Property Reassessment

August 22, 2008

Owner supports reassessment

Larksville woman says her property’s been assessed too high for a decade.

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
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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.

Ariel said she stands to receive an estimated $1,000 property tax reduction when the reassessment takes effect.

“What about compensation for me? We’re not going to get back that 10 grand from the last 10 years,” Ariele said.

She said the reassessment verified her suspicion that she had been paying too much compared to similar properties in Birchwood Estates. Her 1970 bi-level on 0.21 acre has a new assessed value of $164,900. She is currently paying about $4,500 in property taxes on a home assessed at roughly $206,600.

“We knew our taxes should go down, and when we got our letter, we were thrilled,” she said.

A nurse, Ariel says she works full-time and struggles to raise two children while coping with rising food and gas prices. Her husband required five surgeries because he was almost killed at work last year.

“I don’t have it easy either. I understand the elderly are on a fixed income, but I am too,” she said.

Ariel said property owners who were accurately assessed and support the continuation of the reassessment should make their voices heard. “There are far more people who were assessed properly, and we’re not hearing as much from those people,” she said.

Ariel planned to contact Commissioner Greg Skrepenak to express her displeasure over his efforts to indefinitely delay the reassessment. While she has sympathy for people who are suffering over tax hikes, she believes Skrepenak and some others are exaggerating and using “fear mongering.”

She said she was upset to learn that Skrepenak missed reassessment planning meetings as the county’s reassessment liaison and said she doesn’t want to see the millions of dollars spent on reassessment to be wasted.

“All of the sudden he (Skrepenak) wants to look like a big hero. I am completely unimpressed with him. He’s just playing on people’s fear, and I’m so proud of Maryanne Petrilla for stepping out,” she said.

Mobile home owner Bonnie Bond, who rents land for her home in Exeter, said she also contacted Skrepenak to express her displeasure over his stance. Bond has been struggling to pay her taxes and has come close to losing the home since 2002, and she said she felt vindicated and elated when she received her new assessed value.

Bond said she’s bumped into many people who have learned that they were overassessed, and she resents attempts by some to create the impression that most of the people facing reductions have received new values that are too low.

“I congratulate Commissioners Urban and Petrilla because people have gotten away with underpaying for 45 years. They spent all that money, and now some want to throw the whole thing out?” Bond said. “I’ve been overtaxed for 21 years, and I won’t get that money back.”

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

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