Q. How can I find out if my property assessment is accurate ?

A.  Property values are established by the assessors office based on Mass Appraisal methods. This process analyzes properties grouped by similar market influences and characteristics rather than by performing individual appraisals on each property. Due to the large number of properties within a community, it is not financially or logistically possible to have individual appraisals for each property.

Property values are updated through the use of statistics based on annual market data, although current market assessed values are based on sales of properties within the community from the prior calendar year. For example, your current assessment would be based on property sales for calendar year 2013. This results in a lag in data and may not  reflect market trends for the current fiscal year.

Your property assessed value is based on features and amenities which are kept on a property record data card in the assessors office. This card will list the features such as style of house, condition, living area, basement finish, grade, and other features based on a property inspection, or building permits, or from historical data. You should check the accuracy of this data by requesting a copy of your property record from your assessors office to make sure that the data is accurate, as this record serves as the basis for your assessment.