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Michael Cohen is joining the growing list of New Yorkers outraged after receiving a city notice warning that he could be hit with Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s controversial new pied-à-terre tax unless he proves his Manhattan apartment is his primary residence.
Cohen, who once served as President Trump’s longtime fixer, told The Post that he was stunned when a letter arrived earlier this week directing him to verify that his condominium at Trump Park Avenue on the Upper East Side is his main home or risk paying tens of thousands of dollars in additional taxes.
“I have been paying NYC property taxes for 34 years,” he fumed to The Post on Thursday. “I’m registered as a voter here yet now I have to go through the exercise in demonstrating to the city that I’m a resident.”
Beyond objecting to the notice itself, Cohen said he is deeply troubled by the amount of personal information City Hall is demanding from homeowners, particularly under an administration he believes has made wealthy residents a political target.
“I’m extremely concerned about submitting this information to a democratic socialist who has campaigned and continues to campaign on taking dollars out of the pockets of wealthy New Yorkers or anyone he perceives to be wealthy,” Cohen said, adding that numerous neighbors in his building also received identical letters.
The city recently began mailing notices to tens of thousands of property owners, instructing them to establish that their homes are primary residences or face liability under the new tax approved by Mayor Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul as part of this year’s state budget.
The tax applies to second homes valued at $5 million or more, as well as vacant condominiums and co-ops worth at least $1 million that are not used as primary residences.
Because condominium and co-op tax rates range from 4% to 6.5%, Cohen estimates he could be forced to pay nearly $50,000 annually if the city mistakenly classifies his apartment as a second home.
As previously reported by The Post, homeowners seeking to avoid the tax must complete a lengthy verification process and provide documentation proving where they primarily live.
Among the requested documents is a recently filed federal or state tax return, a requirement Cohen said crossed the line.
“Who would give their tax returns?” he incredulously asked. “This is beyond abnormal.”
Although the city says applicants may instead submit alternative proof, such as a driver’s license, Cohen said the online portal would not allow him to complete the process without uploading his tax return, describing the website as difficult to navigate.
He also objected to the city’s request for the Social Security numbers of every person residing in the apartment.
In cases where a property is owned through a trust or limited liability company, the city also requires copies of trust documents or an affidavit from the trustee or managing member affirming that the property serves as the owner’s primary residence.
Cohen said his apartment in the historic former Hotel Delmonico is held in a trust, explaining that the arrangement protects the property from potential lawsuits or judgments while also helping ensure a smooth transfer of assets to his children.
The extensive personal information requested by the city has also raised concerns for Cohen about how securely the data will be stored and who may ultimately have access to it. Cohen, who has since repaired his relationship with President Trump after serving as a key witness in the 2023 New York business fraud case, questioned whether the city can adequately safeguard such sensitive records.
“Who is going to have access to this information and use it?” he said. “Will the people in the administration all have access and where is it going to sit? Is it a secured website?”
His concerns intensified after the Mamdani administration this week published a searchable online database listing the names and addresses of property owners whose homes could be subject to the new tax.
The public release of that information sparked widespread backlash from residents who argued the database unnecessarily exposed homeowners’ personal information and created potential security risks.
“It was very disconcerting to see my name listed and to see many of my neighbors,” employment labor attorney Carolyn Richmond told The NY Post.
Calling the database an effort to publicly embarrass successful New Yorkers, Richmond said the list is an attempt at “shaming everyone in this city who has worked hard to succeed.”
{Matzav.com}