PERSONAL FINANCE

Queens widow gets $17K back following Eyewitness News' report after being hit with $20K tax bill

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

State senator fighting to help Queens widow hit with $20,000 tax bill

NJ Burkett has more on the state senator fighting to help a Queens widow hit with a $20,000 tax bill.

LITTLE NECK, Queens (WABC) -- A woman in Queens was facing a tax bill of more than $20,000, but fortunately, her problems are solved following an investigation by Eyewitness News.

Livia Boyadjian has lived in her home on Annandale Lane in Little Neck Queens for 44 years. And except for a small addition in 1991, it's the same house. But last year, her property tax bill doubled, overnight. From $10,000-to more than $20,000.

(Video in media player from previous report)

To say she was shocked would be an understatement.

"Here all of a sudden the tax doubles, this is exactly when the error occurred, where my assessed value doubled," she said. "What caused this error? I mean, maybe my property was confused with another property in the area."

Boyadjian was being assessed for $700,000 worth of new construction that never happened. She says she spent months calling multiple city agencies to correct the mistake, but got nowhere. All the while, she was paying the new charges because she felt she had no choice.

"If I don't I get fined," she said. "I get interest attached to it. I get penalties. So that's why I keep paying in the hopes that eventually this matter will be resolved and, you know, I can move forward with the rest of my life."

She finally heard from the Department of Finance this week. According to Senator John Liu's office, she is getting a refund of $17,000 wired to her checking account.

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