City Council hopeful dodged taxes by claiming NOLA home

It’s a twisted tale of two cities for a City Council hopeful from Astoria, who saved on her tax bills by claiming her primary residence to be in New Orleans.

Lynne Serpe, a library consultant and a candidate from the Green Party, claimed that she has lived full-time in Queens since 2007, despite having filed for tax relief on her property just outside the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans.

But when Serpe was asked by the New York Daily News to explain how she could file for hundreds of dollars in tax relief in New Orleans if she lived in New York City, she rushed to qualify her earlier statement.

“When I claimed that, it was my residence,” Serpe told the newspaper. “Then I decided to come back to live here. I love Astoria and I’m committed to Astoria.”

Serpe currently rents out the Louisiana property, but filed for a tax reimbursement on the $39,000 home, Orleans Parish tax assessor Erroll Williams told the Daily News.

“I state under oath that I am the bonafide owner of the property and reside there,” Serpe attested on the tax exemption form seen by the newspaper.

Serpe, who is running against front-runner Costa Constantinides for the council seat, told the newspaper that she would immediately resolve the situation.

“Certainly I can send them an updated letter and explain I moved back here,” she said. [NYDN]  – Hiten Samtani