Williams, Benjamin M.

Benjamin M. Williams joined Rosenberg & Estis, P.C. in 2018 and is a Member of the firm and leads the firm's Property Tax Department. Williams's practice focuses on property tax reductions and planning. He has represented thousands of clients in property tax appeals and at New York City Tax Commission hearings. He also has a depth of experience in real estate tax projections for development, acquisition, leasing, financing and budgeting.

Williams's forte is in reducing property taxes for co-ops and condos, multi-family residential, office, and retail properties.

Williams has worked on Industrial and Commercial Abatement Program (ICAP), 421-a, and not-for-profit exemption applications and projections.

Prior to joining Rosenberg & Estis, Williams was an attorney with Podell, Schwartz, Schecter & Banfield, LLP. Prior to that, as an electrical engineer, Williams began his career valuing power plants, preparing purchase price allocation and cost segregation studies, and appraising machinery & equipment. Williams is an Accredited Senior Appraiser of the American Society of Appraisers, but isn't currently practicing as an appraiser.

Notable Work

• Argued thousands of cases at New York City Tax Commission hearings, saving clients millions of dollars.
• Prepared property tax projections, often for financing purposes, of office, hotel, residential, retail.
• Industrial and Commercial Abatement Program (ICAP): tax projections and application filings
• Real estate tax escalation provisions in leases: projected taxes and advised prospective tenants of major properties, e.g. Hudson Yards, World Trade Center.
• Obtained tax class changes for predominantly residential properties with up to 10 units, bringing properties into more favorable tax classes with limitations on assessed value increases (e.g. tax classes 1, 2A, 2B, 2C).
• Real Property Income & Expense (RPIE) filing: advised on how to complete the form, removed monetary penalties, cleared for Tax Commission hearings.

Areas Of Practice   

  • Property Tax Reduction / Certiorari
  • Real Estate Property Tax Analysis
  • Analysis of Property Tax Incentive Programs (421-a, ICAP/ICIP, 420-c, J-51, 420-a, PHFL Art. XI, IDA, PILOT, FRESH)

Bar Admissions   

  • New York, 2009
  • New Jersey, 2008

Education   

  • Rutgers University School of Law, Newark, New Jersey
    • J.D. - 2008
  • Rutgers University School of Engineering
    • B.S. - 2001
    • Honors: Highest Honors
    • Major: Electrical and Computer Engineering

Published Works   

  • Big Property Tax Appeal: Supreme Court Upholds $10 Billion Value of TransAlaska Pipeline, American Society of Appraisers’ Real Property Committee EJournal, November 2014
  • Coronavirus Property Tax Relief: Flattening the Curve on Increases, Commercial Observer, March 2020
  • Commercial Property Tax Rates To Increase, New York Law Journal, November 2019

Classes/Seminars   

  • NYC Real Estate Tax for Brokers, October 2016
  • NYC Property Taxes & How the Dept. of Finance Values Property, April 2016
  • NYC Real Estate Tax for Bankers, January 2016
  • NYC Construction Tax Benefits, New York County Lawyers' Association (NYCLA) - Construction Law Committee, May 2015
  • The CPA and the Property Tax: New York City, New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA) - Foundation for Accounting Education (FAE), Real Estate Committee, December 2014
  • NYC Property Taxes: How They're Calculated, How to Fight Them, & the 14 Deadly Sins, American Society of Appraisers (ASA) - New York City Chapter 30, November 2013
  • NYC: Overview of Tax Assessment & Protest System, New York State Society of CPAs (NYSSCPA) - Foundation for Accounting Education (FAE), Real Estate Committee, July 2013
  • International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO), Annual Legal Seminar
  • Recognizing & Separating Real Property, Personal Property, and Intangible Values in Common Indications of Value, International Association of Assessing Officers, 2006 International Conference, Public Utility Section
  • Wind Energy Appraisal, American Society of Appraisers, Northern New Jersey & Princeton Chapter
  • Cost Segregation, Financial Consulting Group

Professional Associations and Memberships   

  • New York State Bar Association, Co-Chairs of the Tax Certiorari Committee
  • New York City Bar Association, Tax Certiorari Committee, Current member and past officer
  • Real Estate Tax Review Bar Association, member
  • American Society of Appraisers (Accredited Senior Appraiser)
Benjamin M. Williams
  • Member
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