N.Y. Second Class Cities Law Section 161
Description of premises

In the assessment of any lands in the city for any purpose, it shall be sufficient to state the name of one of the owners of such lands if the owner or owners or any of them be residents of the city and known to the assessors; if the owner or owners be unknown to the assessors or if they be nonresidents and the ownership is unknown to the assessors, then the assessment may be designated unknown, and there shall be stated the number of the lot and the block, if subdivided into lots and blocks and so designated upon the city map last adopted by the common council, or the number of the lot or farm lot, if not so subdivided into blocks and lots and so designated, and also the street and number of any building thereon; but if the land be vacant or the building thereon be not numbered, then the name of the street on which it fronts and a brief description of the premises shall be given. In case no inhabited building be on the land and the residence of the owner be unknown, such owner may be designated as unknown. No assessment hereafter made in said city shall be held to be invalid because the same may be made out in terms against owner or owners unknown or the estate of a deceased person, naming such person, or the executor, administrator, heirs or devisees of a deceased person, naming such person, or any of them or against a company or a firm name, or against a person in whom is the record title, though not the actual title of the property, or for any cause arising through ignorance or mistake as to the names of the owner or owners of the property assessed, whether individually or a corporation, provided such property is sufficiently described on the assessment-rolls to reasonably identify and indicate to a person familiar with the same the particular property which it was intended to assess. Every assessment-roll shall be considered as referring to the last adopted map, unless it be otherwise stated therein.

Source: Section 161 — Description of premises, https://www.­nysenate.­gov/legislation/laws/SCC/161 (updated Sep. 22, 2014; accessed Jan. 31, 2026).

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Verified:
Jan. 31, 2026

Last modified:
Sep. 22, 2014

§ 161. Description of premises's source at nysenate​.gov

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