New York City’s Department of Finance has launched a website that includes a searchable database of properties that could fall under the new “pied-à-terre” tax.

Critics blasted Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration of essentially doxxing thousands of wealthy New Yorkers.

The website, which launched a few days ago, includes an “eligibility guide” for property owners to determine if they’re exempt from the tax.

According to the New York Post, the website “purports to cover all unoccupied, non-primary residences in the five boroughs worth north of $1 million – including the full names and addresses of every property owner.”

Anyone who believes they may qualify for an exemption must respond to the notification they received by August 21.

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“It’s a reckless and foolish move, especially considering there are potentially thousands of properties on this list that do not qualify as second homes or whose owners will successfully dispute their inclusion,” Council Minority Leader David Carr (R-Staten Island) — whose own home appears on the list — told The Post Monday.

The move follows a widely panned X post by the mayor in which he put wealthy residents on notice to “check your mailbox when you’re back in the five boroughs, because you’ve got mail,” a warning that notification letters were on their way.

“The best city in the world deserves the best parks, libraries, and schools in the world. That’s only possible when we all pay our fair share,” Mamdani wrote Thursday.

The socialist darling has long touted the policy enacted by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Albany Democrats to tax second homes in the city – though critics have warned it could cause property values to plummet.

Mamdani threatened to raise city property taxes by a staggering 9.5% in February unless he was allowed to “tax the rich” to cover a $12 billion budget gap that was later revised down to $5.4 billion.

The new surcharge applies to certain properties that:

  • are not being used as a primary residence
  • are one, two or three-family homes valued at over $5 million
  • are condominiums or cooperative units valued at $1 million or over

“Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposed pied-à-terre tax is drawing criticism after New York City released a searchable database listing nearly 960,000 properties, including owner names, addresses, and home valuations. Mamdani says the tax will only apply to second homes worth more than $5 million and argues the database is a legally required property roll, not a targeted list,” Fox News wrote.

“Critics warn the rollout creates confusion, raises privacy concerns, and gives property owners too little time to challenge tax notices before the deadlines,” it continued.

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Fox News shared further:

A spokesperson for the department said the publication of the property roll was required by state law.

“As per State law, a property roll was released for public inspection. From this list, DOF will identify properties that may be subject to the new non-primary residence property surcharge,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

A person familiar with the process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the city has publicly released similar property tax rolls every year for many years in accordance with New York state law. The person said new taxes and surcharges follow the same process: The state passes legislation, a public property roll is published, and the Department of Finance identifies the properties subject to the levy using criteria established by the state.

However, critics argue the database goes well beyond traditional public records by compiling the names and addresses of affluent property owners into a single, easily searchable location, potentially creating new privacy and security risks. The debate carries added weight in America’s largest city, where public safety remains a persistent political issue and affluent residents have long cited crime as a top concern.

While property ownership records have long been public, opponents say the city’s decision to aggregate them into a dedicated database could make wealthy homeowners more vulnerable to harassment and potential violence. City Hall has defended the database as a transparency tool designed to help property owners determine whether they could be affected by the proposed tax and understand how to seek an exemption.

“Nobody wants this database more than Mamdani’s band of communist social media agitators salivating to harass Americans at every turn,” “Ruthless” podcast co-host John Ashbrook warned, pointing out the database could easily become a tool for Mamdani’s online supporters to target landlords and other property owners.

“They attack anybody who questions his decisions, and there’s no question they’ll harass every New Yorker who provides housing for a living,” he continued.

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