Some Ogden residents disgruntled by re-assessments

As previously reported (April 18 editions), 2,800 Ogden property owners received reassessment notices in early April. Most property values went up, on average 15 percent. A few assessments were lowered. "There's no escaping the fact that the value in our community has gone up," Ogden Supervisor Gay Lenhard said. The median assessed value of homes in Ogden is $125,000 up from $119,000 a few years ago.

Robert Criddle, assessor for the Town of Ogden since 2001, says he completely understands property owners' concerns, but the town had no choice. "Section 305 of the New York State Real Property Law requires all properties be assessed at a uniform percentage of value within the community. The Town of Ogden has chosen to assess at 100 percent of market value. Seventy-five percent of the towns in Monroe County do the same. This basically means that the price a house is assessed at is the price you could realistically sell it for or the market value," Criddle said.

Criddle said that although there are 7,200 properties or parcels in the Town of Ogden, only 2,800 needed reassessments. "Every property was reviewed," he said.

The assessor's office uses several factors when determining the assessments. The first step is to review the data sheets and property photos that are on file. These sheets were completely updated and brought current with the 1996 Re-evaluation Project. These sheets are used as the baseline for every reassessment. This information, along with any changes, is keyed into a software program. This program then uses factors such as location of the property, size of the house, lot size, quality of the home, and a comparative market analysis of the surrounding area to determine the value. The numbers are reviewed and adjusted accordingly. "It is a combination of computerized information and human input," Criddle said.

Mary Lobene of Nothnagle Realty in Spencerport says that the recent assessments have been a nightmare. "Our office has been inundated with calls and requests for appraisals." She doesn't completely agree with the assessments. "The housing market in this area hasn't changed that much in recent years, especially the property values in the higher priced homes. Those owners aren't finding their home's value increasing that much," Lobene said.

Karen Hilbert of Hilbert Realty, however, feels otherwise. "Personally, from what I've seen, they are very much in line. Although it's shocking for a property owner to get a $20,000 increase, they have to realize that their house is in a desirable location and that's driving up the value." The problem, she feels, isn't the fact that the assessments are out of line but the large jump all at once. "The town really needs to do this annually to avoid some of that," she said.

Between 1996 and 2001, no assessments were changed unless a property owner made a physical improvement. In 2003, there was an Annual Assessment Equity Program but only 850 properties were affected.

Property owners who are hardest hit when this happens are the ones on fixed incomes. This large of an increase hurts them the most. One such resident is Art Nowack of Washington Street. The Nowack property assessment rose 36 percent. "This house is a small ranch, less than 1,200 square feet. We're made no improvements lately, in fact it's in need of improvements. He and his wife, Pat, plan on meeting with the assessor's office staff to argue the increase.

Town Supervisor Gay Lenhard's property was reassessed 37 percent higher. "I know Bob (Criddle) has done his very best to do everything right," Lenhard said. However, she and her husband will be going through the same grievance process as any other property owner who isn't satisfied with their assessment should.

As to what the assessments will do to the tax base is uncertain but the increases don't necessarily mean that everyone's taxes will increase. Karen Hilbert, however, thinks it's better to be prepared than shocked. "Property owners should plan now for the shortage notice they might receive from their mortgage company in terms of their escrow. Not only will taxes most likely go up, raising their mortgage payment, but property owners with mortgages would be hit with an escrow shortage as well. If they start saving for this now it will lessen the shock when that notice comes this fall."

Mary Lobene's larger concern with the assessment isn't how they are doing it but rather who is doing the work. "They are using a firm out of Ohio, not someone local. If you're going to be reassessing property values you should be from this area. Have a local realtor or a licensed local appraisal firm handle the project." Hilbert agrees. "Parma uses local people to do appraisals; people familiar with the area. This results in a lot less backlash from angry residents," Hilbert says.

Ohio-based Cole Layer Trumble (CLT), the same company which performed Ogden's assessments in the past, was brought back in for this project. Criddle says, "There isn't a local company that can do a project of this size. No one has the expertise in mass appraisals that CLT has. This company specializes in this. While they make recommendations, I make the final call." Criddle says he is out in the neighborhoods on a regular basis and is familiar with the town and the properties.

Property owners who are not pleased with their assessments should contact the assessor's office at 352-2135 and request an appointment for an informal meeting. These meetings are taking place now through Friday, April 30 at fifteen minute intervals.

After that meeting, if the property owner is not satisfied, the next step is an appointment at the Grievance Day hearings on May 25. At this hearing, a panel of local citizens, not affiliated with the assessor's office, will hear both sides on the assessment grievance. The property owner will later receive a letter in the mail as to the decision. Following that, property owners who are still not satisfied must file paperwork with the Monroe County Clerk's office requesting a Small Claims Hearing. Criddle said it is very rare for someone to take it that far.

Criddle points out that the assessor's office is open all year for property owners to stop in and check their data sheets or to update their records. In fact, he encourages residents to do just that. "It would make the entire process less troublesome if the information on file was kept current."

For information or for general information about assessments and how they affect property owners, visit www.orps.state.ny.us or call the Ogden Assessor's Office at 352-2135.