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<blockquote data-quote="Babagounj" data-source="post: 764403" data-attributes="member: 12952"><a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/st_answer_to_friday_prayers_2J3ttoexUVWGQoYaJdCYNN#ixzz0xxdA4ZIV" target="_blank">http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/st_answer_to_friday_prayers_2J3ttoexUVWGQoYaJdCYNN#ixzz0xxdA4ZIV</a>El-Gamal said a new nonprofit group had been formed to guide and control the project&nbsp; — a formal step required before the fund-raising campaign could begin.&nbsp;&nbsp; But he ran into a hitch this week filing paperwork to create the&nbsp; charity because a key requirement – that he first obtain federal IRS tax-exempt status — was not met.
 As a result, the charity application “is being held in abeyance,” said a source in the state Attorney General’s Office.
Sharif El-Gamal, the leading organizer behind the mosque and community center near Ground Zero, owes $224,270.77 in back property tax on the site,&nbsp; city records show.&nbsp;&nbsp; El-Gamal’s company, 45 Park Place Partners, failed&nbsp; to pay its half-yearly bills in January and July, according to the city&nbsp; Finance Department.
 The delinquency is a possible violation of El-Gamal’s lease with Con&nbsp; Edison, which owns half of the proposed building site on Park Place.&nbsp; El-Gamal owns the other half but must pay taxes on the entire parcel.&nbsp; &nbsp; The lease agreement, obtained by The Post, specifies that El-Gamal’s&nbsp; company pay taxes on the property and submit receipts to Con Ed. The&nbsp; utility said it would have to review any possible lease violations.
 The late taxes are the latest wrinkle in the controversial plan to put the 15-story mosque near the World Trade Center site.
 Before any building can go forward, the developers also must get&nbsp; approval from the MTA because the 2 and 3 subway lines run under a&nbsp; portion of the Park Place property, The Post has learned.
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[QUOTE="Babagounj, post: 764403, member: 12952"] [url]http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/st_answer_to_friday_prayers_2J3ttoexUVWGQoYaJdCYNN#ixzz0xxdA4ZIV[/url] [INDENT]El-Gamal said a[B] new nonprofit group had been formed to guide and control the project[/B] — a formal step required before the fund-raising campaign could begin. But he ran into a hitch this week filing paperwork to create the charity because a key requirement –[B] that he first obtain federal IRS tax-exempt status — was not met[/B]. As a result, [B]the charity application “is being held in abeyance,”[/B] said a source in the state Attorney General’s Office. Sharif El-Gamal, the leading organizer behind the mosque and community center near Ground Zero, [B]owes $224,270.77 in back property tax on the site,[/B] city records show. El-Gamal’s company, 45 Park Place Partners, failed to pay its half-yearly bills in January and July, according to the city Finance Department. The delinquency is a possible violation of El-Gamal’s lease with Con Edison, which owns half of the proposed building site on Park Place. El-Gamal owns the other half but must pay taxes on the entire parcel. The lease agreement, obtained by The Post, specifies that El-Gamal’s company pay taxes on the property and submit receipts to Con Ed. The utility said it would have to review any possible lease violations. The late taxes are the latest wrinkle in the controversial plan to put the 15-story mosque near the World Trade Center site. Before any building can go forward, the developers also must get approval from the MTA because the 2 and 3 subway lines run under a portion of the Park Place property, The Post has learned. [/INDENT] [/QUOTE]

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