercial activities permitted in mixed-use property. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Commercial revitalization area: means any area of a city having a population of one million or more, provided that in the city of New York a commercial revitalization area shall mean any district that is zoned C4, C5, C6, M1, M2, or M3 in accordance with the zoning resolution of such city in any area of such city except the area lying south of the center line of 96th Street in the borough of Manhattan. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Commission: means the temporary commercial incentive area boundary commission. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of finance of a city that has enacted a local law pursuant to this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Compliance period: shall mean the tax year in which a tax abatement is taken. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAA
• Compliance period: shall mean the tax year in which a tax abatement commences and the three tax years immediately thereafter. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAA
• Construction: means the building of new industrial or commercial structures on vacant or predominantly vacant land, or the modernization, rehabilitation or expansion or other improvement of an existing commercial structure where such modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or other improvement is not physically or functionally integrated with the existing structure or results in additional usable square footage fifty per centum greater than the square footage of the existing structure;
  
  5. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAA
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Cost-reasonable: means having a cost that, in its nature and amount, does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the cost. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAAA
• Credit report: A detailed report of an individual's credit history prepared by a credit bureau and used by a lender in determining a loan applicant's creditworthiness. ^{Source: OCC}
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Deferral area: means an area in which deferral of payment of real property taxes in accordance with subdivision four of section four hundred eighty-nine-bbbb of this title shall be available to a recipient who has performed commercial construction work. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Department: means the department of finance of a city that has enacted a local law pursuant to this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Department of finance: shall mean the department of finance of a city having a population of one million or more persons. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAA
• Department of finance: shall mean the department of finance of a city having a population of one million or more persons. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAA
• Department of finance: means the department of finance of a city having a population of one million or more. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAAA
• Department of health and mental hygiene: means the department of health and mental hygiene of a city having a population of one million or more. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAAA
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Designated agency: shall mean one or more agencies or departments of a city having a population of one million or more persons that are designated by the mayor of such city to exercise the functions, powers and duties of a designated agency pursuant to this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAA
• Designated agency: shall mean one or more agencies or departments of a city having a population of one million or more persons that are designated by the mayor of such city to exercise the functions, powers and duties of a designated agency pursuant to this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAA
• Designated agency: means an agency of a city having a population of one million or more that is designated by the mayor of such city to exercise the functions, powers and duties of a designated agency pursuant to this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAAA
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Electric energy storage equipment: means a set of technologies capable of storing electric energy and releasing that energy as electric power at a later time. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAA
• Eligible building: shall mean a class one, class two or class four real property, as defined in subdivision one of section eighteen hundred two of this chapter, located within a city having a population of one million or more persons. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAA
• Eligible building: shall mean a class one, class two or class four real property, as defined in subdivision one of section eighteen hundred two of this chapter, located within a city having a population of one million or more persons. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAA
• Eligible building: means a class one, class two or class four property, as such classes of property are defined in subdivision one of section eighteen hundred two of this chapter, located within a city having a population of one million or more, provided that, for any such property held in the condominium form of ownership, "eligible building" shall mean a tax lot in such property. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAAA
• eligible electric energy storage equipment expenditures: shall mean reasonable expenditures for materials, labor costs properly allocable to on-site preparation, assembly and original installation, architectural and engineering services, and designs and plans directly related to the construction or installation of a solar electric generating system and/or electric energy storage equipment installed in connection with an eligible building. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAA
• Eligible rooftop space: shall mean the total space available on an eligible building to support a green roof, as certified by an engineer or architect or other certified or licensed professional whom a designated agency designates by rule. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAA
• Engineer: shall mean a person licensed and registered to practice the profession of engineering under the education law. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAA
• Engineer: shall mean a person licensed and registered to practice the profession of engineering under the education law. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAA
