Assessor FAQ
What Else Does an Assessor Do?
The assessor performs many other administrative functions, such as inspecting new construction and major improvements to existing structures. This ensures that the record of each property's physical inventory is current and that the appropriate improvements are assessed.
The assessor reviews every transfer of real property within the town for accuracy, including the basic information on the buyer, seller, and sale price. Assessment records are updated, and any unusual conditions affecting the transfer are also verified. Results are recorded on form RP-5217 at the real estate closing. The assessor makes corrections to this form.
What Kind of Property is Assessed?
All real property is assessed. Real property is defined as land and any permanent structures attached to it. Some examples of real property are houses, gas stations, office buildings, vacant land, motels, shopping centers, saleable natural resources (oil, gas, timber), farms, apartment buildings, factories, restaurants, and, in most instances, mobile homes.
How is Real Property Assessed?
Before assessing any parcel of property, the assessor estimates its market value. Market value is how much a property would sell for, in an open market, under normal conditions.
Once the assessor estimates the market value of a property, its assessment is calculated. The level of assessment can be five percent, 20 percent, 50 percent, or any other fraction, up to 100 percent. Everyone pays his or her fair share of taxes as long as every property in a locality is assessed at the same percent of value.
What about Exemptions?
The assessor also approves and keeps track of property tax exemptions. Among the most common are the Senior Citizen, School Tax Relief (STAR) , Veterans, and Agricultural exemptions. The assessor will schedule appointments to visit the home of any taxpayer unable to travel to assist with the filing of exemption forms. Completed application forms are due in the Assessor's Office on or before March 1st.
Where Can I Go With Questions?
Assessors are interested only in fairly assessing property in their assessing unit. If your assessment is correct and your tax bill still seems too high, the assessor cannot change that. Complaints to the assessor must be about how property is assessed.
Taxpayers unhappy with growing property tax bills should not only be concerned with assessments. They should also examine the scope of budgets and expenditures of the taxing jurisdictions (counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts, etc.) and address those issues in the appropriate and available public forums.
What is Grievance Day?
Informal meetings with assessors to resolve assessment questions about the next assessment roll can take place throughout the year. If, after speaking with your assessor, you still feel you are unfairly assessed, the booklet, “How to Contest Your Assessment” describes how to prepare and file a complaint with the Board of Assessment Review for an assessment reduction, and indicates the time of year it can be done.
The assessor performs many other administrative functions, such as inspecting new construction and major improvements to existing structures. This ensures that the record of each property's physical inventory is current and that the appropriate improvements are assessed.
The assessor reviews every transfer of real property within the town for accuracy, including the basic information on the buyer, seller, and sale price. Assessment records are updated, and any unusual conditions affecting the transfer are also verified. Results are recorded on form RP-5217 at the real estate closing. The assessor makes corrections to this form.
What Kind of Property is Assessed?
All real property is assessed. Real property is defined as land and any permanent structures attached to it. Some examples of real property are houses, gas stations, office buildings, vacant land, motels, shopping centers, saleable natural resources (oil, gas, timber), farms, apartment buildings, factories, restaurants, and, in most instances, mobile homes.
How is Real Property Assessed?
Before assessing any parcel of property, the assessor estimates its market value. Market value is how much a property would sell for, in an open market, under normal conditions.
Once the assessor estimates the market value of a property, its assessment is calculated. The level of assessment can be five percent, 20 percent, 50 percent, or any other fraction, up to 100 percent. Everyone pays his or her fair share of taxes as long as every property in a locality is assessed at the same percent of value.
What about Exemptions?
The assessor also approves and keeps track of property tax exemptions. Among the most common are the Senior Citizen, School Tax Relief (STAR) , Veterans, and Agricultural exemptions. The assessor will schedule appointments to visit the home of any taxpayer unable to travel to assist with the filing of exemption forms. Completed application forms are due in the Assessor's Office on or before March 1st.
Where Can I Go With Questions?
Assessors are interested only in fairly assessing property in their assessing unit. If your assessment is correct and your tax bill still seems too high, the assessor cannot change that. Complaints to the assessor must be about how property is assessed.
Taxpayers unhappy with growing property tax bills should not only be concerned with assessments. They should also examine the scope of budgets and expenditures of the taxing jurisdictions (counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts, etc.) and address those issues in the appropriate and available public forums.
What is Grievance Day?
Informal meetings with assessors to resolve assessment questions about the next assessment roll can take place throughout the year. If, after speaking with your assessor, you still feel you are unfairly assessed, the booklet, “How to Contest Your Assessment” describes how to prepare and file a complaint with the Board of Assessment Review for an assessment reduction, and indicates the time of year it can be done.
- New Berlin Grievance hearings are held at the Town Hall, 30 North Main Street on the Fourth Tuesday in May, 4pm - 6 pm, and 7pm - 9pm.
- Please be prepared to submit your proof of value along with your completed Grievance application. Remember, your best proof of value is recent sales of property similar to your own.
- Please call the Assessor's Office at (607) 847-8999 if you have any questions or concerns about this process.