If you are Homeowner filing on your own behalf:

Complete and sign a Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR) Petition

Visit www.nycourts.gov/efile and click CREATE ACCOUNT to apply for your NYSCEF user ID. You can select the option Create Self  Represented (commencement of new cases only) Account. Complete the online application and then log into NYSCEF using your User ID and Password.

In NYSCEF, go to “Multi-PDF Upload”
• Select “Putnam County Supreme Court” as the court.
• Select “Other Real Property-SCAR” as the case type.
• Input party names. The homeowner is the Plaintiff/Petitioner. The municipality in which the taxes are being grieved is the Defendant/Respondent, which will be typed into the “Business/Organization Name” field. Please click here for a complete list of each municipality and how they should entered in this field.
• Select “SCAR Petition” as the commencement document and attach the pdf of the petition that you have filled out and signed.
• You will pay your $30.00 filing fee online via credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express).

After filing your Petition in NYSCEF:

  • County Clerk staff will review your Petition to ensure that it is complete and assign your Petition an Index Number. You will receive an e-mail notification that your Index Number has been assigned (generally within a few hours after submission during business hours) and you will be able to access a File Stamped copy of your SCAR Petition immediately in NYSCEF.

What to do next:

Within ten days after filing your Petition in the NYSCEF website, you must serve stamped copies of your SCAR petition on:

(1)    The Clerk of the school district where the property is located (by regular mail).  Please click here  for a complete list of each school district;

(2)    The Commissioner of Finance at 40 Gleneida Avenue in Carmel, New York 10512 (by regular mail) PLEASE NOTE-IF YOU ARE ELECTRONICALLY FILING YOUR SCAR PETITION THIS STEP IS NOT NECESSARY!!;

(3)    The Village Clerk if the property is situated in a Village (by regular mail) and;

(4)    The Assessor or the Board of Assessment of the municipality in which the property is located (by certified mail, return receipt requested or by personal delivery).  Please click here  for a complete list of each municipality.  PLEASE NOTE-IF YOU ARE ELECTRONICALLY FILING YOUR SCAR PETITION AND THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN THE TOWN OF CARMEL, THIS STEP IS NOT NECESSARY!!

Click here for more detailed instructions.

PLEASE NOTE:

If you wish to opt-out of e-filing you must deliver your Small Claims Assessment (SCAR) Petition to the County Clerk’s Office in hardcopy, in quadruplicate, with the required $30.00 fee. Upon return of a stamped hard copy you will follow the service instructions above.