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Assessors

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1. What is a revaluation?

A revaluation is an update of all assessments in town conducted under the direction of the Board of Assessors. The Board of Assessors are state certified individuals whose duties are to discover, list, and value all real and personal property in the town, in a uniform and equitable manner. The Board of Assessors are not involved in the collection of property taxes.

2. Why is a revaluation necessary?

State law requires that all property in the town be assessed within ten percent of market value every three years. A revaluation is the most equitable way to accomplish this.

3. When will revaluation start?

The revaluation will begin in January and we expect to complete the work by the middle of November. The resulting values will be effective January 1, 2008. These assessments will be the basis for the tax bill which will be mailed in December 2008.

4. Who will do the revaluation?

Members of the assessor's staff will do the revaluation. They have many years of experience in property assessment and are familiar with the marketplace in town. From time to time it may be necessary to hire some outside help. Primarily they would be utilized in the office for data entry or computer analysis.

5. Will all property values change?

Most likely, yes. However, not all property values will change at the same rate. Market value will have increased more for some neighborhoods and property types than others. Some neighborhoods and property types may have decreased in value and others may have remained the same. One purpose of a revaluation is to make sure that the assessed values reflect the changes that have occurred in property values.

6. What is market value (a.k.a. full and fair cash value)?

State law requires that your property be assessed at market value. Market value is the amount a typical, well informed purchaser would be willing to pay for a property. For a sale to be a market value (arms-length or qualified) sale, the seller and buyer must be unrelated, the seller must be willing (but not under pressure) to buy, the property must be on the market for a reasonable length of time, the payment must be in cash or equivalent, and the financing must be typical for that type of property.

Fair cash value has been determined by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court as ”fair market value” which is the price an owner willing but not under compulsion to sell ought to receive from one willing but not under compulsion to buy. It means the highest price that a normal purchaser not under peculiar compulsion will pay at the time, and cannot exceed the sum that the owner after reasonable effort could obtain for this property. A valuation (price) limited to what the property is worth to the purchaser is not market value. The fair cash value is the value the property would have on January first or any taxable year in the hands of any owner, including the present owner. (Boston Gas Co. v. Assessors of Boston, 334 Mass. 549, 566 (1956).

7. Will I be notified if there is a change in my assessment?

After the Department of Revenue reviews the new values, there will be a public review period. This time will be advertised in the newspaper and on the radio and cable.

8. How will my taxes change as a result of my new assessment?

Although the valuation of your property affects your share of taxes, the actual amount you pay is determined by the budgetary needs of the town. This is decided by what services will be provided in the coming year and the cost to provide these services. The budgets are approved at Town Meeting. Once this decision is made and valuations are certified by the Department of Revenue, a tax rate that will generate the needed tax dollars is then adopted and approved by Department of Revenue. Your individual property taxes are then determined by multiplying your assessment by the tax rate. The tax rate is expressed as dollars per thousand dollars in value. Remember assessments and taxes have seesaw effect. If one goes up the other goes down and vice-versa.

9. Why is my single-family home valued differently than my neighbor’s two family?

Any property or residence must be compared with like properties. As the old saying goes you must compare apples to apples. You should utilize properties that are similar to yours in location, age, style, size, condition and other features that affect market value such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms for comparison purposes.

10. How are assessments determined?

To arrive at “full and fair cash value” for your property the Assessors must analyze what “willing sellers” and “willing buyers” are doing in the marketplace. The assessment date is January first (other than new construction or demolition which is July first) and therefore the Assessors will analyze sales from the prior calendar year to determine the level of assessment in comparison with the market. (Example: January 1, 2014 is the assessment date for Fiscal 2015, therefore the Assessors will analyze calendar year 2013 qualified market sales. These sales do not include family sales, sales to abutters, estate sales, divorce sales etc.). The Assessors will use three appraisal approaches to value: cost, income and market. The data once analyzed, is then correlated to final values for all properties. The analysis must also meet all standards as set forth by the Department of Revenue for certification.

11. How can my assessment change when I haven't done anything to my property?

General economic conditions such as interest rates, inflation rates and changes in the tax laws will influence the value of real estate. As property values change in the marketplace (sales), those changes must be reflected on the assessment roll.

12. What if I refuse to let assessment personnel in my property?

All assessing staff will have an identification card with their picture on it. Our phone number is 259-3024 if you need verification. To ensure accurate assessment it is to your advantage to allow the assessor inside your property when an inspection is required. By denying an inspection, you may lose some rights if you feel the need to appeal your assessment.

13. What if there hasn’t been a recent qualified sale of my property?

The next best evidences are the qualified sales of reasonably comparable properties. These are properties that are similar to your own in location, age, style, size, condition and other features that affect market value such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms.

14. What if there are no reasonable comparable sales?

We will then consider all other factors that may affect the market value of your property. The cost to replace your building(s), less any depreciation, plus the value of the land could be used to extimate market value. For rental properties, the income and expenses could be considered.

15. What will happen to my assessment if I improve my property?

Generally speaking, improvements that increase the market value of a property will increase in assessment. The following examples are typical items that may increase the assessed value of your property.
> added rooms or garage
> substantial modernization of
kitchens or baths
> central air - conditioning
> fireplaces
> extensive remodeling

16. I have recently built my home. Will the actual construction costs be considered?

Your construction cost is a historical figure that may or may not reflect the current market value of your property. It is only on element that will be considered.

17. Will my assessment go up if I repair my property?

Normal maintenance will help retain the market value of your property, but generally will not affect your assessment.

18. Do all assessments change at the same rate?

There are differences between individual properties and between neighborhoods. In one area, the sales may indicate a substantial increase in value in a given year. In another neighborhood, there may be no change, or even a decrease in property value.
Different types of properties within the same neighborhood may also show different value changes. For example: one-story houses may be more in demand than two-story houses or vice versa. Older homes in the same area may be rising in value more slowly than newer homes.

Among the numerous factors to be considered that will cause values to differ are location, condition, size, quality, number of baths, basement, finished garages and many others.

19. Will the person who inspects my property be able to tell me my new assessment?

No. If an inspection is necessay of your property, we have to analyse all of the information we gathered before placing a value on your property. We will than further review this information to ensure that your assessment corresponds fairly to the assessments of other properties

20. What if I don't agree with my assessment?

Talk with an assessor. During an informal public review period you can learn how your assessment was made, what factors were considered and what types of records we have on your property.

21. What if, after the actual bill goes out, I still disagree with the assessment?

You will need to file an abatement application with the Assessing Department by the third quarter bill due date. The Board of Assessors has three months on which to act on your application. They will notify you on an approved Department of Revenue form of their decisions within that time.

22. What evidence do I need to present to the Board of Assessors?

State law puts the burden of proof on the property owner to show that the assessment is incorrect. Stating that property taxes are too high is not relevent. You should establish in your mind what you think your property is worth.

The best evidence that could be considered would be a recent sale price of your property. The next best evidence would be recent sales prices of properties that are similar to yours. The close in similarity and proximity, the better the evidence.

Another type of evidence that could be considered would be recent appraisal of your property.

23. Should I regard the property lines on the Town's maps as a legal record?

No. The property lines depicted on the Town's maps are for planning and tax assessment purposes only. They are not adequate for legal boundary definition, regulatory interpretation, or property conveyance purposes. Legal property boundary descriptions, known as Deeds, are on file with the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds. Hampshire County Registry of Deeds