• Enterprise risk: means any activity, circumstance, event, or series of events involving one or more subsidiaries of a parent corporation that, if not remedied promptly, is likely to have a material adverse effect upon the financial condition or liquidity of the parent corporation, including anything that would cause the parent corporation's risk-based capital to fall into company action level as set forth in section one thousand three hundred twenty-two of this chapter, or that would cause further transaction of business to be hazardous to the insurer's policyholders or creditors or the public. See N.Y. Insurance Law 1702
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• equalization increase or decrease: means an increase or decrease in the assessed value of property which is not attributable to construction work, fire, demolition, destruction or other change in the physical characteristics of the property (excluding gradual physical deterioration or obsolescence), or to a change in the description or boundaries of the property. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Excluded area: means each area specified in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of subdivision five of section four hundred eighty-nine-cccc of this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• exemption base: shall mean , with respect to property that is the subject of a certificate of eligibility with an effective date of June thirtieth, nineteen hundred ninety-two or before: (i) for the first, second and third taxable years following the effective date of a certificate of eligibility, the assessed value of improvements made since the effective date of such certificate which are attributable exclusively to commercial or industrial construction work described in approved plans; and (ii) for all other years, the assessed value of such improvements which have been made before the fourth taxable status date following the effective date of such certificate. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• exemption base: shall mean : (a) for the first through fifth taxable years following the effective date of a certificate of eligibility, the assessed value of improvements made since the effective date of such certificate which are attributable exclusively to residential construction work or a combination of residential construction work and commercial construction work described in approved plans; and (b) for all other years, the assessed value of such improvements which have been made before the sixth taxable status date following the effective date of such certificate. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Fair Credit Reporting Act: A federal law, established in 1971 and revised in 1997, that gives consumers the right to see their credit records and correct any mistakes. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: A government corporation that insures the deposits of all national and state banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System. ^{Source: OCC}
• Federal Reserve System: The central bank of the United States. The Fed, as it is commonly called, regulates the U.S. monetary and financial system. The Federal Reserve System is composed of a central governmental agency in Washington, D.C. (the Board of Governors) and twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks in major cities throughout the United States. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Grace period: The number of days you'll have to pay your bill for purchases in full without triggering a finance charge. ^{Source: Federal Reserve}
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Green roof: shall mean an addition to a roof of an eligible building that covers at least fifty percent of such building's eligible rooftop space and includes (a) a weatherproof and waterproof roofing membrane layer that complies with local construction and fire codes, (b) a root barrier layer, (c) a drainage layer that complies with local construction and fire codes and is designed so the drains can be inspected and cleaned, (d) a filter or separation fabric, (e) a growth medium, including natural or simulated soil, with a depth of at least two inches, (f) if the depth of the growth medium is less than three inches, an independent water holding layer that is designed to prevent the rapid drying of the growth medium, such as a non-woven fabric, pad or foam mat or controlled flow roof drain, unless the green roof is certified not to need regular irrigation to maintain live plants, and (g) a vegetation layer, at least eighty percent of which must be covered by live plants such as (i) sedum or equally drought resistant and hardy plant species, (ii) native plant species, and/or (iii) agricultural plant species. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAA
• Group capital calculation instructions: means the group capital calculation instructions as adopted by the NAIC and as amended by the NAIC from time to time in accordance with the procedures adopted by the NAIC, except where such instructions conflict with the laws of this state and subject to exceptions the superintendent may take in a regulation upon a written finding that the exceptions would not be unduly burdensome on the parent corporation or subsidiary. See N.Y. Insurance Law 1702
• Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Hearsay: Statements by a witness who did not see or hear the incident in question but heard about it from someone else. Hearsay is usually not admissible as evidence in court.
• Holding company operating subsidiary: means a subsidiary (other than a separate account subsidiary) engaged or organized to engage in either or both of the following activities (1) the ownership and management of other subsidiaries, and (2) the raising of capital (debt or equity) that could be loaned to, or invested in, other subsidiaries or loaned to the parent corporation, provided that any such subsidiary may in addition engage in the ownership and management of assets authorized as investments for the parent corporation. See N.Y. Insurance Law 1702
• Holocaust victim: shall mean any person, claimant, or the estate, heir, legatee, descendant, survivor, beneficiary, or other such successor-in-interest of such person, who lost his or her life or property as a result of discriminatory laws, policies, or actions targeted against discrete groups of persons based on race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or national origin, whether or not such person was actually a member of any of the foregoing enumerated groups or because such person assisted or allegedly assisted any of the foregoing groups, between January first, nineteen hundred twenty-nine and December thirty-first, nineteen hundred forty-five in areas under Nazi influence as defined in subsection (f) of this section. See N.Y. Insurance Law 2701
