Over assessment in Alton

LakeDad · 12-17-2021, 11:44 PM

Though the tax rate in Alton has dropped, the assessments have skyrocketed, and some are notably over assessed. They simply over corrected.
My home has been over assessed by at least $100K.

Has anyone been able to get an over assessment lowered without use of a lawyer?

Thank you.

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upthesaukee · 12-18-2021, 07:19 AM

It's been probably 5 or 6 years ago, i got a notice that my land had been re-assessed (1.4 acres) and its value increased $17,000 . Because most of my land is not buildable except where I had the house and garage. I took pictures of the property and made an appointment with the assessor.

He looked at what I had for "evidence" and said he would swing by to take a look. He actually came by that afternoon, looked at the property, and agreed with me, saying I would get a new letter in a few days.

The amount of increase lowered from the $17,500 figure to a $3,400 increase.

I would look at home sales in your area, and look at homes in your area via the town database website. You will have to present a case with evidence. While it will be work, it can certainly be cheaper than hiring a lawyer.

Not meant as a consolation attempt, but recent threads here have spoken of other communities around the lake in the same situation.

Good luck

Dave

TiltonBB · 12-18-2021, 07:48 AM

Years ago I appealed the assesment in Gilford and the land value was lowered.

It takes some time and effort to research other assessments. The key is to bring in examples of properties similar to yours that are assessed for less and explain why your property is not worth what they think it is.

In my case, although I had the same amount of land as other properties, my land has 50 feet of street frontage and 100 feet on the water. The triangular shape, combined with Gilford's 25 foot sideline setback, made much of my land unbuildable. The same square foot lot in a rectangular shape would have much more buildable area.

However, be aware that when they come out they will probably look for anything that is not on the tax card for your property. If you have things like a bigger dock, a tool shed, new windows, vinyl siding, or other improvements that they don't have listed, your assessment could actually go up.

In most towns they keep up with improvements when you get a building permit. The building department notifies the assessors that the improvements have been made. When significant construction is done, the assessors are notified when an occupancy permit is issued.

I have heard, but not confirmed, that sometimes people will make improvements without a permit.

I think those same people may be members of the top secret "Move a rock" club discussed here in the past.

FlyingScot · 12-18-2021, 09:42 AM

It would not hurt to appeal, but waterfront values have skyrocketed. Unless your land value has jumped relative to your neighbors', you may not be as over-assessed as you think.

WinnisquamZ · 12-18-2021, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

Years ago I appealed the assesment in Gilford and the land value was lowered.

It takes some time and effort to research other assessments. The key is to bring in examples of properties similar to yours that are assessed for less and explain why your property is not worth what they think it is.

In my case, although I had the same amount of land as other properties, my land has 50 feet of street frontage and 100 feet on the water. The triangular shape, combined with Gilford's 25 foot sideline setback, made much of my land unbuildable. The same square foot lot in a rectangular shape would have much more buildable area.

However, be aware that when they come out they will probably look for anything that is not on the tax card for your property. If you have things like a bigger dock, a tool shed, new windows, vinyl siding, or other improvements that they don't have listed, your assessment could actually go up.

In most towns they keep up with improvements when you get a building permit. The building department notifies the assessors that the improvements have been made. When significant construction is done, the assessors are notified when an occupancy permit is issued.

I have heard, but not confirmed, that sometimes people will make improvements without a permit.

I think those same people may be members of the top secret "Move a rock" club discussed here in the past.

Reminds me, I need to ask Santa for more sand to fill the swimming area off the dock

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Descant · 12-18-2021, 11:51 AM

Generally, if you call the assessor's office, they will tell you which recent sales they looked at to match your building and land value comparison. You can look at those properties and see what's similar and what's different on the town database online.

Some years ago, I had a huge over-assessment on my land. Somehow, they listed me at twice the frontage than was actually the case. The answer was that I have a dug in slip. Frontage was measured with aerial photography, and nobody checked the previous assessment to see the increase. A few minutes on the phone, no research, no attorney, no increase. All fixed. The perimeter of the slip was not "shore-frontage". When you're doing hundreds or even thousands of updates, there are bound to be some discrepancies. That's why the ability to question is made easy.

BTW, if you say you taxed me for this, but not my neighbor, they may re-examine your neighbor. Better to make comparisons to places that aren't your friends, and as the assessors do, rely on actual sales.

TiltonBB · 12-18-2021, 12:09 PM

That is all true but you don't need to only compare the value to recent sales to appeal the assessment.

The best method is to find properties similar to yours with a lower assessment and then point out the differences. When I appealed, I found three other lots on my street that were assessed lower than mine and then pointed out why my land was worth less than those.

