Property Reassessment

“What plan does Greg have for financing a delay …? The postage alone to re-mail the notices will be $80,000.” -- Maryanne Petrilla, County commissioner

August 21, 2008

Reassess delay denied

Petrilla, Urban refuse to second Skrep’s motion

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

Luzerne County Commissioners Maryanne Petrilla and Stephen A. Urban didn’t budge from their plan to keep reassessment going, despite nearly four hours of insults, pleas and complaints from property owners at Wednesday’s meeting.

Commissioner Greg Skrepenak made a motion to indefinitely delay reassessment, but Petrilla and Urban remained silent as he waited for the needed second vote.

Most of the property owners angrily walked out of the meeting in a wave when Skrepenak’s vote did not pass.

The pressure was on before the meeting even started, with more than 250 property owners squeezing into Luzerne County Community College’s educational conference center in Nanticoke, many carrying signs and blowing whistles with labels that read, “Blow the Whistle on the Unfair Tax Reassessment.”

The crowd burst into cheers when Skrepenak entered the room, but booed when Urban walked in.

County Sheriff Mike Savokinas and at least five of his deputies monitored the crowd.

Petrilla warned audience members they would be escorted out if they got out of hand, and she later kept that promise by asking deputies to remove a man who kept yelling out comments. She also had to ask people to stop blowing the whistles.

More than 40 property owners spoke, often pointing out discrepancies and roadblocks they’ve encountered as they attempt to correct errors.

Skrepenak said after the meeting that he will “keep the fight” for a delay.

“It’s tough to see the distress and hear it in their voices and then not be able to do anything for them, but at the end of the day it takes two votes,” Skrepenak said.

“It’s a new day in Luzerne County where two Democrats can get elected and one could be in the minority,” he said, referring to his 2007 commissioner election teammate Petrilla.

Petrilla said she is meeting frequently with the county’s reassessment management team.

“They feel they have a plan in place and that it’s going well,” she said.

Petrilla said she will delay the reassessment if formal assessment appeals and error corrections aren’t made by Oct. 31. She said she does not support a vague plan to indefinitely postpone the reassessment, and a one-year delay means the county would have to reissue new values next year and allow a new round of assessment appeals.

“What plan does Greg have for financing a delay, or is he just going to throw it all away? The postage alone to re-mail the notices will be $80,000,” she said.

Urban said he’s been working with property owners who have concerns about their values to help walk them through the process. He said he’s disappointed that some of the values are inaccurate, but the county has been flagging potential problem areas and demanding corrections by the reassessment company.

“A plan to delay is not a plan to correct. The corrections are made through informal reviews and formal appeals,” he said.

Skrepenak said he’s concerned that the board will end up deciding around Oct. 31 to put off the reassessment, which would prevent overassessed property owners from filing appeals on their old values.

Property owners who believe they are paying more than their fair share have until Sept. 1 to file appeals on their old assessed values. If successful, these property owners would receive reductions for 2009 if the county opts to delay implementation of the new assessed values.

Petrilla said she encourages property owners to file appeals on their old assessments if they are concerned that the reassessment will be delayed, though she’s not expecting a delay.

Several property owners told commissioners Wednesday that they don’t believe the county will complete all formal appeals by Oct. 31. The appeals board is researching the possibility of asking the court for a 30-day extension of that deadline.

John Newman, of Dallas Township, pointed out that more than 11,000 formal appeals remain to be heard and questions how they can be heard in the remaining 52 working days

“I don’t think you can do it,” he said.

Kingston Township property owner Mike Dzanko told commissioners he keeps calling the county to request a formal appeal date, but receives no answers. He said a county worker told him the scheduling is in “disarray.”

Dzanko said he is frustrated that he needs a formal appeal in the first place. He said he presented his blueprint at the informal review to show the square footage living space was off, and he was informed that he must file a formal appeal to correct it.

Petrilla said about 200 formal appeals are being booked per day in both the Plains Township and Hazleton reassessment centers.

