Date: Fri 01-Mar-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

assessment-appeals-tax

Full Text:

Panel Hears Appeals To New Assessments

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

The Board of Assessment Appeals has begun to hear appeals from 325 property

owners who are dissatisfied with the results of the recent revaluation.

"This is about the amount of appeals that we expected," Tax Assessor Mark

DeVestern said. "John Valente (of Lesher-Glendinning Municipal Services, the

North Haven firm which conducted the revaluation) met with about 400

individuals regarding about 700 properties in the informal hearings last

month."

Many of those appeals were settled. But others were filed after final notices

of the new assessments were sent to all property owners in January. The

deadline to request a hearing was February 20.

The hearings are being held on Friday, March 1, and on each of the five

Saturdays in March by the three-member board. The board includes Charles V.

Framularo Jr, Eleanor C. Mayer and David G. Nord, who were elected to serve

four-year unsalaried terms.

"The board members are volunteers so they have regular jobs during the week

and are doing this in their free time," Mr DeVestern explained. "It's a big

job."

Mr DeVestern said the time available for each hearing is limited so property

owners should come organized and prepared to state their case.

"The hearings are being held in the Alexandria Room and the lower meeting room

at Edmond Town Hall and in the conference room at Town Hall South where there

aren't any copy machines," he said. "The board does not have a secretary or a

clerk. It is important that property owners bring copies of all information

that they want to be considered."

Before the hearing, property owners may check the accuracy of information on

their property record cards at the assessor's office. The assessor can correct

clerical errors such as the number of rooms in a house but this must be done

in advance of the hearing.

There are 9,998 total real estate accounts, of which 7,411 are dwellings, 180

are commercial buildings and 36 are industrial buildings. The revaluation, a

process done every 10 years, set the assessment at 70 percent of market value

as of October 1, 1995. Residential market values increased an average of 40

percent since the last revaluation was done in 1985.

"It's not enough to appeal because you don't like your assessment increase,"

Mr DeVestern said. "You must have specific information which shows why the

market valuation is inaccurate. For example, if your assessment is $225,000

and you just purchased your house in January for $200,000, that would be a

valid point."

Decisions will not be given by the board at the time of the hearing. The board

will meet in executive session to work and vote on all appeals. Decisions of

the board will be mailed to each applicant afterwards.

"The main thing is that changes are made before the July 1 tax bills go out,"

he said. "But any time information needs to be changed on the records it can

be done."

Anyone who is not satisfied with the decision of the Board of Assessment

Appeals still has the right to appeal the decision in Superior Court in

Hartford.