Frequently Asked Questions

While many companies that use the telephone/Internet to sell goods and services are reputable, some use phony prizes and deceptive sales tactics to defraud consumers. You can protect yourself by being aware of the most common types of deception, by checking out the companies before doing business and by taking the time to carefully consider any purchase.

One tip-off to a telephone/Internet solicitation scam is a very low-priced offer. Few legitimate businesses can afford to give away things of real value or substantially undercut everyone else's price. Be cautious if you hear the following types of offers:

• An offer for free gifts that requires you to pay shipping and handling charges, redemption fees, or gift taxes before delivery. The gift may be worth less than the extra charges.
• Get-rich-quick schemes that promise "high-profit, no risk" investments in gold, oil, gas, real estate, or gems. No high-profit investment is free of risk.
• High-pressure sales tactics to get you to "act now" because the offer will not be available tomorrow. If it is a good deal today, it is usually a good deal tomorrow.
• "Buy one, get one free" travel, vacation or similar deals. The first one may cost more than the entire package is worth.
• Your favorite charity: some telephone solicitation scheme claim to be acting on behalf of charities. Callers may claim to work for charities that do not exist or are not legitimate. Often, these callers will use a name that sounds like that of a well-known charity.
• Phone contests offering prizes. Usually, no contest has been held, and everyone is a winner. To claim your prize, you may be asked to provide your credit card or bank account number for verification purposes. The prize may have very little value, and the telephone solicitor may take your credit card number or bank account information and bill you for merchandise you did not order.
• Calling 900 numbers: dialing a 900 number costs you by the minute, from a few dollars to more than $50 per minute. These charges then appear on your phone bill.
• Foreign lotteries: Although it is illegal to purchase tickets in a foreign lottery, scam artists will sell you tickets under the pretense that you are part of a pool of ticket purchasers sure to win and split the proceeds.
• Requests for Updating Your Information: you may receive an email that has a bank ,eBay or other company logo that is requesting that you update your information by clicking on the link provided. Web scams can reproduce very realistic websites in order to have you enter your personal information, which they will use for other purposes. Check the website address in your address bar - most legitimate, secure sites have either https: or shttp: on the beginning of their address. Also look for an icon of a padlock. If you click on the padlock, it should give you the details of the site. In almost all cases, banks, credit unions, eBay and other companies will not ask for you to update your information via the Web. If you have questions, call the company using a phone number from a statement (NOT the one listed in the email) and speak to customer service to verify that they are making this request via email. Legitimate financial institutions will usually contact you by mail for this information.

The Federal Do Not Call Registry now covers the State of New York. Register your phone number on the Do Not Call website. You will also find a link for more information on that website. Once a phone number is registered, telemarketers have up to 31 days to stop calling you. The registration is good for fiver years. You can register up to three phone numbers per household.

• Don't Be Pressured: Insist on getting all information in writing before you agree to buy. Then make sure the information confirms everything you were told by phone.
• Be Careful About Disclosing Your Personal Financial Information: Don't give your credit card number over the phone unless you know the company is reputable. An easy way for a scam operator to close a deal is to get your credit card number and then charge your account. The same applies to bank account numbers and other personal information.
• If You Do Not Receive the Goods You Were Charged For: if, for some reason, you do provide your credit card information to a scam artist and you see the charge appear on your credit card bill, call your card company immediately and provide them with all of the information regarding your conversation with the "company". The credit card company will enter a dispute with the false company and remove the charge from your bill. Their fraud department can only act when they have a decent amount of information, so be prepared to explain exactly what transpired during the phone call leading up to these charges.
• How Do I Report Deceptive Telephone Solicitations? You can call the New York State Attorney General's Consumer Hotline at 800-771-7755. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau.
• Delete Suspicious Emails Without Opening Them: if the subject of the email makes no sense, delete it. If the sender's address is not familiar to you, delete it. If they are offering something that seems too good to be true, it probably is, so delete the email. If it is from an institution that you regularly do business with and you suspect it is a fraudulent email, call them (using a legitimate number) and ask for the email address of their fraud department and then forward the email

Generally, they meet on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at 7:00 pm in the Village Court Room at 21 Ireland Place, 3rd floor. They normally take a break in July and August but call Village Hall at 631-264-6000, ext. 407 to find out if a supplemental meeting is being held during the summer months.

The Mayor, Trustees (four), and Village Justice all have a term of office of four years. Two trustees, the Mayor and the Justice are elected at the same time. The other two trustees are elected two years after the Mayoral election.

According to long-standing maritime tradition, the gaff is the position of honor on a ship, and thus is where the U.S. Flag should be flown. Yachting organizations and nautical parks, following nautical tradition, erect land-based, gaff-rigged flagpoles and fly the U.S. Flag at the gaff as well: The gaff is considered to be the position of honor. This arrangement is used by several municipalities with parks located by the water, including the Village of Southampton. 