“It’s going to be close, but the appeal board members feel that timewise they can make it,” she said.

Urban said he believes many property owners will opt out of appeals once they complete informal reviews. He said many of them filed formal appeals as a precaution because the filing deadline came before they could obtain an informal review.

Tim Barr, of reassessment company 21st Century Appraisals Inc., sat in the front row next to the podium during the meeting and was repeatedly blasted by the speakers. One woman even said a prayer calling for Barr and his company to be “rebuked.”

Barr said mass appraisals are never perfect at the beginning of the process.

“The goal of 21st Century and the appeals board is to have the correct value at the end of the process, and we need the taxpayers to help with that,” he said.

Public comment on reassessment

To see more photos from Wednesday’s county commissioners’ meeting, visit www.timesleader.com

Here’s a sampling of some of the public comments made during Wednesday’s Luzerne County commissioner meeting:

• Jim Nelligan, Harveys Lake: “I’m from cash cow Pennsylvania. You might ask where is cash cow Pennsylvania? That’s the reassessment code name for Harveys Lake.”

• Jill Rosenstock, a Penn Lake Park Borough Council member: Says she has been inundated with questions from uniformed, older property owners.

• Dorothy Spencer, Jackson Township: She was assessed for a nonexistent house and says she was informed that she must undergo a formal appeal to get it removed. Farming families, including her own, will be put out of business if reassessment continues, she said.

• Michelle Boice, Harveys Lake: Complained that Commissioner Maryanne Petrilla wouldn’t let her speak beyond the five minute allotment when several property owners wanted her to speak on their behalf. “I’m sick of you and your arrogance,” she told Petrilla. “When we get a lawyer, we’ll see how you cut him off.”

• Mae Robinson, Penn Lake Park: Presented a petition with 100 signatures of property owners opposing the reassessment.

• Richard Dean, Penn Lake Park: Complained that property values have become skewed because New York City and Philadelphia residents are buying property here and paying higher prices.

• Larry Walsh, Ross Township: Asked reassessment company representative Tim Barr if he wants to buy his farm. “You guys are going to put me out, third generation owning a farm. I’m pissed.”

• Irene Sankey, Harveys Lake: Said a certified appraisal has determined that her property value is $400,000 less than her new assessed value.

• Louis Pugh, a certified appraiser from West Pittston: Says the reassessment company’s computer valuation program is “broken.” He said he believes the reassessment company, 21st Century Appraisals Inc., will be sued.

• William R. James, Dallas: Offered to sell his eight properties to the county at the new assessed values and complained that the county is pitting neighbors against each other.

• Marguerite Woelfel, Sugarloaf Township: “You can’t fix a 40-year problem in 40 days.”

• Andy Strutko, Harveys Lake: Says property owners need a game plan to force state legislators to eliminate property taxes altogether.

• Kathy Evans, Wilkes-Barre: “I’m going to lose my house”

• Lou Ann Horsfield, Kingston Township: “I have no respect for you whatsoever because I’m going to be taxed out of my home,” she told commissioners.

• Millie Luba, Hanover Township tax collector: Says the Luzerne County Tax Collectors’ Association wants the reassessment to be delayed or cancelled.

• Jackie Latosek, Jackson Township tax collector: Complained that an inexperienced data collector gathered information about her property.

• Cynthia Manini, West Pittston: Says she missed the deadline to file a formal appeal because the informal review scheduler told her she had to go through an informal review before the formal appeal.

• Edie Brous, Wyoming: Decided to relocate from New York City after Sept. 11, but the value of the farm house property she bought two years ago has increased 450 percent through reassessment. A registered nurse and lawyer, Brous believes the reassessment is causing health problems.

• Gene Stilp, a taxpayer advocate who owns property in Wilkes-Barre: “People are going to die because of reassessment,” he told commissioners. “You hold the lives of the people in your hands right now.”

• Brian Shiner, Kingston: Says he believes the state Attorney General’s Office should be asked to investigate.

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