Scarsdale Police Charge Two with Burglary
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Scarsdale Police Chief John Brogan has announced the arrest of two men in connection with the burglary of a home on Greenacres Avenue in Scarsdale in September. On Wednesday, January 4th 2012, 49 year old Michael Maietta of Coodington Avenue in the Bronx, and 47 year old Michael Donofrio of Waterbury Avenue in the Bronx were both arraigned on charges of Burglary 2nd degree, Grand Larceny 3rd degree and Criminal Mischief 3rd degree based upon a Westchester County Grand Jury indictment for crimes committed during a September 2011 burglary of the Greenacres Avenue home. Maietta was previously arrested for burglary of a Yonkers home in 1995.
The arrest is the result of a 3-month investigation by Scarsdale Detective Mark Thomas, who worked with Detectives from White Plains, Yonkers, Bronxville and NYPD as well as members of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
Both subjects were also charged with Burglary 2nd degree for crimes in Yonkers and White Plains, as well as attempted Burglary 2nd degree in Yonkers. Defendant Donofrio is currently in jail on $300,000 bail and defendant Maietta has been remanded without bail.
Scarsdale Detectives continue to investigate the above individuals for any other possible criminal activity within Scarsdale.
Trespass: A Bradley Road man reported that a solicitor for a group called Family Energy entered his house without his permission on the evening of January 4th. He asked her to leave but she resisted. Police canvassed the area and found the woman and others from the group in the neighborhood and discovered that they did not have a permit to solicit. The woman who entered the home was identified as 18 year-old Linise Lamb of the Bronx and she was given a summons for trespassing.
Identity Theft: A Lyons Road man reported that thirteen cash withdrawals, totaling $9,800 were made from his Citibank checking account on January 5th. All of the 12 withdrawals occurred at an ATM machine on Canal Street in New York City.
Phone Nabber: On the afternoon of January 7, a 17 year-old Garth Road boy lent his iPhone to a friend so that the friend could call his mother. However, the friend ran off with the phone and refused to return it. Police contacted the culprit who was uncooperative. If he fails to return the phone, the Scarsdale boy will charge him for the offense.
Missing: Two female residents of Search for Change, the residential home on the Post Road in Scarsdale left the home on the morning of January 7th. Both residents have a history of drug and alcohol abuse. Police called local hospitals and the patients relatives but were unable to locate them. Missing persons reports were filed for both residents.
The father of a 6 year-old Greenacres boy called police on January 4th when his son failed to show up for an afterschool activity. Police searched the school but couldn’t find the boy. However, during the search, the father found out that the boy was at a friend’s house on Eton Road
A Cooper Road woman called police on 1/6 to say that some items may have been stolen from her home. However, after speaking to the police she decided to speak to her children and housekeeper before filing a report.
Locked In: A Brambach Road woman locked her daughter inside the car in front of the Chase Bank on East Parkway at 9:30 am on 1/3. A man from the Heathcote Gulf station was called and he was able to unlock the car.
Noise: Two complaints about noise were received in regard to an outdoor party on Ogden Road in Fox Meadow on the night of 1/7. The residents were having an outdoor party in a tent with a DJ and agreed to lower the volume of the music.
County Taxes -- A Look Behind the Numbers
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The Westchester County Budget office has released an estimate of the tax levy for 2012 including a breakdown of the increases and decreases on the levy for all of the cities and towns in Westchester. Though the total levy remains at the 2011 level of $548 mm dollars, the levy on the various cities and towns has increased or decreased based on assessed value. Scarsdale residents will see an estimated 3.24% increase in their county taxes and the rate in Greenburgh will go up by 2.54%, while the rate in White Plains will decrease by 4.94%. How are these rates derived? The answer is complex and in order to fully understand the calculations we questioned Westchester County Budget Director Lawrence Soule who provided the following explanation:
Why will Scarsdale and Greenburgh residents receive the increase while White Plains taxes will go down?
In New York State, the property assessment and taxation process is more complicated than other states that have a uniform assessment process. There are several steps to the NYS process:
1) Each municipality conducts their own assessments, and could assess their real property very differently than another municipality. Assessors are allowed to use one of three methods: (1) Market (2) Cost or (3) Income. Once the “market value” is established by one of these three assessment methods, a municipality may decide to assess property at a percentage of the “market value.”
