[OhBeeHave]

What an amazing difference in the overall process between Chester and the Town of Brookhaven, LI, NY.

Chester underwent it's first reappraisal since 1991. (This is the only thing that had me upset; why wait so darn long?) Needless to say, everyone's values more than doubled. I saw the grand list, my value and nearly had a stroke. I phoned up the town to set an appointment for an informal hearing; spoke with a very sweet lady who answered my questions and was so kind as to fax over the appraisal report.

Yesterday my friend and I drove up, entered Chester Town Hall and sat amazed by the process. There was a table set out with beverages, crackers, cheese and homemade cookies (they were INCREDIBLE!) and the listers were very patient and affiable as they explained the process to us. As fate would have it, they had my dimensions wrong and I raced back and forth to bring back the correct dimensions as well as a copy of the real estate listing page with their dimensions. The gentleman recalculated using proper exterior figures, and lo and behold! my house was calculated as almost 200 sq ft larger than it was. We discussed the steep grade of my property (I supported it with photos) and they will reconsider that, too.

I couldn't believe it! So simple, so personable, so unbureaucratic. What a refreshing pleasure.

The town of Brookhaven (aka Town of Crookhaven) would have had me run back and forth, fill out forms in triplicate, notarize, and then tell me that I still needed something else. Then I would file and wait and wait. Brookhaven has a population larger or as large as the state of VT, I have to give that disclaimer. However, the town supervisor would do well taking a lesson from the folks in Chester.

[Vt Newbie]

We just recently sold our house in NJ for 110K less than it's Oct 2006 tax assessed "fair market"value. We went through the same experience at the time ours was assessed (sp). We were given an opportunity to dispute it and we did get it reduced by 11k but 17 monthes later we saw the real value. They were nice as pie at the hearing also and listened to my disputes. I had 3 market analysis by 3 dif RE agents 50-60k less than theirs but they still only came down 11k. Our taxes went from 8400 to 11000. I don't know if the companies they hire to do the re-evals really know the current RE market.

[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by OhBeeHave

What an amazing difference in the overall process between Chester and the Town of Brookhaven, LI, NY.

Chester underwent it's first reappraisal since 1991. (This is the only thing that had me upset; why wait so darn long?) Needless to say, everyone's values more than doubled. I saw the grand list, my value and nearly had a stroke. I phoned up the town to set an appointment for an informal hearing; spoke with a very sweet lady who answered my questions and was so kind as to fax over the appraisal report.

Yesterday my friend and I drove up, entered Chester Town Hall and sat amazed by the process. There was a table set out with beverages, crackers, cheese and homemade cookies (they were INCREDIBLE!) and the listers were very patient and affiable as they explained the process to us. As fate would have it, they had my dimensions wrong and I raced back and forth to bring back the correct dimensions as well as a copy of the real estate listing page with their dimensions. The gentleman recalculated using proper exterior figures, and lo and behold! my house was calculated as almost 200 sq ft larger than it was. We discussed the steep grade of my property (I supported it with photos) and they will reconsider that, too.

I couldn't believe it! So simple, so personable, so unbureaucratic. What a refreshing pleasure.

The town of Brookhaven (aka Town of Crookhaven) would have had me run back and forth, fill out forms in triplicate, notarize, and then tell me that I still needed something else. Then I would file and wait and wait. Brookhaven has a population larger or as large as the state of VT, I have to give that disclaimer. However, the town supervisor would do well taking a lesson from the folks in Chester.

This is the kind of stuff that never appears on any statistics. Thanks for sharing.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by Vt Newbie

We just recently sold our house in NJ for 110K less than it's Oct 2006 tax assessed "fair market"value. We went through the same experience at the time ours was assessed (sp). We were given an opportunity to dispute it and we did get it reduced by 11k but 17 monthes later we saw the real value. They were nice as pie at the hearing also and listened to my disputes. I had 3 market analysis by 3 dif RE agents 50-60k less than theirs but they still only came down 11k. Our taxes went from 8400 to 11000. I don't know if the companies they hire to do the re-evals really know the current RE market.

