Ramapo, NY – The Town Board voted today to appeal a state appellate panel decision giving tax-exempt status to a religious congregation looking to build a rabbinical college in Pomona.
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The town will ask the state Court of Appeals to hear the case.
The issue is the Rabbinical College of Tartikov claims tax exempt status for operating a summer camp on 130 acres off routes 202 and 306.
Ramapo denied the religious group such status in 2007 and Supreme Court Justice John La Cava upheld that determination.
Ramapo sent Tartikov a 2009 property tax bill of $181,000 for the county, town and school taxes. The bill hasn’t been paid.
Late last month, a state Appellate Division panel overruled La Cava.
The panel found that Ramapo “town “failed to prove that the operation of the religious summer camp was inconsistent with the plaintiff’s intended principal use of the property as a religious college.”
Ramapo has argued the congregation makes money off the summer camp. The town cited a 2005 agreement between Tartikov and Camp Merokim Inc. that called Tartikov to get paid $331,000 between 2005 and 2009.
Tartikov bought the property for $13 million from Yeshiva of Spring Valley in 2005. The Yeshiva of Spring Valley had tax-exempt status.
Tartikov’s federal lawsuit claims, among other issues, that Pomona’s zoning code discriminates against Orthodox Jews by opposing the dormitory development.
A federal judge hearing the case has not yet made a decision on motions to dismiss the lawsuit and other issues in the case.
The congregation wants to build a rabbinical college and accessory housing for 250 students and their families on the property.
The students taking part in the 15-year program would live on campus.
Opponents have counter that the congregation is using the concept of a rabbinical college to building housing on the wooded property.
Read more in The Journal News.
I grew up in Monsey in the 70’s and 80’s. Used to be a great town with normal people. Lawyers, accountants, doctors etc. Now things have changes for the worse. I am so glad I moved to Bergen County years ago. It is the best move I ever made.
They hate yidin. If the use was for a church, I bet the town wouldn’t care. I’m not a tartikov chosid, but they should fight this tooth and nail! Let the town round up the illiegal aliens on the 59 living off the health care and welfare of Rockland County and then argue about Tartikov! A liberal would never punish an illegal alien, JUST a YID.
Chance of success at Court of Appeals: Slim to none.
Ramapo,
Stop wasting tax payer money already?
I wish the Town Board best of luck getting the Court of Appeals to hear an appeal of this decision – there’s no appeal as of right.
This outcome raises a bigger question. Why are ANY of these modos tax exempt, whether they are yiddeshe mosdos like shuls and kollels or goiyeshe churches and seminaries. The government is going broke and need the tax money. ALL of the tax exemptions for religious uses of property should be phased out.
I agree Tartikov should get tax exemption for all their religious institutions and even dormitories save for accessory family housing. The services that Ramapo will provide for these families will be coming out of our pockets, and I think it’s unfair that we should have to pick up the tab so that families can live without pitching in for their fair share.
This also sets a dangerous precedent for other such cases, where kollels or yeshivas or different religious groups can claim family housing as part of their tax exemption status. And then we poor homeowners who can barely afford these crazy high taxes as is, will then be forced to pay .
Why are they allowed to claim a tax exemption for “family housing”. Should NYU be able to claim tax exempt status for any off housing they build for families. What does housing families have to do with running a kollel and studying for semicha??
The wonderful flavor of Monsey has changed so much in the last few years and I feel it is all because of the “family housing”. My beautiful quiet Monsey community has become noisy, busy, dirty and rude.
The students are entitled to live there for 15 years of schooling. What SUNY school would allow this? All of their needs will be paid for by us tax payers.