2) Due to the fact that each municipality assesses at a different percentage of the estimated market value, the Office of Real Property Services (ORPS) at the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance develops an “Equalization Rate” for each municipality. This rate attempts brings all assessments to an “Equalized Full Value.” If all municipalities assessed property at 100% of market value, equalization rates would not be necessary.
3) Each municipality is levied their share of the County Tax Levy based on their pro rata share of the Equalized Full Value of all property in the County.
4) Once each municipality knows how much it owes the County, it divides this levy amount by its total assessed value (not equalized full value) in order to calculate its County Tax Rate.
In response to your specific question, White Plains’ Equalized Full Value decreased by approximately $1 billion, meaning
Because Scarsdale and Greenburgh’s Equalized Full Value fell proportionately less than White Plains’, their share of the County Tax Levy increases while White Plains’ falls.
Does this indicate that property values in Scarsdale have leveled off or increased while other areas have seen real estate values fall?
While the above statement may be true you cannot necessarily draw this conclusion from the year-over-year change in the tax rate. As stated above, there are many factors that affect the assessment and equalization rates that can differ across municipalities. The Equalized Full Value represents the estimated market value of all real property in a municipality at a given point in time. The Equalization Rate is a tool used to compare assessments across municipalities in an attempt to allocate the County Tax Levy equitably. The equalization rate does not correct for all inequities in the assessment process across municipalities. You can find more information on the how the equalization rate is determined at the following link: http://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/learn/eqrates.htm
Is Westchester County bound by the NYS 2% tax cap? If not, why?
Yes, Westchester County is bound by the 2% Property Tax Cap. However, it is important to note that the 2% Cap applies to the aggregate Tax Levy assessed by the county on all municipalities within the County. The County does not determine the tax rates for individual municipalities. In 2011 the County tax levy was reduced by 2% from the prior year and in 2012 it was held flat to 2011’s amount of $548m. Despite this fact, some municipalities, such as Scarsdale and Greenburgh, as you noted, experienced increases while others, such as White Plains, had a decrease in their rate. This is largely the result of the New York state equalization and assessment process.
The Westchester County Board of Legislators restored some of the recommended funding cuts for day care, health centers, ArtsWestchester, the Greenburgh Nature Center, the Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the Westchester County Board of Elections. How has this impacted the budget?
These additions to spending do put pressure on the County finances for 2012. There are a number of uncertainties such as sales tax collections and potential reductions in State and Federal Aid that could also put pressure on the County’s finances. The Department of Budget will continue to monitor expenditures and revenues throughout the year to ensure that the County is able to stay within the appropriations adopted by the Board of Legislators and the County Executive.
License Plate Scanners to be Installed In Edgemont
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After a spate of robberies in Edgemont this fall, a group of residents called for a meeting with Greenburgh Police Chief Joseph DeCarlo to urge the department to do more to protect their homes. Some say they are now in the third year of a spree of Edgemont robberies and are asking for some permanent solutions. Here is what they learned at the December 15th meeting:
The robberies have occurred primarily in homes with easy access to the Sprain Brook Parkway, Jackson Avenue and Ardsley Road. The targeted homes belong primarily to people of Asian and Indian descent. However, the residents of the site of the latest robbery in Thomas Court were not of this background.
Typically, the burglars break through the back door and are in and out of the homes in 10 minutes. It is likely that the robbers have stalked the homes for a few days and know when the homeowner comes and goes. The police department says that the robbers are Columbian gangs from Queens as well as from other neighboring areas. This is not just a problem here as the gangs are operating all along the East Coast.
Edgemont residents asked the police to install license plate scanners that were requested earlier this year. In the interim the DA’s office loaned Edgemont three scanners, which have been in use for the past two weeks. Following the meeting, on December 20, the Greenburgh Town Board approved $69,000 for the purchase of license plate readers which will be used in addition to the license plate readers given to the town by the DA's office.
The Town urged residents to write letters or email elected state officials Tom Abinanti and Andrea Steward-Cousins to request permission for the Town of Greenburgh to install security cameras at key roadways. They can be reached at Abinantit@assembly.state.ny.us and at scousins@nysenate.gov. The Southern Greenville Civic Association will send out a letter to both officials before the end of the year on this topic.
