Before it was even finished, American billionaire Kenneth C. Griffin, owner of the global investment firm Citadel, broke a record in his country by paying 238 million for a penthouse at 220 Central Park South, in New York. It was the sale of a residential apartment. The apartment, however, with four floors and more than 24,000 square meters, is empty for much of the year. It is not Griffin’s usual home. And it is there, in front of the building’s portal, where the mayor of New York, , has recorded a video to announce that his Administration is going to tax the richest.
He has chosen the one known in the United States as Tax Daythe deadline to file the declaration in the country, to advance that New York will implement a first tax on second homes in the city “that will apply to luxury apartments valued at more than five million dollars” and “whose owners do not reside here permanently.” “When I ran for mayor, I said I was going to tax the rich,” Mamdani says to the camera, in the middle of the night. Right after, after tapping his index finger on the lens, the mayor celebrates: “Well, today we are going to tax the rich.”.
“This tax – explains Mamdani – on second homes is specifically designed for the richest of the richthose who invest their wealth in New York City real estate, but don’t actually live here. And yet, they are able to obtain great economic benefits by owning property in, dare I say, the best city in the world.” This is, according to Mamdani, “that harms New York workers.”
The chosen place, in front of Griffin’s penthouse, has its place, and not only because this billionaire is the best example of the objective of this tax, but because of the history of the building that houses the apartment. Until a few years ago, 80 residents lived there at an affordable price that on May 18, 2006 They received an eviction notice so that a developer could demolish the property and build a new, much less modest one, designed for people like Griffin.. , a group of tenants resisted by organizing themselves into an association called “Let’s save our homes.” They resisted “as long as possible, filing lawsuits to be able to remain in their homes, but finally reached an agreement for an undisclosed amount,” the American newspaper detailed.
The new tax will bring New York City about $500 million a year, figures that will help, as Mamdani explains, “finance things like free daycare, cleaner streets and safer neighborhoods.” “As mayor, I believe that we all have a role to play in contributing to the development of our city. And some a little more than others,” the mayor concludes.
Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, who will have to face the payment of the new fees. “If you can afford a $5 million second home that sits empty most of the year, you can contribute like any other New Yorker.”
