Reassessment/Revaluation Frequently
Asked Questions
Why are we doing a Revaluation?
New York law requires that each property owner’s share of Town
taxes should be based on the current market value of the property they
own in the Town. It has been decades since the Town has estimated the market
value of all properties. During those decades the relative market value of
properties has changed. As the market has changed the distribution of the tax
burden among the property owners should have changed. Without doing a complete
“revaluation” we have no way of knowing how to fairly distribute the tax
burden.
Couldn’t we just leave the assessments they way they were?
Yes, but that would not be fair to property owners. Leaving
things alone might seem like a good idea to those whose taxes are going up, but
what about those whose taxes are going down? Because the market has shifted
significantly since the last revaluation many property owners have been paying
more than their share of taxes, just has some have been paying less than their
fair share. Remember the law says your share of the property taxes should be
based on the current market value of your property, not what the market might
have been several decades ago.
It looks like my taxes are going up a lot. Won’t this be a windfall of
taxes for the Town?
No. This revaluation is being done to redistribute
the tax burden, not to increase it. That is, for every dollar your taxes might
go up, someone else’s taxes are going down by an equal amount.
This is major change in taxes for many people. Can’t we implement these
changes a little at a time and not all at once?
No. Gradually implementing a big change in taxes might seem
like a good idea for those whose taxes are going up, but what about those whose
taxes are going down? The courts have decided that the changes must be made
all at once.
Should my assessment be based on my property’s current use of its “highest
and best” use?
Current use. “Highest and best use” might mean assessing
the value of a property such as a farm by looking at the market value of each
piece of property if sold separately. However, the law requires the assessor
to look at the property (or business) as a whole.
How are my property taxes computed?
Your share of the Town’s taxes is your property’s assessed
value divided by the sum total of the assessed values of all properties in the
Town. The amount you would pay in taxes would be your share multiplied by the
total tax levy.
Here is a simple example. Let’s imagine there are only two
properties in the Town of Candor – yours and your neighbor’s. Let’s assume
your property is worth $100,000 and your neighbor’s is worth $300,000. If the
total Town tax levy was $100 then your share would be $25.
This means for example, that even though you may know your new
assessed value, we won’t know exactly what your taxes are going to be until we
know two other pieces of information – the sum total of all the other
assessments in the Town and the tax levy. We will soon know what the total
assessed value is (except a few properties that might still be in the appeal
process). Also, based on the Town’s current financial status which has been
helped considerably by the mild winter, we see no reason at this time to
raise Town taxes over last year. The school, fire district and Village
taxes are other matters to be discussed with those respective governing bodies.
What can I do to lower my taxes?
There are a number of exemptions for which you might
qualify. Here are some examples, but contact the Town Assessor, Denise
Spaulding (607-659-3175 ext 3) for details.
- STAR – There are two types of STAR exemptions which
apply only to your school district taxes
- Basic STAR
- available for owner-occupied, primary residences where
the resident owners' and their spouses income is less than $500,000
- exempts the first $30,000 of the full value of a home
from school taxes
- Enhanced STAR
- provides an increased benefit for the primary residences
of senior citizens (age 65 and older) with qualifying incomes
- exempts the first $62,200 of the full value of a home
from school taxes as of 2012-13 school tax bills (up from $60,100 in
2011-12)
- Veterans – To qualify, the property owner must be a
veteran, the spouse of a veteran or the un-remarried surviving spouse
of a veteran. See the Town Assessor for details.
- Forestry – To qualify, you must have at least 50
acres of land devoted to timber which you are managing as a forest in
accordance with a forestry management plan developed by a NY certified forester.
- Agriculture – To qualify, your property generally must
consist of seven or more acres that were used in the preceding two years
for the production of crops, livestock, or livestock products. The annual
gross sales of agricultural products generally must average $10,000 or
more for the preceding two years.
What if I am dissatisfied with my new assessment?
1. During
the month of March call 888-730-3315 to schedule a meeting with the
reassessment contractor, Mike Maxwell.
If you are satisfied with your
assessment after meeting with the reassessment contractor and reviewing the May
1 tentative roll, no further action is necessary. If not, see next step.
2. During the first three
weeks of May call 607-659-3175 ext. 3 to schedule a meeting with the Town of
Candor Assessor, Denise Spaulding.
If you are satisfied with your
assessment after meeting with the Town Assessor, no further action is
necessary. If not, see next step.
3. Prior to May 23, 2012
file a formal grievance with the Town of Candor Board of Assessment Review. YOU
MUST HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO SPEAK WITH THE BOARD OF ASSESSMENT REVIEW.
If you are satisfied with your
assessment after meeting with the Board of Assessment Review and reviewing the
July 1 final assessment roll, no further action is necessary. If not, see next
step.
4. If the Board of
Assessment Review turns down your appeal, you can file in Small Claims court
for residential properties or petition for a writ of certiorari for all other
properties. This filing can only occur after the final assessment roll is set
on July 1, but must occur before August 1.
Where do I go for more information?
- www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/default.htm for general
information
- www.tiogacountyny.com/departments/real-property.html for
Tioga County parcel information
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