What Is The Formula For Assessing Land Values On Ct?

[gregb]

WOW! CT allows for interior inspections???

By a third-party!

 

[Mike Kennedy]

I had an occasion to look at the assessors map for the town I live in in Middlesex County. In doing so I noticed something I thought was odd, so thought I would ask here for an expert point of view.

The town assesses land here on no set value that I can figure out.

In other words, I assume that if I own a lot that is .5 acres and the man next door to me has a lot more than twice the size at 1.11 acres his land value would be at least double mine... but it is not. In fact, not even close.

I am assessed 120K per acre for my lot and he is assessed 52K for his and his is 2.4X mine. Both are regular yards, not forest and in fact his is way nicer than mine. Well manicured grass and all.

There is a house across the street from me. The lot is .15 acres. Barely large enough to hold the house sitting on it. He is assessed 324K per acre and the house next door to him owns 2.33 acres and is assessed at 27K per acre.

This goes on over and over no matter where you look. The larger the lot, the less you pay in terms of acreage value.

Is this common in rural Connecticut and if so, what is the criteria used to come up with these values.

Thanks!

https://smartasset.com/taxes/connecticut-property-tax-calculator

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Wow again. At those tax rates my entire SS check would go to property taxes.

 

[Carnivore]

I am trying to think of how to explain this to you. Honestly it is difficult for residential appraisers to understand why or how the mass appraisal systems works sometimes. I don't get to wrapped around the axle about it. So a question that has not been asked of you is this; What are your other neighbors site tax valued as compared to yours. The reason I ask is you may possibly have a good reason to appeal. The appeal would be based on similar site sizes in your neighborhood/subdivision to your own that are valued less or possibly more than your site is. What I am trying to get you to do is forget about the guy across the street. Focus on apples not the one orange you have in your neighborhood. What I don't know is if your house is a cookie cutter(basically) looks like the majority of the other houses surrounding yours. That makes things a little easier. Tax appeals are more often successful when you can identify inequitable taxation and what that is. Example: Your house is X and its total value is $200,000. On the same street there are three other houses that are X also. but there tax values are $175,000. - You have a case here to pursue. You may win or you may lose, but often you win because they try to tax value your apple fairly(the same) as everyone else's apple. So again forget about the orange across the street for now.

So I understand completely what the others are saying about lot size. Excess land, utility blah blah etc. Try my way first and see what you can come up with.

 

[MICHAEL O'BRIEN]

WOW! CT allows for interior inspections???

Yes Terrel, our town has a contract requirement that the appraisal re-val company make three verified/documented attempts to schedule an interior inspection of the house. Most people in town agree to allow the interior inspection, but some defer. The old (existing) field card data is usually put on the new field card if no interior inspection is granted. In addition, re-valuation inspectors are allowed by law to come on to your property and inspect the site and visual exterior (and measure) inspections of the improvements. However, interior inspections of any site improvements must have permission of the property owners first. Many assessor's in CT towns have the local MLS, and make changes to people's property assessments based on realtor comments on MLS property descriptions, such as, "750 sq.ft. of additional finished basement area, with a full bathroom". The field card may have showed "unfinished" basement area, but now the assessor will add 750 sq.ft. of FBA and a full bathroom to the field card. You will see the difference in the next property tax bill - many homeowners are not happy, but won't let the assessor in the house to prove or disprove the FBA. They got busted.

 

[Carnivore]

I understand individual owners wanting to keep their taxes as low as possible. Who doesn't. The Municipal tax offices are not out to screw anybody over. There goal is to assess and tax equitably. Good friend of mine had purchased a fairly neglected older home in a Historical district. He stabilized the exterior, then proceeded to renovate and modernize the interior. Much of the work he did himself to avoid getting permits(which tells assessor tax value heading north). When he finished interior he rapidly renovated exterior and then sold house for a nice profit. Thus avoiding any increases in prop tax until it was time to sell.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

to schedule an interior inspection

First state I knew allowed interior viz. Here (AR,OK) they refuse to come inside even if invited. Liability issue. When on the board of equalization I and a chief appraiser measured a house interior that was mismeasured upon invitation of the homeowner. The upper level was impossible to measure from exterior. Unique design. Our county often looks at new construction as being built. Assessor here is certified general. Base all on public records but they don't access the MLS.