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Background

Luzerne County is conducting a reassessment because a countywide rebalancing hasn’t been done since 1965, leaving the county with one of the most out-of-whack property tax bases in the state.

Commissioners voted in July 2003 to conduct the reassessment and hired 21st Century Appraisals Inc.

The values were originally supposed to be mailed in 2006, but the previous administration delayed the project twice.

Taxes based on the new values will take effect in 2009. All formal assessment appeals must be heard by Oct. 31 to be counted for your 2009 taxes. Formal Assessment Appeal Tips

Property owners with questions about the reassessment should call 21st Century. To reach the center, call 1-877-570-8801 for northern county residents and 1-877-570-8802 for southern county residents.

Primary Author

Jennifer Learn-Andes
jandes@timesleader.com

Property Reassessments

Important Links

NEW Luzerne County Property Assessments

The NEW assessment values for all Luzerne County properties. Also contains old values for comparison purposes.

Old Luzerne County Property Assessments

These are the old values, which can still be used for comparison purposes.

Carbon County Property Assessments
Lackawanna County Property Assessments
Ask Your Reassessment Questions

John Van Allen - Times Leader Expert answers questions about Property Assessment.

Formal Assessment Appeal Tips

Official tips from Luzerne County for formally appealing you new assessment.

Latest Headlines

August 28, 2008

Resident denies reassess threats

The man accused of threatening to shoot reassessment workers and burn down the Plains Township reassessment center said he did no such thing.

August 27, 2008

Reassessment firm to mail revised notices

Thousands of Luzerne County property owners should start receiving new assessed values starting next week because of revisions and corrections, reassessment company representative Tim Barr said Wednesday.

August 27, 2008

New values of properties in West Pittston debated

While researching the new assessed value of a family property in West Pittston, Santo Agati stumbled upon three examples of properties that he believes should have been valued significantly higher.

August 27, 2008

Lawyer: Is there enough time left for reassessment hearings?

Bruce Phillips said his Wilkes-Barre law firm has filed 160 formal assessment appeals, and most of them have not yet been scheduled.

August 27, 2008

More want to be Clean and Green, but many more out there eligible

The owners of 1,120 parcels have signed up for the Clean and Green tax-break program since Luzerne County’s new assessed values started hitting the mail in May.

August 25, 2008

Gun threat brings police

A Luzerne County property owner threatened to go get a gun and shoot people during his informal assessment review on Monday afternoon, prompting staffers at the Plains Township reassessment center to hit a panic button to summon police, county officials say.

August 25, 2008

Testy reassess debate goes on

NANTICOKE – Tim Barr, chief technology officer and the public face of 21st Century Appraisals Inc., fielded numerous complaints from taxpayers, real estate professionals and legal experts at a public forum at Luzerne County Community College on Monday night.

August 24, 2008

Collapse raises reassess concerns

LARKSVILLE – Borough officials and residents are not only concerned about safety after the Mission of Christ Church collapsed Saturday, but they’re also concerned about what the new assessed value of the property might say about the county reassessment process.

August 22, 2008

Owner supports reassessment

Larksville property owner Emily Ariel supports Luzerne County’s reassessment because she’s been overpaying since she bought her home a decade ago, and she wants to publicly encourage county Commissioners Maryanne Petrilla and Stephen A. Urban to keep it going.

August 21, 2008

Reassess delay denied

Luzerne County Commissioners Maryanne Petrilla and Stephen A. Urban didn’t budge from their plan to keep reassessment going, despite nearly four hours of insults, pleas and complaints from property owners at Wednesday’s meeting.

August 20, 2008

UPDATE: Motion to delay reassessment dies on floor

Luzerne County commissioners will not take a vote to delay the county-wide reassessment today.

August 20, 2008

Homeowners face property dilemma

HARVEYS LAKE – Residents being evicted from their homes dominated the borough meeting on Tuesday night.

August 19, 2008

More are no-shows at formal appeals

More Luzerne County property owners are no-shows at their formal assessment appeals, as many as 15 percent in recent days, county officials say.

August 18, 2008

What protesters had to say

WILKES-BARRE – Here’s what some attendees at Monday’s rally, to call for a halt to the implementation of Luzerne County’s reassessment and to support the elimination of property taxes, had to say:

August 18, 2008

Protesters cry out for delay, heckle Petrilla

WILKES-BARRE – “Second the motion!” was the chant heard most often from the crowd of 300-plus people who filled the south lawn of the Luzerne County Courthouse on Monday to protest the handling of the county’s first reassessment since 1965.

August 18, 2008

Testy words over delay

Former allies Greg Skrepenak and Maryanne Petrilla went round and round during Monday’s Luzerne County commissioner work session when he publicly asked her to put a reassessment delay vote on Wednesday’s agenda.

August 18, 2008

Reassessment suit? Lawyer sees potential

Michelle Boice hopes a class-action lawsuit can be filed to compensate property owners aggrieved by the county’s reassessment, and at least one attorney familiar with Luzerne County governmental workings thinks there could be a case.

August 17, 2008

Reassess protest scheduled

At least two bus loads of people from Harveys Lake are expected to show up at the Luzerne County Courthouse today to protest the way that the county reassessment is being executed.