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Industrial: means property used primarily for the manufacturing or assembling of goods or the processing of raw materials;
  
  6. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAA
• Industrial construction work: means the construction of a new building or structure or the modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or improvement of an existing building or structure for use as industrial property. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Industrial construction work: means the construction of a new building or structure or the modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or improvement of an existing building or structure for use as industrial property. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Industrial property: means nonresidential property on which will exist after completion of industrial construction work a building or structure, or portion thereof, with at least seventy-five percent of the total net square footage of the property used or immediately available and held out for manufacturing activities involving assembling goods or the fabrication or processing of raw materials; provided that property or portions of property dedicated to utility property shall not be considered industrial property for purposes of this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Industrial property: means nonresidential property on which will exist after completion of industrial construction work a building or structure wherein at least seventy-five per centum of the total net square footage is used or immediately available and held out for use for manufacturing activities involving the assembly of goods or the fabrication or processing of raw materials. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Initial assessed value: means the lesser of (a) the taxable assessed value of real property appearing on the books of the annual record of the assessed valuation of real property on the effective date of a recipient's certificate of eligibility or (b) the assessed value to which such assessment is thereafter reduced pursuant to application to the tax commission or court order. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Initial assessed value: means the lesser of (a) the taxable assessed value of real property appearing on the books of the annual record of the assessed valuation of real property on the effective date of a recipient's certificate of eligibility or (b) the assessed value to which such assessment is thereafter reduced pursuant to application to the tax commission or court order. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Insurance policy: shall mean any policy of insurance substantially similar to any kind of insurance that was authorized at any time in New York between and including the years nineteen hundred twenty-nine and nineteen hundred forty-five or authorized by the jurisdiction in which the policy was sold at the time it was sold including but not limited to any form of life, accident and health, annuities, property, casualty, education or dowry insurance. See N.Y. Insurance Law 2701
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• Investment subsidiary: means a subsidiary (other than a separate account subsidiary) engaged or organized to engage exclusively in the ownership and management of assets (other than equity securities of subsidiaries) authorized as investments for the parent corporation and of other investment subsidiaries. See N.Y. Insurance Law 1702
• Irrevocable trust: A trust arrangement that cannot be revoked, rescinded, or repealed by the grantor.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Legal tender: coins, dollar bills, or other currency issued by a government as official money. ^{Source: U.S. Mint}
• Legatee: A beneficiary of a decedent
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Life estate: A property interest limited in duration to the life of the individual holding the interest (life tenant).
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Local assessing jurisdiction: means the town, city, village or county assessing unit that establishes the assessment rolls for such town, city, village or county. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-HHHH
• Local public utility mass real property: means public utility mass real property that is located in a particular town, village, city or county assessing unit and under the same ownership. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-HHHH
• Member of a holding company system: shall include a holding company, a controlled insurer, a controlled person, and any person who alone or in concert with any other persons directly or indirectly controls a holding company or controls a person who controls a holding company. See N.Y. Insurance Law 2701
• Minimum required expenditure: means the amount that an applicant must expend on construction work for a project in order to qualify for benefits as provided in this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Minimum required expenditure: means expenditure for commercial, renovation or industrial construction work in an amount equal to twenty per centum of the initial assessed value; provided, however, that with respect to a recipient who filed an application on or after July first, nineteen hundred ninety-five for a certificate of eligibility for industrial construction work or for commercial construction work in a special exemption area or a regular exemption area, minimum required expenditure means expenditure for such work in an amount equal to ten per centum of the initial assessed value; provided, however, that with respect to a recipient who filed an application on or after July first, nineteen hundred ninety-five for a certificate of eligibility for industrial construction work and for the purpose of receiving an abatement of real property taxes in accordance with paragraph (c) of subdivision one of section four hundred eighty-nine-bbbb of this title, minimum required expenditure means expenditure for such work in an amount equal to twenty-five per centum of the initial assessed value; and provided further that if the department of finance, after consultation with the deputy mayor for finance and economic development, determines that a greater expenditure is required to encourage significant industrial and commercial development it may establish by rule a higher percentage of initial assessed value, not to exceed fifty per centum thereof, as the minimum required expenditure. