Brooklyn Public Library Buys Sheepshead Bay Store Near Its Branch

What happened

A state appeals court ruled for Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration on 11/04/2026 in a lawsuit over the rollout of the city's pied-à-terre surcharge, a yearly tax on high-value second homes owned by people who do not live in New York City. Brownstoner led its 11/05/2026 roundup of Brooklyn news with the ruling. The same roundup's headline also said the Brooklyn Public Library bought a Sheepshead Bay store near an existing branch. The material gives no details about that purchase.

The Appellate Division, Second Department, reversed an earlier ruling by Staten Island Supreme Court Justice Wayne Ozzi. He had found that the city mishandled the rollout. Commercial Observer reported that he faulted the city for making owners prove their residency status and for a public list of about 900,000 residential properties that included owners' details. The appeals court dismissed the suit. It found that the homeowners, represented by attorney Randy Mastro, had no legal stake in the case. They had learned they were exempt once the city got newer tax data, and they did not show a concrete harm. Commercial Observer reported that the panel said the list held much of the same information that tax assessors publish regularly.

Commercial Observer reported that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the tax into law earlier in 2026. It said the tax applies to single-family homes worth $5 million or more and to co-ops and condos worth at least $1 million. The Daily News reported that the city expects the tax to raise about $500 million a year. Mamdani said owning a second home worth over $5 million should come with a responsibility to the city.

The tax still faces other challenges. The Daily News reported that suits in Suffolk County challenging the legality of the tax itself are pending, with plaintiffs including Steve Wynn and Wilbur Ross. Commercial Observer described two suits arguing the tax is unconstitutional because it discriminates against non-residents of the city, and reported that those cases proceed the month after the ruling. Mastro called the decision "a shame" and said the court avoided the merits of the case.