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Resident urges changes after tax-bill delivery led to late penalties; board says state law limits local flexibility
Summary
A long public comment from resident Otto Schroeder raised concerns about numerous Mineola homeowners receiving tax bills late and paying penalties; village officials explained New York State law restricts local discretion to waive late-payment penalties absent demonstrable system errors.
A Mineola resident urged the village to ease or eliminate late tax penalties after he and neighbors reported not receiving tax notices; trustees and staff said state law sharply limits the village’s authority to waive penalties.
Resident Otto Schroeder delivered an extended public comment describing dozens of neighbors who said they did not receive their tax bills and who were charged late penalties. Schroeder said he would be willing to pay to get a guaranteed return-receipt delivery of his bill in future years: “I want a receipt that I can pay for through our, our taxes here, put on my bill, that that thing was delivered to my house,” he said.
Mayor Pereira and Treasurer Rivera reviewed the village’s legal constraints in response. Pereira noted that “New York state law essentially dictates all the penalties and all the fees so we can't waive them.” Rivera said he and staff examined the statute and found “it doesn't really” provide flexibility. He added that he had spoken with a resident whose penalty was under $80 and that the village lacks authority to forgive such charges absent proof of a systemic failure. Village staff and trustees said the village could act if there is verifiable evidence — for example, documented United States Postal Service mistakes such as lost mail bags — but that the typical “I didn't get the mail” claim does not provide the statutory basis to waive a penalty.
Trustees noted that in isolated past cases where the postal service acknowledged lost mail, penalties were waived, but they said those outcomes depended on external confirmation. Village leaders also described internal remedies available to residents: requesting duplicate notices, using the village website and MyMineola app for account information, or contacting the treasurer’s office to request a return-receipt mail option for an individual account. The board said staff would look into how the neighboring Town of North Hempstead handled a prior incident in which the town had waived penalties after postal errors.
Ending: The board said it will continue to investigate residents’ claims and advise anyone who did not receive a bill to contact the treasurer’s office; trustees reiterated their obligation to follow state law when assessing penalties.
