WHY I Am Suing My Home Town of 20 Years

Dear Editor,

After living in the town for 20 very happy years, I am now in the situation where I have to sue the town. The Board of Assessors secretly raised my property tax by 30% or $800 per quarter as a result of my listing my home for sale. The Assessor's office took my asking price and set it as the value of the property. After extended conversations they admitted the value was too high but will consider no remedy for this year. Their hope is that I won't fight the valuation as the house will be sold before they have to reduce this year's tax bill.

An asking price is not a valuation; you purposefully ask for more than you think you will get. Valuing a house based on the pictures in the MLS listing above market is a violation of the Assessors' own rules. There were also facts about the house on the official record going back well over 100 years that were just plain wrong.

I apologize to my longtime friends and neighbors if my suit starts to cost the town more money than the additional tax amount they are collecting. However I feel that if they can do this to me then they will do this to you when you decide to sell your home and I did not want this injustice to occur without a response. I hope to not be here by the next election but it seems to me there needs to be a change in the Board of Assessors as they are not advocating for their constituents.

Dick Csaplar

Longley Road