The office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently posted on X, formerly Twitter, appearing to taunt NBA player LeBron James about a new tax on luxury second homes in New York City. The post, which used the pun "LePied-à-Terre," came in response to a report that James might be moving to New York City to play for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The social media message suggested James would face a tax on second homes if he relocated to the city, despite his reported commute from New York to Philadelphia for games.
However, it remains unclear if James would be subject to the tax, which applies to homeowners whose properties are not their primary residence. The tax was approved as part of the fiscal year 2027 budget.
This new tax imposes a surcharge on condos and co-ops based on their value. Properties valued between $1 million and $3 million will incur a 4% tax. Those priced between $3 million and $5 million will face a 5.25% tax, and properties valued above $5 million will be subject to a 6.5% tax.
The administration of Mayor Zohran Mamdani also recently faced criticism for publishing a database of properties potentially subject to this new tax, which some critics argued constituted doxxing.
This is not the first time the governor's office has faced public scrutiny for social media posts. In May, a comment made by Governor Hochul regarding former President Donald Trump's claimed support for the New York Knicks contained a factual error about the team's championship history.