New York City homeowners whose houses were severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy will get an extra three months to pay their property taxes and could receive partial refunds under measures announced on Thursday by city officials.

The relief allows homeowners whose property taxes are due on Jan. 1 to delay payment until April 1 with no penalty, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other city officials said in a joint statement.

Homeowners could also get a partial refund of property tax payments due in fiscal year 2013 because of lowered home values, but that measure must be approved by state lawmakers.

With an average expected rebate of $794 for the more than 900 properties eligible, the tab for the city could come to more than $714,000.

Current New York City property tax payments are calculated using assessments made in May 2012. As it swept ashore on Oct. 29, Sandy damaged or destroyed at least 305,000 houses in New York state, according to state estimates.

The city’s finance department said it plans to use post-Sandy property value assessments to calculate tax payments due in fiscal 2014.

(Reuters)