Peters Township homeowner petitions for property appeal
A Peters Township homeowner who said he filed an appeal of his property valuation two days late because the deadline to do so was changed during the countywide reassessment this year is still hoping for a shot at paring his tax bill.
Mark Hoskins of 124 Windermere Court “attempted to appeal his assessment to the Washington County Board of Assessment Appeals on August 12, 2016, but was advised that he could not appeal his assessment as the appeal deadline had expired two days previously,” his attorney, Raymond Seals, wrote in a petition filed Aug. 22 in Washington County Court.
The petition states Hoskins thought he had until the usual Sept. 1 cutoff to file an appeal of his assessment.
The deadline for property owners to file appeals was Aug. 10 this year, as properties throughout the county are being assigned new taxable values for the first tme since 1981.
County property records show Hoskins bought the land in 2007 for $44,483; a four-bedroom house was built on the property in 2008. The new assessed value of the lot and building is $670,700.
Hoskins’ petition states the assessment he received this year was greater than the fair market value of the property and asked the court to allow him to proceed with his appeal before the board.
“(Hoskins’) right to due process and a fair and impartial hearing before the board was abrogated because of the arbitrary appeal period,” Seals wrote.