A judge has halted the release of a city database containing hundreds of thousands of homeowners, a move that critics had labeled an "enemies list." The database was part of the rollout for a proposed pied-à-terre tax.
Judge Wayne Ozzi ordered the city to remove the list before an August 31 hearing, giving city lawyers an opportunity to further explain the tax. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul had initially presented the tax as targeting non-residents who own high-value, often unoccupied luxury homes, such as those on "Billionaire's Row."
However, the "prove your innocence" notifications were reportedly sent to thousands of New York City residents whose homes are valued below the $5 million threshold the mayor cited. The tax, as implemented by the governor's office, was set to apply to co-ops and condos valued at $1 million and above, requiring homeowners to file for an exemption to avoid potential penalties.
After the Department of Finance narrowed the potential targets to 17,000 properties, the mayor's office released a public database of hundreds of thousands of names. Critics argued that this list, which was reportedly 95% inaccurate, served as a public "hit list" intended to incite anti-landlord sentiment. The New York Post characterized the action as "Mao-style anti-landlord rabble-rousing."