Property Reassessment

August 30, 2008

Board to hear appeals on Saturdays

Shiner optimistic assessment appeal board will hear appeals by deadline.

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

Formal assessment appeals will soon be heard on Saturdays as part of Luzerne County’s effort to complete all appeals by the Oct. 31 deadline.

Appeal board Chairman Andy Shiner said the first Saturday appeals will be heard on Sept. 20 at the Plains Township and Hazleton reassessment centers.

More appeals are being scheduled into early evening, he said.

Shiner estimates appeal boards have heard about 5,000 appeals to date, out of 17,000 filed.

The county estimates that hearings on 7,200 parcels will be heard by Sept. 25.

“As more and more taxpayers withdraw and don’t show up for their appointments, the county has been able to increase the number of parcels scheduled for each day,” said Tim Barr of reassessment company 21st Century Appraisals Inc.

Barr predicts the total will be fewer than 17,000 because some property owners only filed to preserve their right before the filing deadline. He believes many will be satisfied with the results of their informal reviews, prompting them to withdraw or not show up for their formal appeals.

Shiner said board members are seeing too many property owners coming to formal appeals attempting to correct land measurements.

The assessed values were based on land measurements from county records, and property owners must seek corrections from the county mapping department before they can be changed, Shiner said.

He estimates that 5 percent to 10 percent of property owners in formal appeals are seeking land size changes.

More than 2,000 land measurement changes have been made, and many will trigger assessment reductions and revised notices, county officials say.

Shiner said four of 10 property owners come into appeals arguing their values should be reduced because of wetlands.

Property owners must submit a government map or proposed development map defining wetland portions, he said. Photographs of water-logged property are not enough evidence, he said.

“We need proof,” Shiner said.

Appeals on commercial properties will begin Tuesday, Shiner said.

Property owners have publicly expressed doubt the county will hear all appeals by the Oct. 31 deadline.

Shiner said he is optimistic the legal deadline will be met. As a backup plan, the board is researching the possibility of asking the court for a 30-day extension.

“The flow of appeals is good,” Shiner said. “I can’t say enough positive things about the board members who are hearing these appeals.”

More security

Visitors to the reassessment centers will see increased security starting next week, when armed sheriff deputies will man the Hazleton and Plains Township sites, said county Assessment Director Tony Alu.

County officials requested the security following recent reassessment-related threats.

“We take the safety of our people and the public very, very seriously,” said Alu, who has been threatened by phone callers. “The county is not going to take any threats lightly.”

At the request of the appeals board, Alu has asked the county district attorney’s office to investigate a property owner’s recent alleged threat to shoot employees and burn down the Plains Township reassessment office.

The property owner, who has not been publicly identified, denies making the threats. However, Alu and other county officials say they have witnesses.

Plains Township police are also investigating the incident.

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

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