Blow to Mamdani: Court Halts Tax That Stirs New York

A New York court froze the luxury apartment tax promoted by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The order prohibits further action on 17,000 warning notices sent to homeowners and requires the removal of a database of about 900,000 property owners. Mamdani vowed to fight the decision, while Governor Hochul distanced herself from the controversy.

A New York court froze the luxury apartment tax promoted by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The order, issued following a report in the New York Post, prohibits the city from continuing to act on 17,000 warning notices sent to homeowners, in which they were warned they would have to pay a five-figure tax unless they applied for an exemption. In addition, the city was required to remove from the internet a database containing about 900,000 property owners who could have been affected by the tax. Mamdani vowed to fight the decision and get the 'tax the rich' policy back on track, and said through a spokesperson that the city disagrees with the ruling but is confident in its ability to implement the tax fairly. Meanwhile, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who originally promoted the law as a way to collect taxes from 'Russian oligarchs' and 'Saudi princes', tried to distance herself from the controversy and called on the city administration to streamline the collection process, emphasizing that implementation of the law is the sole responsibility of the city.