View more information as provided by the U.S. Power Squadron

The Village taxes are for the fiscal period of June 1 through May 31. The tax bill is mailed out at the end of May and contains two parts - one for the first half and one for the second half. The first half of the taxes are due June 1st but are payable without penalty until the beginning of July (check your tax bill for the exact dates). 

The second half is due December 1st, but payable without penalty until the beginning of January. We do not send a reminder as this would create an unnecessary additional cost to taxpayers. Taxes can be paid in person or by mail, either by check, cash, or money order. Credit cards are accepted at Village Hall or online. A service fee applies to credit card payments.

There is a 5% penalty added to bills paid after the due date and an additional 1% per month penalty thereafter.

Interest and penalties are imposed by state law. Therefore the Board of Trustees does not have the authority to waive such interest and penalties.

Call the Tax Receiver at 631-264-6000 and inform them where you would like your tax bills sent to. A request should also be made for a copy of the current tax bill to determine if and when taxes are due. It is the homeowner's responsibility to pay the taxes, whether or not they have received a bill.

If you were born in the Village of Amityville, you can either come into Village Hall or mail in an application for a birth certificate. Please print out, complete and submit your application with the required identification, and if mailing, include a self-addressed stamped envelope as well as a phone number and email where we can reach you if we have questions. 

Download the Application Birth Certificate (PDF). Mail it to:
Village of Amityville: Attention-Registrar
21 Ireland Place
Amityville, NY 11701

If you mail your request via express mail service and include a prepaid return express mail envelope, we will be able to expedite your request. The process will still take three to five days if you include the time in transit and it does not involve a weekend. We cannot process faxed requests without payment. If you have questions, please contact the Registrar at 631-264-6000. If you come into Village Hall, we can generally process your request within an hour.

There is a $10 fee per copy which is payable in cash or money order. We do not accept personal checks or credit cards.

Only you, your parents or your legal guardian may obtain your birth certificate. Spouses, siblings and children cannot obtain a copy unless there is legal reason and proof to do so. Please contact the Registrar if you have questions at 631-264-6000.

Parents, spouses and children of the deceased may request a copy of a death certificate. Anyone other than these must provide supporting documentation establishing a legal right or claim to obtain a certified copy. The applicant must provide the decedent's name and date of death and include a fee of $10, payable with cash or money order. If you are mailing the request, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope as well as a phone number where we can reach you if we have questions. 

Download Application Death Certificate (PDF). Mail it to:
Village of Amityville: Attention-Registrar
21 Ireland Place
Amityville, NY 11701

LIRR parking permits are annual permits that are valid from February 1 through January 31. The annual cost is $40 for Village residents and $175 for non-residents. Applications are available at Village Hall and available for download:

• LIRR Parking Resident (PDF)
• LIRR Parking Non-Resident (PDF)

Village Hall's hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm. The vehicle registration must be presented with the application. The address on the vehicle registration must be within the Village in order to qualify for the resident rate. If the vehicle registration does not show the Amityville resident address, then two current proofs of residency must be provided. Acceptable documents are utility bills sent to the address or a driver's license. Applications are also available at  Village Hall, 21 Ireland Place. 

Parking meters are also available on the north and south lot and John St., payable with cash or credit card, via the Flowbird app. 

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The Amityville Beach Pavilion may be rented by Village residents. The application can be obtained at Village Hall. Beach Pavilion Applications are not accepted prior to April 1st. If April 1st falls on a weekend, applications will be accepted starting the first business day thereafter.

There are two types of Disabled Parking Permits available to Amityville Residents - Permanent and Temporary. Both can be applied for initially by filling out the DMV 644.1 application. View the Disabled Parking Application (PDF). When applying for the first time, your doctor must fill out the medical certification portion of the form. On the form, the physician will indicate if it is a permanent disability or temporary. If temporary, they will indicate the time period that the permit will be valid. This form is then returned to Village Hall where a permit will be issued.

Renewals: Permanent parking permits are renewable every four years. Renewals are done with the same application. The first permanent renewal does not require medical certification, however, the second renewal does require medical certification. For temporary permits, if the permit has expired, the application must be resubmitted with medical certification.

Fill in the Community Calendar Event form completely, including any details or website links. If you would like an email notification that the event has been listed, please enter your email address as well. The Village reserves the right to select those events that will either occur within the Village or are open to Village of Amityville Residents.

Complete the Community Calendar Event Form.

Application to purchase a memorial tree or bench  are available at Village Hall or online. For more information call Village Hall at 631-264-6000.

Yes. The Garage Sale Permit Application can be downloaded here or from Village Hall. The fee is $15. You are permitted to have two garage sales per calendar year per dwelling. 

