Michael Cohen, formerly the personal attorney for President Trump, is joining the chorus of New Yorkers upset over receiving unsettling notifications from the city. These letters, which have been hitting mailboxes, alert residents they could be liable for a new tax on secondary homes introduced by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, according to The Post’s findings.
A few days ago, Cohen opened one of these unwelcome letters, advising him to prove that his condo at Trump Park Avenue, located on the Upper East Side, serves as his primary residence. If he fails to do so, he could face substantial additional taxes running into tens of thousands of dollars.
Expressing his frustration to The Post on Thursday, Cohen said, “For 34 years, I’ve been diligently paying property taxes in NYC. I’m registered to vote here, yet now the burden falls on me to demonstrate my residency to the city.”
Cohen is particularly troubled by the extensive personal details the city demands from him and fellow residents, a demand which he finds concerning with a leftist leader at the city’s helm.
“I’m very wary of handing over this information to a democratic socialist intent on redistributing wealth from affluent New Yorkers or those perceived as such,” Cohen remarked. He also mentioned that many neighbors received the same nerve-wracking alert.
The city recently began sending the letters to tens of thousands of property owners saying they have to prove their address is their primary residence or be subject to Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul’s controversial tax on second homes, which passed as part of the state budget earlier this year.
The levy targets second homes that are worth at least $5 million, along with condos and co-ops that are worth at least $1 million that are unoccupied, non-primary residences.
With the tax rate for condos and co-ops ranging from 4% and 6.5%, Cohen says he’d be on the hook for nearly $50,000 in new taxes if he is erroneously slapped with the charge.
Letter recipients have to jump through a number of bureaucratic hoops to avoid the tax, as The Post previously reported.
To prove primary residency, they can upload their most recently filed federal or state tax returns – an ask that left Cohen furious.
“Who would give their tax returns?” he incredulously asked. “This is beyond abnormal.”
The city lets people provide other proof of residence, like a driver’s license, though Cohen said he coudn’t submit the form without including his tax return on the decidedly non-user-friendly website.
He also chaffed at a request for the Social Security numbers of everyone living at his condo.
On top of that, the Mamdani administration wants to know if a property is owned by a trust or limited liability company. In such cases, the city requires copies of the trust agreement or an affidavit from the managing member of the trust attesting to the fact that it’s a primary residence.
Cohen’s condo at the former Hotel Delmonico is held in a trust, he said, the purpose being to shield the property from potential lawsuits or judgements. A trust can ensure a smooth transition of assets to Cohen’s children, too.
All of the intrusive questions left Cohen – who has mended fences with Trump since serving as a key witness against him in New York State’s business fraud case in 2023 – concerned about data security.
“Who is going to have access to this information and use it?” he said. “Will the people in the administration all have access and where is it going to sit? Is it a secured website?”
Earlier this week, the Mamdani administration published a searchable database of the city’s properties – including the full names and addresses of each property owner – who could fall under the new tax.
The move drew widespread criticism for endangering people on the list.
“It was very disconcerting to see my name listed and to see many of my neighbors,” employment labor attorney Carolyn Richmond told The Post.
The list is an attempt at “shaming everyone in this city who has worked hard to succeed,” she added.
Mamdani’s office did not answer a request for comment.