Chabad And Haredi Chutzpah Knows No Bounds

Remember the Monsey rabbi who illegally claimed his house as a synagogue to avoid taxes? The one who had his married children living in apartments within the dwelling? He's gone to court to regain his tax exempt status. The Journal News reports:

… Ryan Karben, the attorney representing the congregation, said he expected it to come before the zoning board no earlier than April.

"I don't believe there will be any tenants," beyond the rabbi's residence, Karben said. "The apartments are being removed."

The changes sought would remove the violations against the property, and again make it eligible for tax-exempt status.

It had a 100 percent religious exemption from property taxes in 2002, but that was reduced to a 67 percent exemption in 2004 when the town couldn't confirm the occupancy of one of the apartments.

Ramapo Assessor Scott Shedler petitioned the Assessment Review Board last year to make the property fully taxable after town inspectors discovered the illegal apartment.

The inspectors were also unable to find a synagogue on the site.

Violations filed against the property last year are still pending in Town Court. The next court date is April 19 before Justice Arnold Etelson.

In a description of the planned local house of worship - that implies that congregants will walk from the immediate area - Karben told the town that Rabbi Gedalia Oberlander will convert one of the apartments "into a small worship area."

Karben stated in the document filed with the Building Department that "the congregation is exceedingly small, comprised of approximately 20 congregants who are primarily Rabbi Oberlander's relatives."

The 5,127-square-foot house has a taxable value of $109,000, according to the Assessor's Office.

If the property gets the 100 percent exemption, it will be freed of tax bills totaling about $15,000 annually.…

Sleaze.

UPDATE: Yes, the attorney is that Ryan Karben.

Comments

[ed]

>Chabad And Haredi Chutzpah Knows No Bounds

The Chutzpa here is that Shmarya is taking the actions of one Rabbi and thereby blasting all Charedim and Chabad.

That is outrageous and I vehemently protest.

[Lawrence M. Reisman]

Earlier this month, I was talking to a (non-Jewish) potential client, involved with a not-for-profit corporation that was applying for tax-exempt status. She told me of a popular tax scam that NYC policemen were enrolling in 30 years ago. The idea was that they purchased an ordination from a mail order church, and then claimed their houses as churches or parsonages, and thus exempt from real estate taxes. Several hundred policemen got caught up in this scam, and ended up paying back taxes and penalties. I doubt that many of these policemen were Jewish, let alone haredi. The scam is not a uniquely haredi one, even if haredim tend to try it more often than others.

[D]

Frankly, $15,000 in annual taxes on a $109,000 home is outrageous! Granted, cheating on taxes is simply beyond the pale but a tax rate like that is just begging for evasion. Small wonder why policemen and other John Q. Citizen types will try whatever works to get around the law.

[seraphya berrin]

And this is news?

[Shmuel Beis]

Isn't Ryan the guy who was having inappropriate relations at the state house?

[Rabbi Ariel Sokolovsky]

B"H
If the house value is really 100 grand and the city wants 15% taxes on that the correct headline should have been "A Chareidi Rabbi found a smart way to defend against the open robbery of himself by the city of Monsey whose chutzpah truly knows no bounds"

[seraphya berrin]

Well I guess it is a follow up, but this is so common from what I see.

by the way, does anyone know how to set up a LEGITIMATE tax exempt charity?

[seraphya berrin]

This guy broke the law.

Everyone else around him is keeping the law.

You can't use the subjective unfairness of the law to ignore the law.

Dina D'malchuta dina, existed long before we had the usually fair and just law systems in the Western World.

It is disgusting to call this tax evasion a smart way of avoiding thievery. This guy is pasul l'edut, and a chilul hashem. *THAT IS if we have all the information right*

[Shmarya]

ed writes:

"The Chutzpa here is that Shmarya is taking the actions of one Rabbi and thereby blasting all Charedim and Chabad.

That is outrageous and I vehemently protest."

If the Monsey Va'ad and leading gedolim had condemned Oberlander for this, you would be right. Of course, they did not and have not done so, just as they have refused to condemn the vast majority of rabbinic criminals.

Lawrence –

True. It used to be a popular scam. But it is different from what Oberlander is doing. Oberland is a rabbi claiming to have a shul that does not exist. They were non-clergy faking clergy diplomas and congregations.

Ariel, etc. –

Cities set the taxible value of property at a lower price than the actual market value. Commonly, this is 1/2 or less of that market value. Oberlander's property would probably sell for closer to $700,000.

[shanda]

is that lawyer the same guy who was invovled in some kinda sex scandal recently or is this someone different?

[Monsey]

Yes, it's the same lawyer who was involved in the same-sex scandal. Mr. Karben is also a son of Shelly Karben who sits on Ramapo's tax assessment board. Perhaps, that's why he was hired.

Sleezbals, indeed.

[Yudel]

What a scumbag!

[Shame]

It's a shande and a shame. Why doesn't his community spit him out? This is a chillul Hashem! What do you want others to think? I know this is only one person or one family, but people have to stand up against this type of behavior.

[Anonymous]

You have said it good this time: sleeze! That's what they are!

The first poster is right in that you shouldn't lump together others for the sin of one or one family.

Back to the subject of your post it seems that they know how to play the system and are playing it without any fare of being caught. It's also interesting that after the town caught them so many times lying and cheating they still didn't kick their butts out and just simply deny all their applications. They also know that it would be very hard for the town to sort of find out that there was no Minyan comprised of his relatives. They can always swear (it seems they have no problem lying) that they gathered together for some prayers.