Record Jump in Property Reassessment Requests

It wasn't that long ago, according to Harrison Mayor/Supervisor Joan Walsh, that between 10 and 20 people filed for a property reassessment every year town wide. But, with more than 850 applications currently sitting in the Harrison assessor's office, it is obvious that those days are far behind us.

A record 867 property owners in Harrison requested reassessment in 2010, easily breaking the 2009 total of 596, which at that time was also a record. The reason for the jump in numbers are many, according to Harrison Town Assessor Mark Heinbockel, including the financial recession, increased property taxes and increased awareness because of media reports and word of mouth.

"There has been a maturing of the marketplace," said Heinbockel. "People file, they talk to their neighbors at a cocktail party and it goes from there."

When people file for property reassessment they are typically hoping for a decrease in the value of their homes. A decrease in an assessment with the town means a reduced property tax on the home every year from that point forward.

With taxes steadily increasing throughout the county and real estate values dropping off just the same, the idea of having the town reassess homes has become a popular idea in the area. 

"There are a lot of people out there that are struggling," said Heinbockel, adding that prior to the last two years he has never seen totals like this in Harrison.

Requests in 2007 and 2008 were relatively steady, increasing only from 204 to 272, before surging upward in 2009.

Although a reduction in the value of a home can mean substantial savings for an individual homeowner they also mean less revenue for the town. As property values decline, so does property tax income for Harrison, creating a sometimes vicious cycle.

While commercial properties still make up a substantial portion of the town's tax base, reductions from individual homes are beginning to chip away at town finances. Commercial properties are historically a top concern for the town, but the sheer volume of individual homes applying now creates another noteable dent in the tax base.

Heinbockel said that although a reduction for a large commercial property can cost the town more than 20 one-family home reductions, the money from individual home reassessments adds up.

"It used to be no one talked about individual one-family homes," he said. "Not anymore."

While the town board works toward a minimal tax-rate increase for next year's budget, Walsh said that she has considered the potential reduction in the tax base after the reassessments are completed, saying that she has considered the affect more than 800 potential reductions can have on a town's budget.

"How can you not?" she said, adding that the reductions from reassessments in 2009 were "substantial."

Reassessing a claim on an individual one-family property usually takes months to complete, according to Heinbockel, who said that he expects to work on claims for the entire summer to have results ready by this fall.

Until then, things will be busy in town hall.

"Every day is now busy time in this office," he said. "Our board is a volunteer board, they have already had 10 meetings and they will probably have 10 more before it's all over."