View Garage Sale Application (PDF)

The Senior Center, located at the old Park Avenue School on Park Avenue and Ireland Place holds various activities, including get-togethers, scrabble tournaments, bridge, canasta, guest topic speakers, occasional out-of-town trips, and day outings. The movies are shown on Wednesday. Please visit the calendar on the Village website for details. For additional information call 917-362-2777.

The Amityville Beach is open Monday through Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm from the last Saturday in June through Labor Day.

The Town of Babylon is responsible for trash pickup through the company BSSI 631-491-3200. They can be called to also schedule pickup of "white goods", such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves and other household appliances.

View the Recycling Calendar (PDF)

Recycling materials, which include glass jars and bottles, aluminum and metal cans, should be placed in blue recycling cans or clear plastic bags. Newspapers, phone books, magazines and cardboard boxes should be wrapped in twine or put in paper bags. Do not use plastic bags for holding newspapers and do not use your recycling can. The blue recycling cans can be picked up in the Town Council Office at Babylon Town Hall located at 200 East Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst during regular business hours (Monday through Friday 9 am to  4:30 pm). 

Visit the Town of Babylon's website for more information. Pizza and cereal boxes are not recyclable. Please dispose of these in your normal household garbage.

Latex (water and oil-based) paint can be disposed of in your regular garbage. Open the can to let the paint dry and put it in a securely tied plastic bag.

You can dispose of waste oil at the Residential Recycling Center, located on Field Street off Edison Avenue in West Babylon. It is open for the drop-off of recyclable materials on weekdays from 8 am to 2:30 pm. For further information, call 631-249-9346 or 631-422-7694.

Check back during beach season. Beach is open in late June and closes after Labor Day.

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The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has an excellent website for information on what to do in case of a traffic accident. 

Visit the DMV Frequently Asked Questions

No. Parking on Village streets from 3 am to 6 am is illegal. However, if the resident can demonstrate a need for on-street parking, three permissions a year per residence will be granted by calling the Police at 631-264-0400 before 3 am on the date requested. Permission may be granted for, but not limited to visiting guests, dumpsters in the driveway, disabled motor vehicles, driveway work, etc. 

If more than three permissions a year are needed, or an extended period of time is required, permission from the Village Board must be requested. The Village Board may, at its discretion, issue an overnight parking permit on a case-by-case basis. Overnight permission will not be granted during snow emergencies. See On-Street Parking application.

Yes. The Police Department routinely fingerprints residents for free. Non-residents are charged $10 per card. Please call 631-264-0400 to make an appointment as we cannot fingerprint when prisoners are present. Please make sure the fingerprint card is properly filled out and signed and remember to bring a photo ID. We do not fingerprint for the I.N.S.! We are not an authorized I.N.S. fingerprint station. Please contact the I.N.S. as to where to be fingerprinted.

Accident reports can be obtained via the CARFAX Crashdocs Website.

Yes! We are more than happy to give a tour for your scout group, school or other organization. Please call in advance to schedule a date and time at phone 631-264-0400.

You must take the Suffolk County Civil Service Test for a Police Officer and be a resident of the Village of Amityville.

For Workman's Compensation, we accept C-105.21, C-105.2, U-26.3, SI-12, and GSI-12. For Disability Insurance: C105.21, DB-120.1, DB-155. No ACCORD forms will be accepted.

Call the Building Department at 631-691-1909 to find out if a permit is required for the fence you would like to put up.

As per Village Code, you are required to obtain a permit for all of the following: 

• Building (alterations to an existing structure or new construction)
• Accessory Buildings (sheds, boat houses, etc.)
• Bulkhead or Docks (alterations or construction)
• Demolition, Signs
• Swimming Pools (both above and in-ground)
• Plumbing (additional fixtures, new fixtures, including gas appliances)

It is recommended that you complete a Building Department Information Request Form with a complete description of your project and the Building Inspector will advise you on what permits are necessary and how you should proceed.

These types of complaints are difficult for code enforcement to obtain compliance and frustrating for the complainants waiting for compliance. The system works like this: 

• A. A complaint is lodged against a particular property. Code enforcement investigates and sustains the complaint (usually 5 to 7 working days). 
• B. Code enforcement sends a notice of violation via certified mail/return receipt to the violator (usually 3 to 5 working days). 
• C. Code enforcement waits for verification via the post office that the notice was received by the violator (usually two weeks). 
• D. After verification is received, then seven working days later if the violation has not complied with the Amityville Department of Public Works is ordered to clean the property (usually 5 to 7 working days later). Should the verification of receipt of the notice of violation not be received, the property must then be posted by a licensed process server. Then seven working days later the Amityville Department of Public Works can be ordered to clean the property. Therefore, should the violator not clean his/her property immediately after receiving the notice of violation, compliance could and usually does take about four to six weeks at best. 

Please note that due process of law must be followed for each separate event, even if the property has been previously served/posted with a violation.