The Town of Chester used an appraisal company based out of CT. I find that to place the Town officials at a great disadvantage; had they used a VT based appraisal service, I sincerely believe appraisals might have been somewhat more on the mark.

Reviewing the appraisal analysis sheet, one sees that there is a generic formula the appraisal company uses; some of it is rather cut and dry, the rest of it is subjective. (Like just how mountain goaty is OhBee's land?)

The appraiser never sent me a postcard to set an appointment to enter my home, they calculated measurements from the outside. My home's a gambrel, and s/he over-calculated the 2nd floor. One of the listers sat with me as I explained the upstairs (complete with measurements) in the best possible way a non-professional could. He understood me and reduced the square footage. I brought so much stuff with me, simply because in NY, you are treated as a liar until proven innocent. In Chester, my material was overkill. It was great to be treated like a human.

I explained to the lister that I understood that real estate values have increased since 1991 (last appraisal year for the town) but that the value placed on my home was unfathomable. I spoke with the local realtor and she both agreed at best my home should list for $20K less than the appraisal value. The correction in size has reduced the value by over $12K; I am hoping that the lister will revisit my property and reduce for the steeply sloped land. He was familiar with my location and promised he would revisit it. If he adjusts down $7K - $10K on the land, my home will fall in line with the number the real estate agent suggested, and one I agree to.

I offered to drive up again whenever the lister wanted in order to access the interior, tried to make myself as available as possible in order to make things easier for him. One can only imagine how much shuttling around he will be doing over the next few days prior to formal grievances.

Should the numbers work out favorably, I won't have to go to formal grievance.

[vter]

The town I work in went through this back a few years ago at the height of the market-folks thought appraisals were too high, yet homes in their neighborhoods were selling at that price or higher. Property appraisal must be a super hard job-not sure I'd want to do it LOL!
Also keep in mind that the tax rate will be adjusted, so your taxes should remain ABOUT the same. Probably a little higher though (you probably already know that )

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by vter

The town I work in went through this back a few years ago at the height of the market-folks thought appraisals were too high, yet homes in their neighborhoods were selling at that price or higher. Property appraisal must be a super hard job-not sure I'd want to do it LOL!
Also keep in mind that the tax rate will be adjusted, so your taxes should remain ABOUT the same. Probably a little higher though (you probably already know that )

My appraisal came in at a figure so much higher than the current market value that my husband said, "If they want to buy it for $XXXK, they can have it!" LOL It was too high -- even the RE agent said she would never allow us to put the house on the market for that sum as it would never sell. If the value comes in at the price the RE agent suggested for a listing, I have no problems with that number. I even brought comps and listings in to support my situation, so that the lister would know I was trying to be fair and considerate.

You're right though, appraising is certainly not an enviable job.

The RE agent said that allegedly the resident rate is going down (hearsay, which I hope is true) from #$3.25 to somewhere around $2.00 (as a non-res, I know I'll be higher) which isn't too bad, but when I recalculated my taxes (pre-grieve, adjusted to $2.00, my taxes are going up $1K per year. Everyone here knows my non-res lament, so I'll spare you the chorus LOL Perhaps I will mail a teabag in with my tax payment

[vter]

The whole tax structure is screwy here. In the town I work in the homestead rate was HIGHER than the non-homestead this past year, only by a couple tenths of a point though.
Glad to hear that you had a pleasant experience at the town hall! LIke I said, I'm not sure I'd want to be a lister LOL! Actually, the tax collector is probably worse

[GypsySoul22]

Crookhaven...I remember it well....

[OhBeeHave]

Actually, the tax collector is probably worse

A person would have to be real thick-skinned for that position!

[flu189]

In my town I am not as fortunate to get cookies and treats while being taken annually for twice to three times as much in terms of percentage to what my earnings can keep up with. I guess it would be like being at a bar and getting accosted by a drunk. Better to be punched in the face by a happy and apolgetic drunk then by a vile and nasty one even though it hurts just as much.