Monsey, NY – The town has terminated a property tax exemption for a Monsey house that was illegally converted into a multiple-family dwelling.
The house, owned by Congregation Merkoz Halacha at 51 Park Lane, was approved by the town for occupancy by two families, but had at least three apartments when building inspectors toured it early this year.
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Ramapo Assessor Scott Shedler said the property had a 100 percent religious exemption from property taxes in 2002.
That was reduced to a 67 percent exemption in 2004 when the town couldn’t confirm the occupancy of one of the apartments.
It had an 80 percent exemption until Shedler petitioned the Assessment Review Board last week to make the property fully taxable.
The 5,127-square-foot house has a taxable value of $109,000. Ramapo assesses at 13.6 percent of market value.
Its full tax payments would be about $15,000 annually, Shedler said.
Gedalia Oberlander, who identified himself to the Assessment Review Board as the rabbi of the congregation, said he lived in one of the apartments, and two assistant rabbis lived in the others. “I feel that not having a certificate of occupancy shouldn’t interfere with having the exemption,” Oberlander told the board at its meeting.
“There was no CO (certificate of occupancy) and we’re unable to confirm the location of the synagogue itself, seeing that it wasn’t in that location,” Shedler said.
During an inspection the inspectors found a family room that was illegally converted into a kitchen, as well as several rooms in the attic that were built without permits. In all, the inspectors counted 10 bedrooms.
“There are court cases that say if a property is in violation, it should not have an exemption,” First Deputy Town Attorney Alan Berman told the board.
After a closed session to speak with Berman, the board accepted Shedler’s petition and denied the tax exemption.
What it seems from these articles referenced above is that this is one and the same scheme. Although, I don’t know the people involved it doesn’t look good to me. In the case of Herman both of his grandchildren are suppoedly his associate rabbis. His supposedly existing synagogue “shares” space with another one of his son. In the case of Gedalia they can’t find the syangogue either and all his tenants are his associate rabbis. Give me a break!
the irc is specific
it must be a rabbi or cantor that is leading a religious congregation for public benefit that makes parnassah as a religious leader primarily.
Merkaz Halacha
he is wrtitng his own halacha is he an ordained rabbi/ look up the IRC code it must be an ordained rabbi or cantor. can he daven for the umid?
To Anonymous 11:52 AM,
I’m from Monsey so I can comment.
First of all, are all his tenants his associate rabbis???????
Do not ignore this first question when you answer me.
Second of all, the article mentions him claiming being rabbi of congregation Merkoz Halahca. So you must be talking about something else.
Third, when someone founds a study place it does not make him rabbi there.
Fourth, Heichel Menachem is not a synagogue or shull.
so anybody that writes a sefer and opens a night kollel is a rav.
and, all his tenants are assistant rabbis.
and, a night kollel is a mosed.
you must be kidding.
the fact that he knows people in other countries does not make him world renowed.
if you want to pay his taxes then you should. it should not be forced on other people.
if we used your definition of rav half the community would not be paying taxes, which means double taxes for everybody else.
As a steady Heichal Menachem browser I would like to share my observations.
It seems the people responding are not Monsey residents (or the anonymous responsdent is just one individual) since everyone in Monsey knows that Rabbi Gedalia Oberlander founded and runs Heichal Menachem/Merkoz Halacha.
Heichal Menachem is a flourishing Mosod with a library, nacht kollel and shiurim on a daily basis followed by Minchah and Maariv prayers.
Rabbi Oberlander is a world renown publisher of books on halacha and minhag as well as the editor to several periodicals.
So, why is he less of a legitimate Rabbi than any other practicing Rabbi in Monsey? And why is Heichal Menachem less of a legitimate congregation than any other congregation?
Yes, Gedalia is a son of Herman known in yiddish as Mechel Oberlander.
I found the old articles
http://vosizneias.blogspot.com/2006/03/monsey-ny-trial-begins-on-rabbis-claim.html
http://vosizneias.blogspot.com/2006/05/monsey-ny-rabbi-drops-tax-lawsuit.html
If someone is a legit rabbi he is entitled according to law to an exemption for his congregation (shull) and his residence. The problem is when someone does not have a congregation/shull, as in this article, and is just posing as a rabbi and going as far to claim that all his tenants are his assistants. Who is this guy kidding? Chutzpha also has shiur!
Is Herman Oberlander from the article a few months ago related to Gedalia?
His claim was similar to this one that he is a rabbi and his two grandchildren are assistant rabbis.
To Anonymous 1:40 PM,
You’re so right. Since Monsey is a small town if you have people stealing from the town by claiming fales exemptions it affects us all in a direct and also indirect way.
It affects us in a direct way since our taxes go up when there are too many exemptions.
It also affects us in a indirect way because when the town sees these few bad apples it gives a bad name for everyone.
Shame on them for possibly now making legitimate congregations suffer because the town might now think that maybe this is another one pulling a scam.
And what is with all other Monsey RABBIS that have all their properties on exemption?
we ending up paying it
I am paying taxes for over 20 years and I think its GEZILA from who do not pay because if the school get the same amount from more people they would not raise the tax so high
what do i want from him?
i want him to pay his $15000.00 so it does not get charged to me and every other taxpayer. we all get town services, so we all pay for town services.
What do you want from him? He was just trying to save $15g a year.
Sounds like a scam.
All tenants are assistant rabbis. Interesting.
I don’t understand how he got the exemption until now if they don’t know where the synagogue is?
>> Gedalia Oberlander, who identified himself to the Assessment Review Board as the rabbi of the congregation << What? I never knew he has a congregation. 🙂