Monticello, NY – Sullivan County, the Town of Thompson and Monticello School District have agreed to allow the Ichud Bungalow Colony in Thompson to apply for a tax exemption each year.
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That is a lot different than the 2006 agreement, which would have given Ichud a perpetual tax exemption on its property, $50,000 less in annual payments and a tax-exempt grocery store.
In 2006, Sullivan County Treasurer Ira Cohen received a court order to discharge the 2005 and 2006 tax liens on Ichud Bungalow Colony. He refused.
Cohen said Ichud's roughly 200 units on about 100 acres was not entitled to a tax exemption for religious or educational purposes and that the town and court had no authority to grant the colony a grocery store as part of the deal.
Now Ichud will pay its entire $75,458 lien for 2006, between the town, county and school.
In exchange, it will receive a refund on its 2005 tax lien, which was $4,239 less.
And instead of having a tax-exempt grocery store on its property, Ichud bought out neighboring Sedlack's Appliances and put in a taxable grocery store.
"We've restored the assessor's authority to remove the exemption. The old agreement set a really bad precedent," said Cohen.
A seven-year pilot agreement between the town, county and school will remain in place as long as the Town of Thompson grants the property tax-exemption status. That will be up to the town assessor each year.
Moshe Katlowitz, who represents Ichud, did not return phone calls seeking comment. [Record]
before ichud was ichud, it was ideal bungalows. it was mostly jewish but not at all frum. those who went there thought it was a very nice colony so i dont know why some think it is so awful. sure, in comparison to the new homes such as alpine on route 42 it is a dive, but alpine is not a ”summer home” it is a house. people are no longer building bungalow colonies. ichud was one of the nicer and larger ones out there. the kids i have seen look very happy to be there and so do thier moms.
Going to the country for most Chashidishe families, is not a luxury. You can see by the looks of the units at Ichud bungalows (and other bungalow colonies). The main reason that they go, is to for the chinuch of the small children who, whether you like it or not, feel that in the summer months is not possible to be on the same level of Kedusha as in the city. The city is full of ‘peritzus’ during the summer months when the public schools are closed and the heat is great. Therefore with the day camp actually being a Yeshiva and the beautiful Bais Medrash which houses to Kollel yungerleit of the whole area, they do deserve the tax break
Those places that have nicer and winterized units actually do pay the taxes and thru the roof
I wish I had the time to elaborate, but I hope you get the point.
why should this property be tax empt ?