Is My Assessment Correct?

The following 4 questions and accompanying information can help you to decide if your assessment is correct. Please note: If you are concerned that your taxes are going to double because your property value has doubled, that is not the case. Since everyone else's property value is also rising, the tax rate usually drops proportionally to the amount of total increase to a City or Town's total value.

1) Can I sell my property for that amount? The first thing that you should do is ask yourself if you could sell the property for approximately that amount.

2) Does the Assessing department have the correct information on my property? You can review the information that the Assessing Department has collected on your property to make sure the data is accurate. The information is available online, or it can be reviewed at the Assessor's Office. While reviewing your property, you should make sure that all measurements on the sketch are accurate. Please note that all measurements are taken from the exterior. You should also check the land size and interior data to ensure accuracy.

3) How much are similar properties in my neighborhood selling for? Make sure that you choose recent sales that are similar to your own property. For instance, if you owned a 2,000 square foot Colonial that is assessed for $350,000 and has ½ acre of land, you would look for similar properties in Town. You can research sales in the assessing office to find properties that are located as close to your property as possible before you make any comparisons. If you know of any properties that sold in your area, you can access these properties in the database

4) How much have similar properties in my neighborhood been assessed for? If you do not have any recent sales activity in your local area, you can look up the assessed value of similar parcels that are located near your property. Please be aware that what may appear to be a similar parcel may in fact be very different from your property.