Board of Assessment Review

The Brookhaven Board of Assessment Review is a quasi-judicial board made up of a chairman and four members. Each member is appointed by the Brookhaven Town Board for a 5-year term and must attend a special training session conducted by the Suffolk County Real Property Tax Director. The Chairman of the Board is selected by the other board members and serves for a term of one year.

The members of the Board are responsible to review all complaints on real property filed between May 1st and the third Tuesday of May and, based on the evidence presented, decide if an adjustment to the property assessment is justified. When three members of the Board recommend a change to the assessment of a parcel of property, the Assessor’s staff amends the assessment roll.

The Board also notifies the person who files the complaint of its decision, and if the property owner is dissatisfied with the decision, they may file a small claims action (for residential 1, 2 or 3 family homes) or certiorari petition (for cooperative apartments, condominiums and commercials property) with the court within thirty days of the final assessment roll (usually July 1st).