Property Reassessment

March 30, 2009

Lawyer: Is there enough time left for reassessment hearings?

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
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Bruce Phillips said his Wilkes-Barre law firm has filed 160 formal assessment appeals, and most of them have not yet been scheduled.

“Here we are at the end of August. How are they going to get them all in?” said Phillips, of Wetzel Caverly Shea Phillips & Rodgers.

Attorney John Rodgers, who is handling about 80 appeals for the firm, said only six of his hearings have been held to date. Another 10 have been scheduled through Sept. 5, he said.

That leaves about 60 to be scheduled before Luzerne County’s Oct. 31 deadline to hear them.

Rodgers said the county must provide a 20-day notice of all hearings, which further cuts into the days available to hear them.

“Theoretically, I’m going to have about 60 hearings in six weeks if they don’t delay this,” Rodgers said.

The county appeals board is considering asking the court for a 30-day extension to hear appeals, but Rodgers said he still has doubts that the deadline will be met with an extension.

Attorney Francis Hoegen says he is handling many hearings and had been concerned about the lack of hearing dates. However, he said he has started receiving multiple notices.

“More are rolling in now,” Hoegen said.

County officials said last week that county appeals boards have heard or scheduled about 5,800 hearings to date, out of roughly 17,000 appeals filed.

Updated figures were not available Tuesday, according to county assessment director Tony Alu and reassessment company representative Tim Barr, of 21st Century Appraisals Inc.

Barr said he will try to provide statistics within a few days.

Appeals boards are hearing about 175 formal appeals per day at both the Plains Township and Hazleton locations, officials have said.

About 15 percent of property owners have failed to appear for formal appeals, prompting the county to overbook schedules.

The county is also considering extending hearing hours.

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