Going before the assessors with your appeal is very informal process and just becomes a discussion of facts.

jeffk · 12-19-2021, 05:52 AM

The first thing to do is check the information about your property for accuracy. Are the room sizes right? Is the description of each room correct? In my case, I had 2 porches, one unfinished and not heated and the other finished and not heated. The assessment listed both as finished, heated porches, i.e. year round living space. These kind of "fixes" are a mostly a slam dunk.

As others have suggested, the next thing to do is find out the properties used for comparison and look for differences, especially where your property is NOT as valuable. This is less certain to succeed. Your opinion may differ from the assessor's standards.

The final option is to pay a private assessor for an assessment. I was fortunate to have done an assessment for other purposes and it was lower than the figure the town was using.

And, as others have said, the reality is that the value of lakefront property has soared. With that comes a bigger share of the property tax compared to those properties that have not. However, in some areas, non lakefront property has also gone up so that could mitigate the impact. That's just how property taxes work and it is amplified in NH because most of the personal tax paid is link to property.

phoenix · 12-19-2021, 07:24 AM

i got my land value corrected a couple years back by bringing in two land listings near me that were much lower. I was reluctant to do this as the first time i did they made me feel i was getting a break

swnoel · 12-19-2021, 09:31 AM

Do your homework to prove your claim and the majority of the time you have a high probability of winning. You don't need an attorney.

camp guy · 12-19-2021, 09:56 AM

TiltonBB hit the nail on the head when he (she) posted that some people don't admit their improvements. If a person does a little improvement here, and a little improvement there, pretty soon these "little" improvements add up to a significant improvement overall and that is when people get caught. Their assessment is significantly increased over their last assessment, but, because they have not kept the Town abreast of their improvements, there is a gap between the Town (current) assessment and reality. This puts the homeowner in a difficult spot - either fight the new assessment and take your chances with the Town, or accept the new assessment and do things right going forward.

A Town tries to maintain a reasonably level tax rate, and total town-wide property value is a piece of the tax rate equation, so it is helpful if residents keep the Town up to speed when improvements are made.

John Mercier · 12-19-2021, 11:49 AM

The improvements listed most often do not require a permit, nor do they actually affect the assessment to any real degree.

You can replace windows, siding, and roofing without a permit in most municipalities.

An new/extended dock or shed would change the assessment, but the shed may or may not need a permit depending on size... and the dock done without the permits is going to become a state issue that will make taxes the least of one's concerns.

12-17-2021, 11:44 PM	#1
LakeDad Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2021 Posts: 127 Thanks: 2 Thanked 34 Times in 27 Posts	Over assessment in Alton Though the tax rate in Alton has dropped, the assessments have skyrocketed, and some are notably over assessed. They simply over corrected. My home has been over assessed by at least $100K. Has anyone been able to get an over assessment lowered without use of a lawyer? Thank you. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

12-18-2021, 07:19 AM	#2
upthesaukee Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Alton Bay Posts: 5,597 Blog Entries: 2 Thanks: 2,457 Thanked 1,979 Times in 1,080 Posts	Appointment with the assessor It's been probably 5 or 6 years ago, i got a notice that my land had been re-assessed (1.4 acres) and its value increased $17,000 . Because most of my land is not buildable except where I had the house and garage. I took pictures of the property and made an appointment with the assessor. He looked at what I had for "evidence" and said he would swing by to take a look. He actually came by that afternoon, looked at the property, and agreed with me, saying I would get a new letter in a few days. The amount of increase lowered from the $17,500 figure to a $3,400 increase. I would look at home sales in your area, and look at homes in your area via the town database website. You will have to present a case with evidence. While it will be work, it can certainly be cheaper than hiring a lawyer. Not meant as a consolation attempt, but recent threads here have spoken of other communities around the lake in the same situation. Good luck Dave __________________ I Live Here... I am always UPTHESAUKEE !!!!

12-19-2021, 07:24 AM	#9
phoenix Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: phoenix and moultonboro Posts: 1,551 Thanks: 60 Thanked 275 Times in 193 Posts	i got my land value corrected a couple years back by bringing in two land listings near me that were much lower. I was reluctant to do this as the first time i did they made me feel i was getting a break __________________ it's tough to make predictions specially about the future

12-19-2021, 09:56 AM	#11
camp guy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: formerly Winter Harbor, still Wolfeboro Posts: 1,182 Thanks: 300 Thanked 525 Times in 293 Posts	Over assessment in Alton TiltonBB hit the nail on the head when he (she) posted that some people don't admit their improvements. If a person does a little improvement here, and a little improvement there, pretty soon these "little" improvements add up to a significant improvement overall and that is when people get caught. Their assessment is significantly increased over their last assessment, but, because they have not kept the Town abreast of their improvements, there is a gap between the Town (current) assessment and reality. This puts the homeowner in a difficult spot - either fight the new assessment and take your chances with the Town, or accept the new assessment and do things right going forward. A Town tries to maintain a reasonably level tax rate, and total town-wide property value is a piece of the tax rate equation, so it is helpful if residents keep the Town up to speed when improvements are made.