Residents also questioned whether they were getting their fare share of police resources. Edgemont contributed $4.1 million to the 2011-12 Greenburgh Police Department budget, roughly a quarter of the total budget, but contend that they are not receiving a commensurate amount of coverage. DeCarlo acknowledged that the robberies are an issue and promised to review resource allocation with the Town Board and Supervisor Feiner.
The Greenburgh Police Department provided the following tips on keeping homes secure:
- If you don’t have an alarm system, get one and use it.
- Put motion sensor lights covering dark areas around the back of the house.
- If you can, invest in a surveillance camera system.
- Lock all access to your homes
- Leave lights, radios and televisions on timers when your are away.
- Do not a store a lot of jewelry at home. Instead, use a bank safety deposit box. If you do keep jewelry at home, do not store it in an obvious place. Burglars know where to look.
- When you’re away, turn off mail and newspaper delivery. Ensure that someone clears your driveway of snow.
- Let your neighbors know you are out of town. Look out for your neighbors.
- Set up a neighborhood watch or join an existing one.
- Be aware of your surroundings even when driving around.
- If you see a suspicious car, note the make, model and license plate.
- Call GPD at 914-682-5300 if you suspect any strange activity. Always call, even if you are unsure.
Man Served in Scarsdale in Wrongful Death of Wife
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A Manhattan man was served papers in Scarsdale on Wednesday in the wrongful death of his wife. Roderick Covlin is a former stock trader and founder of the U.S. Backgammon Federation. He was in his parent's Scarsdale home when the Manhattan public administrator served him with civil suit accusing him of killing his wife Shele Danishefsky Covlin. According to Your Jewish News, the suit charges Covlin with “intentionally, deliberately, willfully, wantonly, maliciously, brutally and without provocation or just cause [strangling, choking, striking, injuring, assaulting, abusing, beating and murdering] his wife.”
Two years ago, on New Year's Eve, Shele Covlin was found dead in the bathtub of her Upper West Side apartment. She was discovered by her 9 nine-year-old daughter.
Covlin had a cut on her head and appeared to have fallen while bathing.
Shele Danishefsky Covlin's death was initially ruled an accident and in keeping with religious tradition, her Orthodox Jewish family refused an autopsy and buried her almost immediately.
But questions quickly arose after her death.
The 47-year-old UBS wealth manager was in the middle of a difficult divorce from her husband Rod Covlin, who lived across the hall of the 68th Street apartment at the time.
That past November, Shele had obtained an order of protection against Rod, and according to an investigation she had expressed to friends that she was fearful of her husband. The night Shele Covlin died, she was just hours away from her January 1 meeting with an estate planner in order to cut Roderick out of her will, worth over $1 million dollars and leave her money to her two children.
Roderick Covlin immediately retained an attorney and was not cooperative with the police.
The District Attorney took up the matter and persuaded the Danishefsky family to exhume her body. Upon examination, there were signs of struggle and strangulation. However, since she had not been embalmed and was in a plain pine coffin there was exposure to the elements. It remains to be seen if this will have any effect on evidence such as DNA.
When contacted, the Manhattan District Attorney's office told me that they cannot comment on active investigations or even confirm or deny them.
Still, sources I spoke to close to the case, who wish not to be identified, say that there may be updates or even charges brought in the new year.
It's fairly unusual that the public administrator would get involved in such a case, however there is a two-year statute of limitations in wrongful-death claims. This suit aims to block Roderick from his wife's assets.
On Thursday December 29 the Daily News reported that a Westchester judge has denied Covlin access to a $1.6 miilion life insurance payment after learning that he is a suspect in his wife’s murder. According to the Daily News, nearly $4 million is at stake.
Shele's brother Philip Danishefsky is seeking custody of her children who are now ages 11 and 5.
Who Got Last Licks?
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Thefts: Sometime between 11:15 am and 9:05 pm on December 14 $17,683 in cash was stolen from a basement office of Last Licks on Palmer Avenue. The money was in an envelope in a drawer in the office. The office was locked during the time of the theft, however two other doors to the building may have been left open during the day. Employees from Metro and Last Licks have access to the basement. Pry marks were found on the door to the office.
Another commuter’s bike was stolen from the Scarsdale Train Station. The gold univega, 21-speed bike, valued at $450, was locked to a rack on Depot Place on the morning of December 12th. When the owner returned that night, both the bike and lock were gone.
