It is by now common knowledge that the City of Hudson is owed about $2.5 million in back taxes. At the end of the Common Council Finance Committee meeting on Monday, it was said a list of the tax delinquent properties would be published the next day. That didn't happen. It is now expected that the list will be presented at the next Council meeting, which takes place on Monday, May 12.
This week, Gossips learned of one property that will be on the list: 448 Warren Street. The amount of property tax currently owed on the building is just under $283,698.
This building was originally constructed, from 1867 to 1869, as the First Universalist Church. At some point, probably in the first half of the 20th century, the building became the worship place for the United Methodist Church.
In 1985, the building ceased being a church and was purchased by the photographer and filmmaker Sedat Pakay, who used the building to house his studio and film production company. More recently, the building was owned and may still be owned by the artist David Hammons, best known as the creator of the African-American Flag.
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| Photo: Scott Baldinger |
Before the Historic Preservation Commission could make a decision about granting a certificate of appropriateness for this "homage to what was there in the past," the application to re-create the missing steeple with lights was withdrawn. Instead the restored tower was finished off with simple cap.
The certificate of appropriateness for the capped tower was granted in January 2016, and the work was carried out, but since then little work has been done on the building. It would seem, too, that around this time, or perhaps even sooner, the taxes on the property stopped being paid.
The back taxes due on this property represent slightly more than 10 percent of the total amount of unpaid property taxes due to the City.
COPYRIGHT 2025 CAROLE OSTERINK
🙏 Thank you for the fascinating history and context Carole.
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First - everyone, and especially the Greenporters, try not to make a joke about the type of flag and the (tax) status of this building.
It has been done and it is insensitive. Using that flag joke as a magnet to attract more people to read the following two facts would be
A) very Trevor Noah, if you are a Dem, and
B) very Elon Musk, if you are a Republican.
C) ironic to point out the contradiction between ideals and actions of a protest symbol
D) satirical, if unpaid taxes is a lens for moral posturing of celebrity activism
E) Someone call Mark Allen... maybe this is the greatest long-term performance art piece in Hudson; tax evasion as a deeper “performance piece” critiquing government structures and the American social contract 🤯 ✊
And insensitive? Even if the "Untitled (African-American) flags continue to sell for millions at art auction markets to this day.
🏛️ Fact 1: another parallel and arguably greater cost and loss to the city, when it comes to these delinquent tax properties, is the damage to historic structures. Had the City moved in 2018 before Covid lockdowns, or in 2021 after Covid lockdowns, to auction the building due to years of unpaid taxes... new owners could have continued the restoration (we hope) or at least used the building productively while keeping up repairs and maintenance.
Instead, we watched in horror last year as strong winds and storms ripped out precious stained glass and other rare historic features. Someone could have gotten hurt (maybe did?) Neighbouring homes, updated at great expense, could have gotten damaged.
⛪︎ - the fact that such a tall spire in the dead center of the City of Hudson, on the corner of 5th and Warren, sat there for a decade in delinquency, is truly a monument to Hudson's unfair and inconsistent tax practices.
How many hundreds of times did BOE members and mayors walk past that building, likely knowing it is in arrears... or did no one know? Which itself is incredible.
😷 Fact 2: One of Kamal's and his allies' main defense for the City of Hudson not taking action earlier to auction these buildings was the "covid" eviction excuse... laws during covid that halted these types of eviction/auction proceedings, and of course NY State extending these laws longer than other states.
Well... now we know that at least 10% of the delinquent tax roll, likely the majority, predates the Covid crises by many years.
So it may be fair to say that several mayors failed to pursue delinquent properties and their unpaid taxes (though Kamal, of course, was mayor for the majority of this time, and ran a $1m annual deficit, unlike any other mayor).
And that... tax payers, is yet another argument for a City Manager https://hudsoncharterchange.com
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Greenporters are not animals! We never dwell on jokes that have already written themselves.
Delete😉 Also - formal request for you to make shirts or hats that says "Port Authority" with a Port Authority of NY / NJ inspired logo, for you, Nick Zachos, and Alexis Keith and other Greenporters who influence Hudson politics.
Delete*By BOE I meant: BEA--Board of Estimate and Apportionment. The Mayor, Treasurer/CFO, and President of the Common Council.
ReplyDeleteWill have to make an acronym list to help new residents and old residents newly involved understand the lingo.
This story, Carole, is why Hudson so needs you: to document how the City treats its history. As many of us know, it is not a wonderful recent history! We need an engaged historic preservation movement more than ever. --peter meyer
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