Bethpage-Tribune_1987-01-21

              mmm mM ^^iim L^^'^'te^^- S
BETHB»CE
Island Trees Plainedge
also s^vir^
Seaford Old Bethpage Plainview
VOL. 31 NO. 38 January 15,1987 to January 21,1987 20 cents per copy
Tax Lien Review Board
Hempstead Town Presiding Supervisor Thomas S.
Gulotta, majority leader of the Nassau County Board of
Supervisors, has announced the appointment of the three
member Nassau County Hardship Review Board. The
establishment of the Hardship Review Board was part of the
recently enacted tax lien reform legislation, which was spon­sored
by Supervisor Gulotta.
Under the terms of the tax lien reform legislation passed
late last year, a Hardship Review Board was established to
help ensure that no one in Nassau County would ever again
lose the value of their home for the non-payment of a few
dollars in property tax. The newly appointed review panel is
empowered to grant up to a year extension to those
homeowners who demonstrate a financial hardship and as a
consequence find themselves unable to make timely prop­erty
tax payments. In addition, the Hardship Review Board
will provide financial counselling to those individuals who
are unable to met their tax obligations.
Supervisor Gulotta announced the following appoint­ments
to the Board: former Long Beach Supervisor Hannah
Komanoff, who will serve a three year term, Reverend
Arthur M. Mackey of Roosevelt, who will service for 2
years, and Debra Zaiff of Farmingdale, who was appointed
to a one year term.
Joining with Supervisor Gulotta m -:afipouncing the
appointment of Mrs. Komanoff was the present Long Beach
Supervisor, Bruce Nyman: "Supervisor Komanoff has the
experience, compassion'and the knowledge'to serve on this
Board. She'll be of great benefit to the people of Nassau
County. I'm thrilled that the Board has approved her selec­tion,"
Nyman said.
Supervisor Gulotta observed: "I am proud to have
recommended three fine public spirited citizens to the Nas­sau
County Hardship Review Board. Serving without
remuneration, these individuals have agreed to give of them­selves
to help ensure that the former injustices of the tax lien
system, which resulted in tragic instances of unfortunate
individuals losing their homes for failing to pay a few dollars
in property tax, will not be repeated in Nassau County. The
Hardship Review Board will provide a compassionate and
human response to the process by which Nassau County
collects property taxes.
Former Supervisor Komanoff served for 11 years on the
Nassau County Board of Supervisors. Representing the City
of Long Beach, Mrs. Komanoff was the first woman to be
elected to serve on the County's legislative body. Prior to her
service with Nassau County, Mrs. Komanoff served on the
Long Beach Board of Education, serving as its President for
many years.
Reverend Arthur Mackey of Roosevelt is a long time
community activist who is well-known in the County's reli­gious
community. Currently serving as President of the
Nassau County Council of Black Clergy, he is Pastor of the
Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Roosevelt. In addition. Rev.
Mackey serves as a Special Assistant for Community Rela­tions
to the Nassau County Human Rights Commission.
Rev. Mackey joined with Supervisor Gulotta in the effort to
raise funds to repurchase the home of Annie Kennedy of
Hempstead, Mrs. Kennedy was among those individuals
who lost title to their home under the old tax lien speculation
system,
Debra Zaiff of Farmingdale is Director of Client Advo­cacy
for the Family Service Association of Nassau County.
Also serving as a Financial Counselor for the Family Service
Association, Ms. Zaiff specializes in cases involving senior
citizens. The Family Service Association is a non-profit,
non-sectarian human service agency headquartered in
Hempstead which helps families in distress. Among its many
services, FSA provides Family and Senior Citizen financial
counselling services.
"The Harship Review Board is now a reality," Supervisor
Gulotta declared. "This august body of public spirited Nas­sau
County residents will act as a safety net, helping to
ensure that no unfortunate individuals 'fail through the
cracks' of our tax collection system. Never again will a
Nassau County resident experience the tragedy of losing
their home unknowingly for the failure to pay a few dollars
in property tax,"
State of the State
XJovei*F;Marl0.Ml fruomo'delivers his 1987 St^te of the-State-Address to
the M^bers of the Legislature in Albany. Clockwise from lower left:
Gerald Crotty, Secretary to the Governor; Melvin Miller, Speaker of the
Assembly; Attorney General Robert Abrams; Lieutenant Governor Stan
Lundine; Comptroller Edward Regan and Warren Anderson, Senate
Majority Leader.
Consumer Affairs Puts 34
NYPIRG Calls For
Fuel Investigation
New York gasoline retail­ers
are reaping windfall
profits from the sale of Die­sel
Fuel, according to a sur­vey
released today by the
New York Public Interest
Research Group (NYPIRG)
Fuel Buyers Group.
