Parcel Combinations and Divisions

COMBINATIONS

Tax Parcels are combined by the Division of Assessment as a courtesy to taxpayer’s. Applications are only accepted between July 1 and
September 30. The main purpose of providing this service is for homeowner’s who have an adjoining parcel of vacant land that is used
in common with the primary house site. Courtesy combination applications are only accepted providing certain conditions are met.

Eligibility

Ownership of all parcels to be combined must be in exactly the same name (s). This would include; middle initials, Jr. Sr.  and omission of a second owner’s name on any parcel requested to be combined. Parcels to be combined must be contiguous or adjoining.

Only one parcel in any combination may be improved with a building. No, two residential buildings will be combined into one parcel. Combination requests for commercial/industrial parcels which have building improvements on two or more tax parcels must be approved by the engineering Department before an application will be accepted. The Permit and Inspection Departments has approved the combination request.

Process

Any property owner or agent of owner may apply for combination of eligible parcels.

Application may only be made between July 1st and September 30th.

The application will only be accepted when proof that the entire year of taxes is paid in full (both first and second half), the entire year of user fee is paid in full (first and second half).

Applications can be made in the Assessor’s Office, Room 213, during normal business hours.

After the application has been made and accepted with all paid receipts for taxes, user fee the application is forwarded for processing.

The newly created parcel will first be visible in the Tentative Assessment Roll which is filed on December 1. The final roll which is  filed on March 1st will include the newly created parcel and the tax bill which comes out in July of the year following application will reflect the total assessment value of the now combined parcel.

The Erie County and the City of Lackawanna have different fiscal years. Erie County tax bills will reflect the new combined parcel after the City of Lackawanna’s July tax bill reflects the new combined assessment. For example an application received by the Assessment Office between July 1, 2017 and September 30th, 2018 will receive a tax bill from the City of Lackawanna for the new combined parcel on July 1, 2018. Erie County will send the County tax bill for the new combined parcel in January of 2019.

The assessed value of the new combined parcel is simply the sum of all assessed values of the parcels previous to combination.

DIVISIONS OR SPLITS

Subdivision or splits of a tax parcel can only be achieved by filing a deed with the Erie County Clerk’s office. The deed is filed with a legal description which only describes a portion of a tax parcel. The new parcel is created by the Assessment office for the first Assessment Roll after the deed has been received from the County and processed by the department. Depending on the date the deed is received and processed by the Department will determine when the new parcel will appear on the Tentative Assessment Roll which is filed on December 1st or the Final Assessment Roll which is published on March 1st.