Property Reassessment

February 6, 2009

Assessed values cut by $3.9M

Mediation of court-challenged properties in reassessment account for reduction.

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
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Luzerne County property owners have negotiated $3.9 million in mediation assessment reductions to date, according to a review of publicly filed settlement orders.

The property owners got to mediation by filing court challenges contesting the values set by county assessment appeal boards.

The reductions, granted on 86 properties, must be approved by the property owner and county assessment appeal board solicitor David Schwager.

The court has not yet filed any reports on property owners who were unable to reach settlements, according to the county prothonotary’s office.

A Harveys Lake property owner has said he refused the settlement amount offered by the county appeals board solicitor, but mediation overseer Sam Guesto has said that negotiations with that property owner were still ongoing.

Property owners who can’t reach settlements at mediation may advance to arbitration before a panel of three lawyers.

The largest reduction to date was $346,500 for a three-bedroom, 4,834-square-foot home in the Ice Ponds section of Rice Township.

Two of the most recent settlements are of interest to the owners of property on Lakeside Drive in Harveys Lake.

Several Lakeside Drive property owners have publicly complained that appeal boards wouldn’t reduce the reassessment company’s $560,000 land value, even though their parcels were different sizes with varying amounts of lake frontage.

One settlement, dated Jan. 22, reduced a .52-acre parcel on Lakeside Drive to $320,000. The reassessment company originally valued this land at $560,000, and an appeals board reduced it to $400,000.

Another settlement, dated Jan. 21, granted a $125,000 land value for a .61-acre Lakeside Drive parcel. The reassessment company also valued this land at $560,000, and the appeals board lowered the land to $256,000.

About 2,000 owners have filed assessment court challenges.

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

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