New York State Now Offers 100% Disabled Vets Property Tax Exemption!

FYI to all 100% disabled vets: beginning in 2027, the State of New York joins 27 other states in excusing VA-100% disabled vets from all or most primary residence property taxes. This enables the small number of affected vets to keep the homes they have, or to get homes, without what many find to be a brick-wall tax barrier to home ownership. This is very kind of the state, especially considering my home state of Colorado only exempts a fraction of the home's value, typically saving totally disabled vets only a few hundred dollars.

This is a big reason Colorado ranks only 27th in value of benefits permitted disabled veterans. All legislators need to realize that states with stronger benefits keep (or attract) veterans and the economic impact of the vets and their retirements/pensions more than outweighs the cost of the benefits.

Veterans Law Firm Reaches Out to C-123 Veterans – offers toxins expertise

The Newburgh NY-based firm of Finkelstein & Partners has offered representation to C-123 veterans seeking help with VA exposure disability claims. Offering a national presence, the firm features their Veterans Services Group which has successfully dealt with exposure issues and complex issues veterans face in disability claims.

Many of Westover's C-123 veterans are from Eastern New York and Western Mass, and will find representation in Newburgh especially convenient.  Their firm has offices throughout New York and the country.

Their veterans practice team is headed by partner Nancy Morgan (an Army wife!) and interested veterans are invited to contact her associate, Christine Clemens at 1-800-634-1212 ext. 5112.

As with all veterans law firms, attorney fees are awarded only upon successful results, and based only on past money due a veteran, not potential or awarded future compensation.

C-123 Veterans Seek Senator Gillibrand's Assistance re: Agent Orange VA Claims

 

C-123 Veterans Release Newest YouTube Video Seeking Senator Gillibrand's Assistance with Agent Orange Veterans Claims

She has long championed the Blue Water Navy Agent Orange exposure issue, with her clear and unmistakable message that every veteran exposed to Agent Orange deserves equal access to VA medical care. Today we reached out to the Senator through her military and veterans affairs staff, taking Senator Gillibrand up on her leadership.

Our request. Not that she proceed with any legislation on our behalf, because none is needed - the law fully covers us except for the preference of VA leadership that we be excluded. Instead, we have asked that she compel VA to explain how their "experts" say we haven't been exposed (VA redefined standard definitions of "exposure" to prevent C-123 qualification) to Agent Orange, yet every other federal agency (NIH, CDC/ATSDR, EPA, US Public Health Service) and universities have made perfectly clear that we were exposed.

We share few common proofs of our Agent Orange exposure with the Blue Water Navy folks, but both of our organizations do indeed claim Agent Orange exposure and are seeking service connection for our members. We look forward to Senator Gillibrand lending her leadership and dioxin expertise to those who've long helped us, in particular, Senator Burr, Senator Merkley, Congresswoman Bonamici and their staffs. 

With solid proofs such as we have provided her and the VA, this should be simple. We have already been told our mass of evidence easily persuades at the BVA level and any federal judge (using the VA's "as likely to as not") decision matrix, would conclude in our favor.

Anyway, we can always hope!