Property Reassessment

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
Jennifer Learn-Andes on Facebook   |   @TLJenLearnAndes on Twitter

Scott Crispell thought he’d be the first Luzerne County property owner unable to reach a settlement at assessment mediation, but he recently gave in when the county came back with another offer.

Read more Property Reassessments articles

Related headlines

• Assess mediation process defended

Crispell was the first property owner to go through the new court-level mediation challenge step on Dec. 1, and he wasn’t pleased with the $360,000 assessment offered by the county at that time.

While that offer was $210,700 less than the assessment appeal board value that he was contesting, Crispell said he wanted something closer to his appraised value of $150,000.

After Crispell went public about his refusal to settle on Jan. 6, the county called him back to the bargaining table to negotiate further reductions.

On May 13, Crispell accepted a new assessment of $197,500 – a $373,200 reduction.

Crispell said he’s still not satisfied but wanted to lock in the lower value for his 2009 taxes. Otherwise, he’d have to continue paying taxes on the appeal board’s $570,700 assessment while he continues challenging his value before a judge.

Crispell said he plans to continue seeking further reductions on his Harveys Lake property by filing an annual assessment appeal. He said he’s still bitter about the time and money required to obtain semi-satisfaction and believes the county should have been more “proactive” by correcting values that were “absurdly off the mark.”

“My trust basis is eroded because of the whole process I’ve been through,” Crispell said.

His two-story, three-bedroom home on 0.13 acre in Harveys Lake has no dock or shoreline access, he said. The house was built in 1885.

Reassessment company 21st Century Appraisals Inc. originally valued the property at $605,800.

He also settled on an $80,000 mediation value for a rental property in the borough that was originally valued at $207,900 by 21st Century. Crispell bought the single-family property on 0.29 acre for $59,500 three years ago in a “bidding war” and said it’s appraised at $50,000.

Crispell interprets the mediation settlements as the county’s acknowledgment that the original values were off by $536,200 on his two properties.

“That’s over half a million dollars wrong that they admitted on my two properties alone. If anybody out in the business world would make that kind of error they’d be in trouble,” Crispell said.

21st Century representative Tim Barr has argued that the valuation of some properties at Harveys Lake was difficult because the county did not want to pay for extensive deed searches to show which properties have lake access. The company has also questioned the settlement amounts granted at mediation.

Crispell’s $373,200 mediation reduction on his home is not the biggest residential settlement to date. That distinction goes to Harveys Lake property owner Lori Macarelli, who received a $392,100 reduction on her cottage at mediation, bringing the property to its appraised value of $85,000.

Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 831-7333.