Everyone get their house assessments? Can a person find out assessments for other homes in your neighborhood? Mine went up considerably - I am still trying to catch my breath! But, if everyone else’s went up by the same amount, then I won’t complain (too much)!
Ours went up a lot too…crazy…mine needs a bunch of work inside, which we are slowly working on. You can go on the assessment web site to compare.
Everyone’s assessment and the sales from last year are posted on www.bcassessment.ca. My assessment went up due to sales of some pricey homes in my neighborhood last year.
Funny how the Northern view says only slight increases or decreases. Ours went up over 20%.
Ours has gone up $60,000 and just under $100,000 from our 2010 assessment!!! Funny that the houses around here haven’t been selling for that and we’re the oldest house on the street. House might look fine on outside but is totally in need of renos inside.
I imagine its gonna be the way they are going to justify raising property taxes. Ours has gone up $70,000 in the last 3 years. We are in the same boat as Porky, our house looks good from the outside but the inside needs work.
You need to get estimates for the costs of the repairs/renos and contact BC Assessment in Terrace as soon as possible.
Assessors inspect houses inside and out every year, but they can only do a small percentage because of the massive number of houses they deal with. They will take your information and may schedule an inspection depending on the circumstances. This is hard for a lot of people, but sometimes it really is best to assume that public servants know what they’re doing and are willing to listen.
Don’t waste their time by talking about how high property taxes are in Prince Rupert - they don’t set tax rates, the City does. Also, focus on your house, not just how bad or slow the market is in Prince Rupert - you’re wanting the assessment for your house to be adjusted, not everyone else’s.
If the issue is repairs/renos ideally you will provide written quotes or estimates from suitable contractors. That’s not hard to do, but the problem is that you don’t have a lot of time. Photos of what needs to be done may help.
If the issue is how high your assessment is compared to your neighbours’ houses, get their assessed values online (Kispiox has provided a link) and make a case based on how well your house compares to other’s. Look for houses similar to your’s that have lower values.
If you cannot resolve the issues with BC Assessment before the end of the month, file an appeal by the deadline then proceed from there. That will give you a few more weeks to gather information and make your case. There should be details of the appeal procedures on your assessment notice.
Mine went up around $17,000 and my other property went up by over $30,000!
On the plus side, if you’re looking to sell, houses are moving quicker and selling for more!
Mine went up about 3% from last year. I actually went through the review process with BC Assessment last year, and it worked fine. First, take a look for house that appear similiar to yours that have either sold recently or are currently listed for sale; that gives you a range for yours. If yours is outside that range, try to figure out what aspects are being under/over-valued and, like previous poster said, take some pictures and/or have the inspection with the inspector. The woman who came to do mine was very nice and reasonable and noted the specific items that I pointed out. We got a 20% decrease due to the fact our renovations are “unfinished.”
If “according to BC Assessment, most homeowners will see a modest increase of three to seven per cent in 2013 compared to 2012,” why are some homes assessed with brutally high increases. Owners are emoting with good reasons. Personally, my assessment has gone up 26.21% over last year’s. It was served with the patronizing remark, " your assessment has increased significantly more than most properties in your class. This will result in a tax increase in 2013." In fact, my taxes have steadily increased each year! And, at the exception of repairing derelict front steps to my house, no other renovation were done outside and inside. Moreover, in 2012, only one house sold in my PRB neighborhoud and this was for approximately $40,000 less than the assessed value. As an owner said, the increase would be easier to accept if it came with specific justifications. Thank you for letting me vent.