Topping Says Reval May Force Him To Leave His Heathcote Manse

Former New York Times editor Seymour Topping and his wife Audrey are airing their grievance over the recent tax revaluation in Scarsdale on video. The two have been living in a 10 bedroom home, 5,600 square foot home on 2 acres with a pool in the Heathcote Association since 1967 and paid only $45,000 a year in real estate taxes in 2013. That's a remarkably low tax bill for a home in Scarsdale's premium neighborhood. In fact, their tax bill was the same as many residents in Fox Meadow who live on 1/3 of acre in far smaller homes.

The Topping home was recently re-assessed at $4,169,700 up $2 million from their 2013 assessment of $1.953,757 in the first village-wide revaluation that Scarsdale has done since 1967. According to Topping, who is 92, and his wife Audrey, age 87, the tax increase is "quite a shock." In this video aired on lohud.com Topping says, "We only paid $80,000 for this house when we bought it in 1967. We live on a pension. We are not rich people. We have lived here happily and made our contributions to the community." Audrey adds, "It's not easy for us to move out but the taxes may force us to leave."

Rather than decry the increase, the Toppings might consider the tax advantage they have enjoyed for decades. If they saved $30,000 a year for the last 20 years, they are ahead $600,000, all at their neighbor's expense.

Apparently the issue is far from settled. Their neighbor David Bunzel, who lives at 2 Sherbrooke Road and heads up the Heathcote Association saw his own assessment rise by $1.1 million. He is quoted in the article saying, ""When these cases come to court, the town is going to get crushed."