Property Reassessment

reassessment

January 7, 2009

Owners file state complaints

Investigators interviewing those who made claims against 21st Century Appraisals Inc.

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

A Pennsylvania Department of State investigator has been interviewing Luzerne County property owners who filed complaints about reassessment company 21st Century Appraisals Inc.

The department oversees the licensing of the certified evaluators who handled the county’s reassessment.

Harveys Lake property owner Michelle Boice said an investigator interviewed her on Monday, and she knows of several other property owners who were also interviewed.

Boice said her goal is to get 21st Century evaluators’ licenses suspended or revoked, hampering the company’s ability to work on other reassessment projects. The action won’t prevent Luzerne County’s reassessment from taking effect, she said.

“The investigator made it clear that the department can’t undo our reassessment,” Boice said.

Larksville property owner Nick Klem also said Tuesday that he was interviewed and asked to submit additional information to the investigator. Klem said the investigator told him the state has been “flooded” with complaints from county property owners about 21st Century.

Department representatives could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

According to the state’s Web site, the department must follow licensing laws, rules and regulations when deciding whether to prosecute cases and file formal disciplinary action against a licensee.

Investigations can take anywhere from a few days to several months, depending on the complexity of the case, the site says.

If the evidence supports the filing of formal disciplinary charges, the prosecuting attorney must file an order specifying the alleged licensing violations. The licensee has 30 days to file a written response.

Typically, an evidentiary hearing would then be scheduled, resulting in a decision order. The decision may be appealed to Commonwealth Court.

Boice said she focused her complaint on “gross mistakes” in the reassessment data collection.

“The whole foundation of our reassessment was the information collected by field data collectors, and I contend they were not properly trained, putting the whole project out of whack,” Boice said.

21st Century representative Tim Barr said Tuesday that he was aware of the complaints and is confident the company has fulfilled all obligations. Barr said certified evaluators must follow state regulations, called “Uniform Standards of Appraisal Practices,” when performing a reassessment.

“Our evaluators are completely in compliance with all standards,” Barr said.

He said the state notified 21st Century of about 25 complaints filed in Luzerne County, and the company was asked to submit case histories about each property in question.

21st Century has experience performing reassessments “all over the state,” and sales statistics confirmed that the new assessed values in Luzerne County “came within standards,” Barr said.

He noted that real estate appraisers must also adhere to another section of the Uniform Standards of Appraisal Practices.

His company has filed a complaint with the state against one appraiser in connection with an appraisal completed for a county property owner who was challenging a new assessed value.

Barr said the county assessment appeals board did not want 21st Century to report questionable appraisals, but this one was so “egregious” that the company had no choice.

He declined to name the appraiser.

“Most local appraisers did good work,” Barr said.

The state publicly reports disciplinary action taken against certified evaluators and appraisers.

Klem said he focused on “inconsistent” land values in his neighborhood during his interview with the investigator.

“My hope is that somehow or another they can build a case against 21st Century, which would then allow the county to sue 21st Century and get some of our money back,” Klem said.

Boice said her goal is to get 21st Century evaluators’ licenses suspended or revoked, hampering the company’s ability to work on other reassessment projects.

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

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