Propety assessments stun Wilton residents

Based on current sales trends, the market decides the value of properties in the town, said assessor Marge Little.

“Land sales are higher than they were last time they were assessed, so taxes are going up in the area,” she said.

Because the assessments are made by reviewing numbers alone and not actually visiting the properties, many things go unaccounted for, such as amenities, damage to the property, recent appraisals and comparable homes.

Barbara Kelleher of Kelleher Realty believes the assessments would be more accurate if the Town of Wilton worked with realtors who know the neighborhoods.

“The way (the assessments) are done is arbitrary. Some houses may be the same size, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are of the same value,” she said. “We need to compare apples to apples.”

After receiving his statement, Wilton resident Mark Zienert was taken by surprise when his assessment more than doubled from previous years.

“I have a 40-year-old home with no new windows or doors, and half of my property is currently under water. There is no way a swamp is worth that much,” he said. “If we could get that much for our house, I’d sell it and move.”

After receiving his assessment, he attended a meeting through the Town of Wilton where the process of assessment was explained.

“Houses are compared to others of similar size in the area, and a computer spits out this number. When I actually spoke to a person, they were very helpful. No one is happy about taxes going up, but eventually they have to. They just need to be fair,” he said.

There is hope for Zienert, however. For those who believe their property has been unfairly assessed, residents can appeal their assessment by filing a grievance with the Independent Board of Assessment Review (IBAR) beginning May 1 through May 27. A meeting will be held on May 27 from 4-8 p.m. at the Wilton Town Hall Meeting Room, located at 22 Traver Rd. Gansevoort.

“Sales are off the charts right now which could be a reason why the assessments are so much higher” Little said. “If homeowners don’t agree with their assessment, they have the right to go to Grievance Day.”