* 1440. Definitions. When used in this article, unless otherwise expressly stated, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings:
1. "Person" means an individual, partnership, limited liability company, society, association, joint stock company, corporation, estate, receiver, trustee, assignee, referee or any other person acting in a fiduciary or representative capacity, whether appointed by a court or otherwise, any combination of individuals, and any other form of unincorporated enterprise owned or conducted by two or more persons.
2. "Controlling interest" means (a) in the case of a corporation, either fifty percent or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of such corporation, or fifty percent or more of the capital, profits or beneficial interest in such voting stock of such corporation, and (b) in the case of a partnership, association, trust or other entity, fifty percent or more of the capital, profits or beneficial interest in such partnership, association, trust or other entity.
3. "Real property" means every estate or right, legal or equitable, present or future, vested or contingent, in lands, tenements or hereditaments, including buildings, structures and other improvements thereon, which are located in whole or in part within the town. It shall not include rights to sepulture.
4. "Consideration" means the price actually paid or required to be paid for the real property or interest therein, including payment for an option or contract to purchase real property, whether or not expressed in the deed and whether paid or required to be paid by money, property, or any other thing of value. It shall include the cancellation or discharge of an indebtedness or obligation. It shall also include the amount of any mortgage, purchase money mortgage, lien or other encumbrance, whether or not the underlying indebtedness is assumed or taken subject to.
(a) In the case of a creation of a leasehold interest or the granting of an option with use and occupancy of real property, consideration shall include, but not be limited to, the value of the rental and other payments attributable to the use and occupancy of the real property or interest therein, the value of any amount paid for an option to purchase or renew and the value of rental or other payments attributable to the exercise of any option to renew.
(b) In the case of a creation of a subleasehold interest, consideration shall include, but not be limited to, the value of the sublease rental payments attributable to the use and occupancy of the real property, the value of any amount paid for an option to renew and the value of rental or other payments attributable to the exercise of any option to renew less the value of the remaining prime lease rental payments required to be made.
(c) In the case of a controlling interest in any entity that owns real property, consideration shall mean the fair market value of the real property or interest therein, apportioned based on the percentage of the ownership interest transferred or acquired in the entity.
(d) In the case of an assignment or surrender of a leasehold interest or the assignment or surrender of an option or contract to purchase real property, consideration shall not include the value of the remaining rental payments required to be made pursuant to the terms of such lease or the amount to be paid for the real property pursuant to the terms of the option or contract being assigned or surrendered.
(e) In the case of (1) the original conveyance of shares of stock in a cooperative housing corporation in connection with the grant or transfer of a proprietary leasehold by the cooperative corporation or cooperative plan sponsor, and (2) the subsequent conveyance by the owner thereof of such stock in a cooperative housing corporation in connection with the grant or transfer of a proprietary leasehold for a cooperative unit other than an individual residential unit, consideration shall include a proportionate share of the unpaid principal of any mortgage on the real property of the cooperative housing corporation comprising the cooperative dwelling or dwellings. Such share shall be determined by multiplying the total unpaid principal of the mortgage by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of stock being conveyed in the cooperative housing corporation in connection with the grant or transfer of a proprietary leasehold and the denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of stock in the cooperative housing corporation.
5. "Conveyance" means the transfer or transfers of any interest in real property by any method, including but not limited to, sale, exchange, assignment, surrender, mortgage foreclosure, transfer in lieu of foreclosure, option, trust indenture, taking by eminent domain, conveyance upon liquidation or by a receiver, or transfer or acquisition of a controlling interest in any entity with an interest in real property. Transfer of an interest in real property shall include the creation of a leasehold or sublease only where (a) the sum of the term of the lease or sublease and any options for renewal exceeds forty-nine years, (b) substantial capital improvements are or may be made by or for the benefit of the lessee or sublessee, and (c) the lease or sublease is for substantially all of the premises constituting the real property. Notwithstanding the foregoing, conveyance of real property shall not include a conveyance made pursuant to devise, bequest or inheritance; the creation, modification, extension, spreading, severance, consolidation, assignment, transfer, release or satisfaction of a mortgage; a mortgage subordination agreement, a mortgage severance agreement, an instrument given to perfect or correct a recorded mortgage; or a release of lien of tax pursuant to this chapter or the internal revenue code.
6. "Interest in the real property" includes title in fee, a leasehold interest, a beneficial interest, an encumbrance, development rights, air space and air rights, or any other interest with the right to use or occupancy of real property or the right to receive rents, profits or other income derived from real property. It shall also include an option or contract to purchase real property. It shall not include a right of first refusal to purchase real property.
7. "Grantor" means the person making the conveyance of real property or interest therein. Where the conveyance consists of a transfer or an acquisition of a controlling interest in an entity with an interest in real property, "grantor" means the entity with an interest in real property or a shareholder or partner transferring stock or partnership interest, respectively.
8. "Grantee" means the person who obtains real property or interest therein as a result of a conveyance.
9. "Fund" means a community preservation fund created pursuant to section sixty-four-f of the town law.
10. "Recording officer" means the county clerk of the county of Suffolk.
11. "Town" means the town of Brookhaven, in the county of Suffolk.
12. "Treasurer" means the treasurer of the county of Suffolk.
13. "Town supervisor" means the town supervisor of the town.
14. "Household income" means the total combined income of all the owners, and of any owners' spouses residing on the premises, for the income tax year preceding the date of making application for the exemption.
15. "Income" means the adjusted gross income for federal income tax purposes as reported on the applicant's latest available federal or state income tax return subject to any subsequent amendments or revisions, reduced by distributions, to the extent included in federal adjusted gross income, received from an individual retirement account and an individual retirement annuity; provided that if no such return was filed within the one year period preceding taxable status date, income shall mean the adjusted gross income that would have been so reported if such a return had been filed.
16. "Latest available return" means the federal or state income tax return for the year immediately preceding the date of making application; provided, however, that if the tax return for such tax year has not been filed, then the income tax return for the tax year two years preceding the date of making application shall be considered the latest available.
17. "First-time homebuyer" means a person who has not owned a primary residential property and is not married to a person who has owned a residential property during the three-year period prior to his or her purchase of the primary residential property, and who does not own a vacation or investment home.
18. "Primary residential property" means any one or two family house, townhouse or condominium located in the town which is to be owner occupied by such homebuyer.
* NB Repealed December 31, 2025
Last modified: February 3, 2019