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Syracuse staff reverify exemptions for two church properties after paperwork lapse
Summary
City assessor staff and church representatives confirmed weekly services and lawn maintenance while the city agreed to reinstate or monitor tax-exempt status for 310 Hatch Street and an adjacent Elmhurst Avenue lot after a failure-to-file removed the exemption.
City assessor staff and a pastor representing the owner of two properties told Syracuse Assessor’s Office hearing officers on the record that the church at 310 Hatch Street and a vacant lot at 70 Elmhurst Avenue remain in use and that the congregation will provide follow-up documentation after late filings caused an exemption to lapse.
The discussion mattered because the assessor’s office removes tax-exempt status when property owners fail to file required renewal forms. Without confirmation of ongoing religious or community use, the city can remove an exemption and tax the parcel.
Ann Gallagher, city staff, read the assessed values into the record for 310 Hatch Street — a building the pastor said has been in operation since the 1930s — and noted the exemption had lapsed because the church “failed to file.” Steven Lambeth, who identified himself as the church’s pastor and said he moved to Syracuse in July, told the hearing the church has held continuous services (Sunday morning and a Wednesday midweek service) and that the building was never fully closed even during the period without a resident pastor. Lambeth said he and church members maintain the lawn and plan to use the adjacent Elmhurst lot for outdoor Sunday school and small gatherings.
Gallagher explained the exemption lapse resulted from paperwork sent in December that was not processed until January and said the office will send notices in April. She told the pastor the city will re-review usage next year if activity is not evident. Lambeth said he had mistakenly misread a date on the renewal but that the church filed as soon as they realized the error and provided a brief plan for using the Elmhurst lot; Gallagher placed that plan in the file.
The assessor’s office did not announce a final decision at the hearing but indicated it would treat the information as verification for now and issue formal notices in April. Gallagher also asked the church to confirm the correct mailing address to ensure future renewal packets are received.
The hearing record shows staff accepted the church’s explanation and documentation for the immediate re-verification process and will follow up next year if the city observes no activity on the vacant lot.