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Minimum required expenditure: means expenditure for residential construction work or a combination of residential construction work and commercial construction work in an amount equal to twenty per centum of the initial assessed value; provided, however, that if the department of finance, after consultation with the deputy mayor for finance and economic development, determines that a greater expenditure is required to encourage significant development of mixed-use property, it may establish by rule a higher percentage of initial assessed value, not to exceed fifty per centum thereof, as the minimum required expenditure. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Mixed-use construction exemption area: means any area of a city having a population of one million or more persons, in which, subject to the applicable law governing zoning in such city, mixed-use property is permitted, provided, however, that in the city of New York, subject to the applicable law governing zoning in such city, mixed-use construction exemption area shall mean: the area in the borough of Manhattan bounded by Murray Street on the north starting at the intersection of West Street and Murray Street; running easterly along the center line of Murray Street; connecting through City Hall Park with the center line of Frankfort Street and running easterly along the center lines of Frankfort and Dover Streets to the intersection of Dover Street and South Street; running southerly along the center line of South Street to Peter Minuit Plaza; connecting through Peter Minuit Plaza to the center line of State Street and running northwesterly along the center line of State Street to the intersection of State Street and Battery Place; running westerly along the center line of Battery Place to the intersection of Battery Place and West Street; and running northerly along the center line of West Street to the intersection of West Street and Murray Street. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Mixed-use property: means property on which exists, or will exist upon completion of construction work, a building or structure used for both residential and nonresidential purposes. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Mixed-use property: means property on which exists, or will exist upon completion of construction work, a building or structure used for both residential and nonresidential purposes. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Mixed-use property: means property on which will exist, after completion of residential construction work or a combination of residential construction work and commercial construction work, a building or structure used for both residential and commercial purposes, provided that after completion of such construction work, more than twenty-five per centum of the aggregate floor area of such building or structure is used or held out for use as commercial, community facility or accessory use space. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. ^{Source: OCC}
• Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
• NAIC: means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. See N.Y. Insurance Law 1702
• NAIC liquidity stress test framework: means an NAIC publication that includes a history of the NAIC's development of regulatory liquidity stress testing, the scope criteria applicable for a specific data year, and the liquidity stress test instructions and reporting templates for a specific data year, such scope criteria, instructions and reporting template being as adopted by the NAIC and as amended by the NAIC from time to time in accordance with the procedures adopted by the NAIC, except where such instructions conflict with the laws of this state and subject to exceptions the superintendent may take in a regulation upon a written finding that the exceptions would not be unduly burdensome on the parent corporation or subsidiary. See N.Y. Insurance Law 1702
• National Bank: A bank that is subject to the supervision of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department. A national bank can be recognized because it must have "national" or "national association" in its name. ^{Source: OCC}
• New construction exemption areas: means the areas specified in subdivision six of section four hundred eighty-nine-cccc of this title in which an exemption from real property taxes in accordance with subdivision five-a of section four hundred eighty-nine-bbbb of this title shall be available to a recipient who constructs a new building or structure that meets the requirements set forth in subdivision nine of section four hundred eighty-nine-dddd of this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Owner: means the owner of an eligible building, or with respect to an eligible building held in the cooperative form of ownership, the board of directors of a cooperative apartment corporation, or, with respect to an eligible building held in the condominium form of ownership, an owner of a tax lot in such building or the board of managers of such building. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAAA
• Parent corporation: means a parent corporation of a type described in subsection (a), (b) or (c) of section one thousand seven hundred one of this article. See N.Y. Insurance Law 1702
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• peaking unit: shall mean a generating unit that: (a) is determined by the New York independent system operator or a federal or New York state energy regulatory commission to constitute a peaking unit as set forth in section 5. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Person: means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, agency, trust, estate, foreign or domestic government or subdivision thereof, or other entity. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Person: means an individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association, agency, trust, estate, foreign or domestic government or subdivision thereof, or other entity. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
• Predominantly vacant land: means land, including land under water, on which not more than fifteen percent of the lot area contains enclosed, permanent improvements; in addition, such land may include existing foundations. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAA
• Preliminary hearing: A hearing where the judge decides whether there is enough evidence to make the defendant have a trial.
