Arm’s length transaction. The term “arm’s length transaction” means a sale or a transfer of a fee interest in property or in a dwelling unit in good faith and for valuable consideration, that reflects the fair market value of such property or such dwelling unit, in the open market, between two informed and willing parties, where neither is under any compulsion to participate in the transaction, unaffected by any unusual conditions indicating a reasonable possibility that the sale or transfer was made for the purpose of permitting the original owner to avoid the effect of the limitation on the number of times that the department of finance may remove a tax lien or tax liens from the tax lien sale pursuant to subdivision b of this section. The following sales or transfers shall be presumed not to be arm's length transactions unless adequate documentation is provided demonstrating that the sale or transfer was not conducted, in whole or in part, for the purpose of permitting the original owner to avoid the effect of the limitation on the number of times that the department of finance may remove a tax lien or tax liens from the tax lien sale pursuant to subdivision b of this section:
1. a sale or transfer between relatives; or
2. a sale or transfer between a related corporate entity or partners or principals of a business or corporate entity; or
3. a sale or transfer affected by other facts or circumstances that would indicate that such sale or transfer is entered into for the primary purpose of permitting the original owner to avoid the effect of the limitation on the number of times that such department may remove a tax lien or tax liens from the tax lien sale pursuant to subdivision b of this section.
City note. The term “city note” means: (i) a note provided to the city of New York by a qualified preservation purchaser in the amount of the outstanding tax liens on a property as of the date immediately preceding the date of the delivery of the deed conveying full and complete title to such property to such qualified preservation purchaser pursuant to subdivision j of section 11-412.5 of this chapter, other than outstanding sewer rents, sewer surcharges, or water rents, as such terms are defined in section 11-301 of this title, on such property; and (ii) a note provided to the New York city water board by a qualified preservation purchaser in the amount of the outstanding sewer rents, sewer surcharges, or water rents, as such terms are defined in section 11-301 of this title, as of such date.
Department. The term “department” means the department of finance.
Dwelling unit. The term “dwelling unit” means a dwelling unit in a condominium.
Income. The term “income” means the adjusted gross income for federal income tax purposes as reported on an owner’s federal or state income tax return for the most recent calendar year or fiscal year for which an owner filed a federal or state income tax return, subject to any subsequent amendments or revisions; provided that if no such return was filed during the previous five calendar years, “income” means the adjusted gross income that would have been so reported if such a return had been filed.
Limited equity property. The term “limited equity property” means a real property that is subject to all of the restrictions contained in the regulatory agreement described in paragraph (1) of subdivision a of section 11-412.4 of this chapter.
Owner. The term “owner” means a natural person who has a fee interest in a property or a dwelling unit.
Property. The term “property” means real property classified as class one pursuant to section 1802 of the real property tax law, except any such property held in the cooperative or condominium form of ownership.
Qualified preservation purchaser. The term “qualified preservation purchaser” means a housing development fund company, as defined in section 572 of the private housing finance law.
Real property classified as class one, class two or class four property. The term “real property classified as class one, class two or class four property” means property classified as class one, class two or class four property, as such classes of property are defined in subdivision 1 of section 1802 of the real property tax law.
Sales price equity. The term “sales price equity” means the difference, if any, after subtracting: (i) the sum of: (A) any lien on such property created by the execution of a note for the purpose of obtaining financing to be used solely to repair or rehabilitate such property as of the date the sales price equity is paid to the tenant; (B) the city note; (C) administrative costs, as specified in the regulatory agreement described in paragraph (1) of subdivision a of section 11-412.4 of this chapter; and (D) any other outstanding liens, charges or fees, including but not limited to rent charges, due to a qualified preservation purchaser under a lease for such property, or pursuant to the terms of such regulatory agreement, as of such date, from (ii) the price for which such property has been sold by such qualified preservation purchaser as a limited equity property, in accordance with such regulatory agreement, provided that if such property has not been sold by such qualified preservation purchaser as a limited equity property, the price shall be the price for which such property could be sold as a limited equity property in accordance with such regulatory agreement.
Synthetic equity. The term “synthetic equity” means the difference, if any, after subtracting: (i) the sum of: (A) any lien on such property created by the execution of a note for the purpose of obtaining financing to be used solely to repair or rehabilitate such property as of the date the synthetic equity is paid to the tenant; (B) the city note; (C) administrative costs, as specified in the regulatory agreement described in paragraph (1) of subdivision a of section 11-412.4 of this chapter; and (D) any other outstanding liens, charges or fees, including but not limited to rent charges, due to a qualified preservation purchaser under a lease for such property, or pursuant to the terms of such regulatory agreement, as of such date; from (ii) the market value of such property, as reflected on the final assessment roll delivered most recently by the department to the city council pursuant to section 11-218 of this title, as of the date of the delivery of the deed conveying full and complete title to the qualified preservation purchaser pursuant to subdivision j of section 11-412.5 of this chapter.
