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’Tis the season for … taxes

JO ANN KIRKLAND PHOTO | Receiver of Taxes Annemarie Seddio.
JO ANN KIRKLAND PHOTO | Receiver of Taxes Annemarie Seddio.

Carols, colored lights, frantic shopping, family visits, holiday cheer and — oh, right, one more certainty associated with the season: a notice to pony up and pay your taxes.

According to Receiver of Taxes Annmarie Seddio, Shelter Island’s tax warrant for 2016-17, or debt owed by taxpayers, is $20,546,758 as opposed to last year’s warrant of $19,411,815. The number of taxable properties was 3,375, making the average Shelter Island tax bill $6,088, or $527 more than 2015’s bill.

According to the tax receiver’s records, the highest bill for a private person or company  — $118,998 — has been sent to Pandion Acquisitions, a limited liability company registered on Central Park West in New York City.

Pandion, controlled by Richard Hogan, purchased close to 25 acres of the St. Gabriel’s property in April 2015. The company paid $15.1 million to the Passionists Fathers, a Catholic religious order, which had owned the mainly undeveloped property that fronts on Coecles Harbor for more than a century, and paid no taxes.

Ms. Seddio reported that 61 parcels have been billed at $50 or less. Some of these properties are underwater lots or small, private roads or rights-of-way.

The first half of the tax bill is due January 10 and the second half must be paid by May 31.