• Premises: means the location of a childcare center as specified on the permit for the operation of such center issued by the department of health and mental hygiene pursuant to the health code of the city. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAAA
• Proceeds: shall mean the face or other pay-out value of an insurance policy or annuity plus reasonable interest to date of payment as shall be prescribed by regulations promulgated by the superintendent. See N.Y. Insurance Law 2701
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Public utility mass real property: means real property, including conduits, cables, lines, wires, poles, supports and enclosures for electrical conductors located on, above and below real property, which is used in the transmission and distribution of telephone or telegraph service, and electromagnetic voice, video and data signals. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-HHHH
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Railroad company: means a corporation, joint stock company, association, partnership, individual or other person operating a railroad system wholly within the state of New York as a common carrier by rail, including but not limited to a street, surface, underground or elevated railroad, whether as owner, lessee, mortgagee, trustee, receiver or assignee of railroad real property. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-B
• Railroad company: means a corporation , joint stock company, association, partnership, individual or other person operating a railroad system both within and without the State of New York as a common carrier by rail, including but not limited to a street, surface, underground or elevated railroad and any corporation created under or in compliance with the rail passenger service act of nineteen hundred seventy or the regional rail reorganization act of nineteen hundred seventy-three as those acts were amended to April first, nineteen hundred seventy-six, whether as owner, lessee, mortgagee, trustee, receiver or assignee of railroad real property. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-BB
• Railroad real property: means the land, real estate and real property (as defined in subdivision twelve of section one hundred two of this chapter) of a railroad company, which is used by such railroad company for transportation purposes and which is subject to real property taxation except as provided in this title, and includes (a) such property leased to such railroad company, (b) such property used for transportation purposes by such railroad company under a trackage right or other operating agreement, title to which is in other than a railroad company, as defined in subdivision two of this section and subdivision two of section four hundred eighty-nine-bb of this chapter, (c) such property used or occupied by such railroad company, title to which is in the state or in any municipal corporation thereof under any of the grade crossing elimination acts, and (d) such tangible property of such railroad company situated in, upon, under or above any street, highway, public place or public waters; but does not include the value of any franchise, right or permission to construct, maintain or operate, in, under, above, on or through, streets, highways or public places. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-B
• Railroad real property: means the land, real estate and real property (as defined in subdivision twelve of section one hundred two of this chapter) of a railroad company, which is used by such railroad company for transportation purposes and which is subject to real property taxation except as provided in this title, and includes (a) such property leased to such railroad company, (b) such property used for transportation purposes by such railroad company under a trackage right or other operating agreement, title to which is in other than a railroad company as defined in subdivision two of this section and subdivision two of section four hundred eighty-nine-b of this chapter, (c) such property used or occupied by such railroad company, title to which is in the state or in any municipal corporation thereof under any of the grade crossing elimination acts, and (d) the tangible property of such railroad company situated in, upon, under or above any street, highway, public place or public waters; but does not include the value of any franchise, right or permission to construct, maintain or operate, in, under, above, on or through, streets, highways or public places. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-BB
• Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act: Federal law that, among other things, requires lenders to provide "good faith" estimates of settlement costs and make other disclosures regarding the mortgage loan. RESPA also limits the amount of funds held in escrow for real estate taxes and insurance. ^{Source: OCC}
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Recipient: means an applicant to whom a certificate of eligibility has been issued pursuant to this title, or the successor in interest of such applicant, provided that where a person who has entered into a lease or purchase agreement with the owner or lessee of exempt property has been a co-applicant, such person or the successor in interest of such person shall be the recipient. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Recipient: means an applicant to whom a certificate of eligibility has been issued pursuant to this title, or the successor in interest of such applicant, provided that where a person who has entered into a lease or purchase agreement with the owner or lessee of exempt property has been a co-applicant, such person or the successor in interest of such person shall be the recipient. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Reconstruction: means the modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or other improvement of an existing commercial or industrial structure where the total proposed project cost is in an amount equal to at least twenty percentum of the assessed value of the property at the time an application for a certificate of eligibility pursuant to this title is made, and where such modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or other improvement is physically and functionally integrated with the existing structure and does not create additional usable square footage greater than fifty per centum of the usable square footage of the existing structure except in a case where the existing structure has been substantially destroyed by fire or other casualty;
  
  8. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAA
• Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Regular exemption area: means an area in which a regular exemption from taxes in accordance with subdivision three of section four hundred eighty-nine-bbbb of this title shall be available to a recipient who performs commercial construction work. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Remainderman: One entitled to the remainder of an estate after a particular reserved right or interest, such as a life tenancy, has expired.