Tax lien. The term “tax lien” has the same meaning as provided in section 11-301 of this title.
Tenant. The term “tenant” means the owner, as of the date and time on which title for the property in which such owner had a fee interest was conveyed to the qualified preservation purchaser pursuant to the summary foreclosure action set forth in section 11-412.5.
b. Removal from the tax lien sale. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of section 11-319 of this title to the contrary, the tax lien or tax liens on a property or on a dwelling unit shall not be sold pursuant to such section when the owner of such property or such dwelling unit requests that such tax lien or tax liens be removed from a sale of tax liens, provided that such property or dwelling unit satisfies the requirements described in paragraphs 1 through 3 of subdivision c of this section, and provided, further, that the department may remove a tax lien or tax liens from a sale of tax liens, pursuant to this subdivision, no more than three times and that such department shall not remove any such tax lien later than thirty-six months after the date of sale immediately succeeding the date such department has removed such tax lien or such tax liens for the first time, provided that such thirty-six month period shall be tolled for the duration of time in which such property is subject to an installment agreement that is not in default pursuant to sections 11-322 or 11-322.1 or is subject to any exemption, credit or other benefit that would operate to exclude the property from a tax lien sale. Where such property or dwelling unit has been sold pursuant to an arm’s length transaction or all tax liens on such property or such dwelling unit have been satisfied, the tax lien or tax liens on such property or on such dwelling unit shall not be sold pursuant to section 11-319 when the owner of such property or such dwelling unit requests that such tax lien or tax liens be removed from a sale of tax liens, provided that such property or dwelling unit satisfies the requirements described in the preceding sentence. Any removals of a tax lien or tax liens on such property or such dwelling unit pursuant to this subdivision prior to such transaction or prior to the satisfaction of such liens shall not be considered in determining whether the department may remove a tax lien or tax liens on a property or on a dwelling unit from a sale of tax liens pursuant to this subdivision. The department of finance shall review any request to be removed from a sale of tax liens pursuant to this subdivision that is submitted prior to the date of sale of any such tax lien or tax liens, provided that if the department of finance determines, after the date of such a sale, that a property, for which a request was submitted prior to such a sale, satisfies the requirements described in paragraphs 1 through 3 of subdivision c of this section, then such tax lien or tax liens shall be deemed defective.
c. Requirements for removal of a tax lien or tax liens from a sale of tax liens. Eligibility for removal of a tax lien or tax liens on a property or on a dwelling unit from a sale of tax liens pursuant to subdivision b of this section requires that an owner of such property or such dwelling unit demonstrates the following:
1. The owner:
(a) has used such property or such dwelling unit as their primary residence for an uninterrupted period of 12 months immediately preceding the request by such owner for removal of a tax lien or tax liens from a sale of tax liens, provided that a hospitalization or temporary stay in a nursing home or rehabilitation facility for a period of not more than three years shall not be considered a change in primary residence; or
(b) has received a real property tax exemption pursuant to section 425 of the real property tax law or a school tax relief credit pursuant to subsection (eee) of section 606 of the tax law for such property or such dwelling unit for the fiscal year immediately preceding the fiscal year in which such owner requested removal of a tax lien or tax liens from a sale of tax liens;
2. The income of the household of such owner, as defined by rule of the department considering the purposes of tax collection and the procedures described in subdivision b of this section and in section 11-412.4, shall be no greater than the applicable income standard as established by paragraph (b) of subdivision 4 of section 425 of the real property tax law; and
3. The owner of such property or such dwelling unit does not own any real property classified as class one, class two or class four property in the city of New York other than the property or dwelling unit on which the tax lien or tax liens are sought to be removed from the sale of tax liens.
d. The department shall promulgate rules establishing procedures for requesting that a tax lien or tax liens on a property or a dwelling unit be removed from a sale of tax liens and appealing a denial of a request that a tax lien or tax liens on a property or a dwelling unit be removed from a sale of tax liens. Such rules may include a time period within which the department will respond to a request, by an owner of a property or a dwelling unit, that such tax lien or tax liens be removed, a time period within which an owner could appeal a denial of such request, and a time period within which such department will respond to such appeal.
(L.L. 2024/082, 7/30/2024, eff. 10/28/2024)
Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Appendix A at L.L. 2024/082.