The Board of Assessment Appeals continues its traditional function: hearing applications from taxpayers who wish to change the town's assessment of real estate or personal property.
Members of the Board are taxpayers and volunteers who meet with all applicants who believe their property is incorrectly assessed. At the scheduled meeting with the Board, applicants state the reasons for changing the assessment of the subject property and should present any relevant information to support their positions. After the necessary physical inspection of the property, the Board votes and sends written notice of its actions to each applicant and the Assessor. Of the forty applicants who met with the Board this fiscal year, twelve were granted changes in their assessments.
Appeals regarding the assessment of motor vehicles takes place in September. As the statutes currently provide, appeals concerning all other property ( real estate and personal property) must be requested in writing by February 20th and will be scheduled in March.
The Assessor's Office (860) 434-1605, ext.219 has a supply of application forms and information about new legislation that may affect assessment appeals. Each recent session has enacted laws concerning property assessment. The minutes of all meetings of the Board are available at the Town Clerk's Office, and meetings will be posted at Town Hall in accordance with State statutes (Extracted from the Old Lyme Town Report).
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