Ogdensburg school district challenges tax exemption on Oswegatchie property

The Ogdensburg City School District has filed an Article 78 court proceeding challenging the tax-exempt status of property at 8101 State Highway 68 in the Town of Oswegatchie. The district estimates it has lost about $340,000 in tax revenue since 2022.

The property is owned by United Helpers Nursing Home Inc. and United Helpers Inc. The district alleges that Sparx Construction & General Contracting LLC is using the site for a commercial construction business and that the property does not qualify for a nonprofit exemption. The petition asks the court to declare the property taxable, correct the assessment rolls and order payment of required taxes, attorneys’ fees and costs.

The case names Sparx Construction & General Contracting LLC, the two United Helpers entities and Oswegatchie Town Assessor Mark Schnorr as respondents. Attorneys entered an appearance for Sparx and the United Helpers entities on Sept. 3. No answer or response had been filed as of Sept. 18, based on the court filings described in the submission.