Fuel Buyers Group Direc­tor
Anthony Coates said, "if
you drive a diesel car you are
paying more than you need
to for a gallon of fuel. We
call upon New York State
enforcement authorities to
investigate the enormous
price disparity between reg­ular
unleaded gasoline and
diesel fuel."
"Our price survey and the
monthly price survey con­ducted
by the New York
State Energy office ,both
show thai in the New York
region, consumers are pay­ing
almost 30 cents per gal­lon
more for diesel fuel than
unleaded gasoline, yet on
the wholesale level unleaded
gasoline and diesel fuel are
almost equal in cost."
Coates said, "We believe
that New York area gasoline
dealers are taking Diesel
(Continued on pg. 4) Coutractors Out Of Business
Consumer Affairs Com­missioner
James E. Picken
reported today that during
the past year 34 home
improvement contractors
lost their licenses to do busi­ness
in Nassau County.
Reasons for the suspen­sions
ranged from refusing
to resolve consumer com­plaints
to abandoning jobs
and defrauding home
owners of tens of thousands
of dollars.
"We do not permit fast-buck
operators to go on
cheating Nassau consu­mers,"
Picken asserted.
"Although we can't always
predict when a contractor
will go haywire, once we get
a few complaints, we move
in to stop him. If he doesn't
appear at a hearing, he's
automatically suspended."
A total of 53 licenses were
suspended in 1986, he said,
but 19 companies were rein­stated
after correcting con­sumers'
complaints or com­pleting
the unfinished work.
While a license is suspended,
a company may not take on
any new business. Under
Nassau County law, operat­ing
without a license is a
criminal offense.
Picken cited one sus­pended
contractor who was
the subject of 15 complaints
in a three-month period.
"He signed up to build
extensions and dormers. He
took deposits ranging from
$500 to $4,800, and either
did; no work at all or .had
foundations poured and
then abandoned the jobs,
"We suspended his license
after the first four com­plaints,
and referred the case
to the District Attorney for
criminal action, along with a
number of others."
To guard against such
fraud, he strongly urged
consumers to "put down
small deposits, pay the bal­ance
only as the work is
completed, and hold back
the last payment until you
are completely satisfied."
Nassau's licensing pro­gram
now oversees the busi­ness
practices of 8,4 !0 com­panies
that engage in home
repair, home maintenance
and remodeling. A list of 33
categories includes window
installers, roofers, landscap-ers,
kitchen and bathroom
contractors, and general
contractors of all kinds.
The Office of Consumer
Affairs, in addition to sus­pending
licenses, also issued
429 violations in 1986,
assessing fines against those
who misrepresented their
services, neglected to put a
three-day cancellation
notice or a completion date
into the contract, or failed to
give Consumer Affairs accu­rate
information.
According to Picken, "the
licensing program keeps
most contractors honest and
roots out the cheats.
"Check with us first to see
if the company is currently
licensed," he said. "The
number to call is 535-3871."
Uorp, - Bayshore
All Shores Custom Home
Improvements - Sea Cliff
American Solar Designs -
Roslyn Heights
American Solar Technol­ogies
- Hicksville
Burlington Construction
Co. - Deer Park
Classic Sunsets, inc. -
East Moriches
Carollo Construction &
Maintenance & Remodeling
-Glendale, Queens
Cornerstone Construc­tion
- Baldwin
D & M Roofing -West
Islip
Siding Masters - Brent­wood
Designer Connection -
Island Park
Eastern Builders of Long
Island - I.evittown
Estates Building Corp. -
Massapequa Park
Excel Storefronts -Coram
Heritage Contracting -
West Islip
Angelo Haskis-North-
East Siding Co. - Bellmore
Jay's Roofing & Remo­deling
- Valley Stream
Mica Tech-2000 Ltd.
-Freeport
New York Home improve­ments
- Elmont
Paradise Construction
Corp. - No. Bellmore
Peter's Aluminum Siding
-'Bellmore
Pegasus Contracting
C,orp, - Floral Park
. Procopio Construction
Corp, - Massapequa
Pisano Contracting - Glen
Cove
Reliable Roofing-Bohemia
Rockville Centre Con­tractors
- No. Merrick
Square Deal Home
Remodelers - Coram
Tabor Construction
-Nesconset
Tanglewood Home
Improvements - Coram
DRW Aiisociates - I-rank-lin
Square
Peter Balabanoff - No
Massapequa
L. Turza Construction -
Pt. Jefferson
Jon Wright - Fteeport
Save on Service -
Hicksville