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City Council hears from aggrieved property owners |
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Wednesday, 23 April 2008 |
Jennifer Larson
Staff Writer
While several aggrieved property owners turned out for the Board of Appeal and Equalization meeting before the Forest Lake City Council Monday night, the process for protesting 2009 market valuations and tax assessments was ran differently.
For the first time since the city contracted its assessor services with Washington County two years ago, officials were actually present to address some of the concerns had by Forest Lake residents on a case by case basis.
City Administrator Chip Robinson told attendees it would be on a first come, first served. Starting with the lowest number, citizens would be able to sit with one of three assessors and a council member to go over individual tax assessments and market valuations.
Mayor Stev Stegner was present as was council members Judy Bull and Greg Ochs.
“Your patience is appreciated,” said Mike Bjork, Washington County Assessor.
Property owners were afforded an opportunity to review and challenge, if necessary, their estimate of market value and/or classification that will be used for taxation purposes in the following year. The notices for payable tax values for 2009 were mailed in early April.
Estimated market values established through the 2009 assessments are based upon actual real estate market trends of Washington County properties taking place from October 2007 through September 2008.
The law requires that all real property be valued at market value, which is defined as the usual or most likely selling prices as of Jan. 2 — the 2008 assessment date for taxes payable next year.
The city of Forest Lake Board of Equalization listened to residents discussing their payable tax values for 2009 – not those who disagree with their current 2008 taxable values.
Public protests
Nancy Bromen Miller, who was 11th in line to speak with an assessor and council member, feels that her property is overvalued. She was pleased to be able to dispute what Miller believes was an error by the appraiser.
“Because I feel this is the forum,” she said, of her reason for attending the special meeting.
Although Miller improved the downstairs of her home located at 1562 SE 9th St. Circle, she thinks the appraiser took the square footage of the upstairs and applied the same number to the finished lower level, which would be inaccurate.
According to Miller, the difference is equivalent to the cost of airfare. Although that might seem like a small amount to squabble over, she said it is significant to her pocket book.
“I hope others do better than me,” Miller said.
In order for the county to make any changes to the 2009 assessments, she was told an appraiser would have to revisit her property.
That was the standard comment made by assessors, who said an appraiser would be out in the near future to make sure their property is correctly valued for next year.
What to do
Property owners have two options if they feel their property assessment is incorrect.
According to the Washington County web site, property owners can work through a three-step appeal process or the one-step appeal process.
The county may return to the assessed property to review it again. If the property owner is still not satisfied after speaking with the council and county officials, as well as the appraiser, they can appear before the County Board of Appeal and Equalization.
However, property owners can only appeal to the county board after they’ve already appealed to the city board. The city board is tentatively slated to meet on Monday, May 5 to act on the assessor’s recommendations.
All property owners are asked to notify the assessor’s office to be placed on the agenda during the county’s Board of Appeal and Equalization scheduled for Tuesday, June 17. If a property owner would like to be placed on the agenda, they should contact the county at 651-430-8645 by Friday, May 16.
Washington County Director of Assessment Taxpayer Services and Elections Kevin Corbid said the council would receive a report of each property owner who appealed, background and the county’s recommendation for the May 5 meeting.
At that time, he said the council can adopt the recommendations or make different ones.
If the property owner is still unsatisfied by the assessment, and neither the city nor the county board of appeals and equalization have rectified the situation, property owners file a petition in Minnesota Tax Court by April 30, 2009.
For more information about the tax court visit www.taxcourt.state.mn.us or contact (651) 296-2806.
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