12-18-2021, 07:48 AM	#3
TiltonBB Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Gilford, NH and Florida Posts: 3,001 Thanks: 697 Thanked 2,199 Times in 933 Posts	Years ago I appealed the assesment in Gilford and the land value was lowered. It takes some time and effort to research other assessments. The key is to bring in examples of properties similar to yours that are assessed for less and explain why your property is not worth what they think it is. In my case, although I had the same amount of land as other properties, my land has 50 feet of street frontage and 100 feet on the water. The triangular shape, combined with Gilford's 25 foot sideline setback, made much of my land unbuildable. The same square foot lot in a rectangular shape would have much more buildable area. However, be aware that when they come out they will probably look for anything that is not on the tax card for your property. If you have things like a bigger dock, a tool shed, new windows, vinyl siding, or other improvements that they don't have listed, your assessment could actually go up. In most towns they keep up with improvements when you get a building permit. The building department notifies the assessors that the improvements have been made. When significant construction is done, the assessors are notified when an occupancy permit is issued. I have heard, but not confirmed, that sometimes people will make improvements without a permit. I think those same people may be members of the top secret "Move a rock" club discussed here in the past.

12-18-2021, 09:42 AM	#4
FlyingScot Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Tuftonboro and Sudbury, MA Posts: 2,380 Thanks: 1,282 Thanked 1,017 Times in 627 Posts	It would not hurt to appeal, but waterfront values have skyrocketed. Unless your land value has jumped relative to your neighbors', you may not be as over-assessed as you think.

12-18-2021, 11:51 AM	#6
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,355 Thanks: 1,343 Thanked 1,623 Times in 1,055 Posts	Generally, if you call the assessor's office, they will tell you which recent sales they looked at to match your building and land value comparison. You can look at those properties and see what's similar and what's different on the town database online. Some years ago, I had a huge over-assessment on my land. Somehow, they listed me at twice the frontage than was actually the case. The answer was that I have a dug in slip. Frontage was measured with aerial photography, and nobody checked the previous assessment to see the increase. A few minutes on the phone, no research, no attorney, no increase. All fixed. The perimeter of the slip was not "shore-frontage". When you're doing hundreds or even thousands of updates, there are bound to be some discrepancies. That's why the ability to question is made easy. BTW, if you say you taxed me for this, but not my neighbor, they may re-examine your neighbor. Better to make comparisons to places that aren't your friends, and as the assessors do, rely on actual sales.

12-18-2021, 12:09 PM	#7
TiltonBB Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Gilford, NH and Florida Posts: 3,001 Thanks: 697 Thanked 2,199 Times in 933 Posts	That is all true but you don't need to only compare the value to recent sales to appeal the assessment. The best method is to find properties similar to yours with a lower assessment and then point out the differences. When I appealed, I found three other lots on my street that were assessed lower than mine and then pointed out why my land was worth less than those. Going before the assessors with your appeal is very informal process and just becomes a discussion of facts.

The Following User Says Thank You to TiltonBB For This Useful Post:
upthesaukee (12-18-2021)

12-19-2021, 05:52 AM	#8
jeffk Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,170 Thanks: 205 Thanked 434 Times in 251 Posts	The first thing to do is check the information about your property for accuracy. Are the room sizes right? Is the description of each room correct? In my case, I had 2 porches, one unfinished and not heated and the other finished and not heated. The assessment listed both as finished, heated porches, i.e. year round living space. These kind of "fixes" are a mostly a slam dunk. As others have suggested, the next thing to do is find out the properties used for comparison and look for differences, especially where your property is NOT as valuable. This is less certain to succeed. Your opinion may differ from the assessor's standards. The final option is to pay a private assessor for an assessment. I was fortunate to have done an assessment for other purposes and it was lower than the figure the town was using. And, as others have said, the reality is that the value of lakefront property has soared. With that comes a bigger share of the property tax compared to those properties that have not. However, in some areas, non lakefront property has also gone up so that could mitigate the impact. That's just how property taxes work and it is amplified in NH because most of the personal tax paid is link to property.

12-19-2021, 09:31 AM	#10
swnoel Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 529 Thanks: 83 Thanked 194 Times in 118 Posts	Do your homework to prove your claim and the majority of the time you have a high probability of winning. You don't need an attorney.

12-19-2021, 11:49 AM	#12
John Mercier Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2021 Posts: 3,374 Thanks: 3 Thanked 595 Times in 491 Posts	The improvements listed most often do not require a permit, nor do they actually affect the assessment to any real degree. You can replace windows, siding, and roofing without a permit in most municipalities. An new/extended dock or shed would change the assessment, but the shed may or may not need a permit depending on size... and the dock done without the permits is going to become a state issue that will make taxes the least of one's concerns.