• Renovation construction work: means the modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or improvement of an existing building or structure where such modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or improvement is physically and functionally integrated with the existing building or structure, or portion thereof, does not increase the bulk of the existing building or structure by more than thirty percent, and does not increase the height of the existing building or structure by more than thirty percent. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Renovation construction work: means the modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or improvement of an existing building or structure, or portion thereof, for use as commercial property in a renovation exemption area where such modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or improvement is physically and functionally integrated with the existing building or structure, or portion thereof, does not increase the bulk of the existing building or structure by more than thirty per centum and does not increase the height of the existing building or structure by more than thirty per centum. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Renovation exemption area: means the area specified in paragraph (d) of subdivision five of section four hundred eighty-nine-cccc of this title in which a renovation exemption from taxes in accordance with subdivision five of section four hundred eighty-nine-bbbb of this title shall be available to a recipient who performs renovation construction work. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Residential construction work: means any construction, modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or improvement of dwelling units other than dwelling units in a hotel. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Residential construction work: means any construction, modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or improvement of dwelling units other than dwelling units in a hotel. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Residential construction work: means the creation, modernization, rehabilitation, expansion or other improvement of dwelling units, other than dwelling units in a hotel, in the portion of mixed-use property to be used for residential purposes. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Residential property: means property, other than property used for hotel purposes, on which exists or will exist, upon completion of construction work, a building or structure used for residential purposes. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Restricted activity: means any entertainment activity that the department has identified in rules promulgated pursuant to a local law enacted pursuant to this title as an activity which, in the public interest, should not be encouraged through the benefits of this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Restricted activity: means any entertainment activity which the department of finance has identified in regulations promulgated pursuant to a local law enacted pursuant to this title as an activity which, in the public interest, should not be encouraged through the benefits of this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Restricted activity: means any entertainment activity which the department of finance has identified in rules as an activity which, in the public interest, should not be encouraged through the benefits of this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAA
• Retail purposes: means any activity that consists predominately of (a) the final sale of tangible personal property or services by a vendor as defined in § 1101 of the tax law, (b) the sale of services that generally involve the physical, mental, and/or spiritual care of individuals or the physical care of the personal property of individuals, (c) retail banking services, or (d) the final sale of food and/or beverage by a vendor as defined in § 1101 of the tax law, including the assembly, processing or packaging of goods, provided that sales of such tangible personal property or services are predominantly to purchasers who personally visit the facilities at which such sales are made or such property and services are provided. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Scope criteria: means the designated exposure bases along with minimum magnitudes thereof for the specified data year, used to establish a preliminary list of insurers considered scoped into the NAIC liquidity stress test framework for that data year. See N.Y. Insurance Law 1702
• Separate account subsidiary: means a subsidiary acquired or held under section four thousand two hundred forty of this chapter. See N.Y. Insurance Law 1702
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Solar electric generating system: shall mean a system that uses solar energy to generate electricity. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AAAA
• Special exemption area: means an area in which the commission has determined that a special exemption from real property taxes in accordance with subdivision two of section four hundred eighty-nine-bbbb of this title shall be available to a recipient who performs commercial construction work and, in addition, means the area specified in paragraph (d) of subdivision four of section four hundred eighty-nine-cccc of this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAA
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Subsidiary: means subsidiaries of the types described in subsection (b) of section one thousand seven hundred four of this article and subsidiaries acquired or held under this article, section one thousand four hundred five or section four thousand two hundred forty of this chapter, but shall not include a subsidiary acquired or held under section one thousand four hundred four of this chapter or a subsidiary acquired or held by an insurer authorized to make investments by subsection (c) of section one thousand four hundred three of this chapter. See N.Y. Insurance Law 1702
• Subsidized railroad real property: means any railroad real property for which a rail service continuation subsidy is paid by the United States or the state of New York. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-BB
• Taxation: means an ad valorem levy or special assessment for which public utility mass real property is otherwise liable pursuant to this chapter. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-HHHH
• taxation: means an ad valorem charge or special ad valorem levy imposed upon real property by or on behalf of a county, city, town, village, school district or special district. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-B
• taxation: means an ad valorem charge or special ad valorem levy imposed upon real property by or on behalf of a county, city, town, village, school district or special district. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-BB
• Temporary commercial incentive area boundary commission: means a commission as defined in section four hundred eighty-nine-gggggg of this title. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• tenant: includes "expansion tenant" "new tenant" and "renewal tenant. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-A
• tenant: includes "expansion tenant" "new tenant" and "renewal tenant. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 499-AA
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Utility property: means property and equipment as described in paragraphs (c), (d), (e), (f) and (i) of subdivision twelve of section one hundred two of this chapter that is used in the ordinary course of business by its owner or any other entity or property as described in paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision twelve of section one hundred two of this chapter that is owned by any entity that uses in the ordinary course of business property and equipment as described in paragraphs (c), (d), (e), (f) and (i) of subdivision twelve of section one hundred two of this chapter, without regard to the classification of such property and equipment for real property tax purposes pursuant to section eighteen hundred two of this chapter, except that any such property and equipment used solely to serve the building to which they are attached shall not be deemed utility property. See N.Y. Real Property Tax Law 489-AAAAAA
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.