A Popham Road woman reported that an aluminum air conditioner cover and a glass shower door were stolen from her property sometime between December 7 and December 12. The items were propped against her house to prevent rain from falling into her basement. Nothing else was taken from the home.
Lost and Found: A gas grill was taken from a Lebanon Road home when the family moved out on 12/14. When the owner returned on 12/15, the Lynx grill, valued at $4,000 was missing. During the move, one of the moving men was questioning the owner about the value of certain items in the house and the owner suspected that the moving man may have returned to the house after the move and taken the grill. However, the homeowner later learned that a friend had stopped by to pick up a patio table and had also removed the grill.
A Circle Road woman called police to say that her wallet was either lost or stolen in Scarsdale Village on December 14th. She must have been pleased to learn that a good Samaritan found it in front of the Scarsdale Flower Shop and turned it over to the police.
Harassed: A Copper Beach Lane man reported harassment from a former business partner that occurred between November 21, and December 14. The Scarsdale man received harassing text messages threatening that the former partner would come to the house, hurt him, and snap his neck. Police agreed to extra ride-bys and to call the former partner to order him to stop the harassment.
A Colonial Road man was threatened by a former employee who said he had not received his paycheck. Though the Scarsdale man said the check had been mailed, the employee was threatening to come to the house. Patrol spoke to the angry man and resolved the dispute.
Fraud: Police were called to HSBC Bank on Popham Road on the afternoon of 12/15 when a man attempted to cash a fraudulent check made out to cash in the amount of $2,205.77. When asked for id, the man presented a fake Pennsylvania driver’s license and Visa bank card. While the bank manager was examining the check, the man left the bank and walked onto East Parkway. Police were unable to find him but placed the check, driver’s license and bank card into an evidence locker.
On the morning of 12/18, a Taunton Road man came to police to report that someone tried to open a line of credit at Citibank using his name and social security number. He had been contacted by the Citibank Fraud Department.
Accidents: At 5:57 am on December 18, a Penn Road man swerved to avoid a deer in the road, brushed a utility pole and crossed onto the lawn of 46 Franklin Road where he struck the curbing of the driveway and then crashed into a stonewall at 44 Franklin Road. The car flipped over and stopped, upside down on the front lawn of 44 Franklin. SVAC, the Fire Department and the police responded to the scene. The condition of the 60 year-old driver was not reported.
A Roosevelt Place woman heard a loud noise outside her house at 10 pm on 12/18. She looked out of her window and saw that a black car had driven down her street in the wrong direction, hit her car and was driving away. The accident damaged the bumper of her 2012 Volkswagon. Police searched the area and found the black car parked just a few blocks away.
Mischief: There was damage to a light at the Girl Scout House on Wayside Lane sometime on 12/17. Also on that date, someone tried to pull out a street sign at Wayside and Carstensen Roads and removed the Wayside Lane portion of the sign. A “No Parking” sign was found in the parking lot of the Alternative School and police did not know where it belonged.
A house on Birchall Drive was egged at 4:30 pm on 12/16. Kids wearing hoodies threw eggs at the side of the house and ran off.
Disputes: A Brookline Road man called police on December 13 when an unwanted houseguest refused to leave. When police arrived the men came to an agreement.
On 12/14, Heathcote Road residents called police to complain that their neighbor’s driveway was strewn with garbage. Police went to the neighboring home and the woman explained that her insurance company had instructed her to leave her damaged property in place so that they could assess it. However, the insurance company had completed the assessment so the woman agreed to call the sanitation department to ask for a pick up.
Missing: A New Rochelle woman came to Scarsdale Police headquarters on the morning of 12/14 to report that her husband was missing. His car was parked at a house that he owns, but does not live in, on Fenimore Road. Police advised the woman to report him to the New Rochelle Police.
Flooded: On 12/15, a North Salem woman came to Scarsdale Police when she noticed that her deceased parent’s home at 16 Cambridge Road was being damaged by water run off coming from construction at 7 Park Road. Police advised her that this is a civil matter and told her to contact the building department.
Trespasser: Police were called to the Greenacres School at 3:19 on 12/16 when an elderly man entered the school and requested to use the bathroom. He subsequently left the school and police found him on the Post Road. The man said he had been doing landscaping work in the area and wanted to use the bathroom and get a drink of water. The Greenacres Principal reported that the man seemed odd.
