No one likes paying one property tax bill let alone two but that's exactly what's happening to 84 families whose houses literally straddle the border of Queens and Long Island, New York.
Take Dharmie Inder for example. According to an article on NYDailyNews.com, he is paying $3,049 in property taxes to New York City because the bulk of his house is in Queens yet because he gets emergency services, garbage collection and the ability to send his son to school in Nassau County he is also charged $2,257 in school and property taxes by Long Island. His next door neighbor, on the other hand, only pays $1,990 to New York City.
Others have been more fortunate. One of the benefits of border straddling can be access to two different school districts. The Brown family, for example, has one house but two addresses—one in Rosedale, Queens and the other in Valley Stream, Long Island. Despite only 13 percent of their house being listed in Valley Stream, this family with 8 children has been able to send the kids to the Long Island public schools instead of Catholic school in Queens—with a savings of approximately $96,000 according to Myrna Brown.
Not only that, many residents are able to comparison shop for the best rates when it comes to car insurance, utilities and even cable.
So for these families caught in a tale of two cities, is border straddling double the trouble or a twofer? It all depends on who you ask.
