Office of the Assessor

The Office of the Assessor is responsible for valuing all properties in the Town of Ossining for the purpose of apportioning property taxes. To ensure that values are fair and equitable, assessments are updated annually for the Villages of Ossining and Briarcliff Manor, as well as the unincorporated area of Ossining. The total amount of tax to be levied is determined by municipal and school budgets as assessments only determine the share of that total each property owner will pay.

The Office of the Assessor is also responsible for administering property tax exemptions. Exemptions lower the amount of tax you owe by reducing your property’s assessed value. Please visit the Ways to Save tab on this site to learn more about exemptions.

Property Valuation and Assessment Standards

Section 305 of the New York State Property Tax Law requires that all assessments must be at a uniform (the same) percentage of value. Starting with the 2016 assessment roll, on completion of the revaluation project, all property will be assessed at 100% of its current market value.

1-, 2-, and 3-family homes are valued based on recent arm’s length sales of comparable properties. Comparability is based on several factors including location, size, style, and the age of your home.

Income-producing properties such as apartment buildings, retail, office, industrial, and garage are typically valued based on the income generated to the owner.

New York State Real Property Tax Law requires that condominiums be assessed as income-producing property, even though there are many available arm’s length sales of these units. The result is that condominiums are assessed and taxed at a lower amount than if their assessments were based on market value (sales).

Complex specialty properties such as utility generating plants are valued based on the depreciated replacement cost, what it would cost to build the plant less the loss of value due to age and wear.

Contact the Assessor’s Office

Taxpayers are encouraged to contact the Office of the Assessor at any time throughout the year to discuss questions related to property value, exemptions, or the description/details we have for your property. This can be an informal discussion over the phone or, if you prefer, stop by our office at 16 Croton Ave. We are available Monday through Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm (closing at 3:15pm on Fridays from July 1st through Sept 1).