The assessor for the Massachusetts town of Lunenburg is receiving blowback from hundreds of angry residents over a massive increase in their property taxes.Some Lunenburg residents with lakefront homes in the town have seen their property value increase by 135%, and with tax bills due in two weeks, many will need to cough up thousands of dollars more than expected.”So about $2,000 (property taxes have) gone up, and many of the residents can’t afford this kind of a jump,” homeowner John Fortune told NewsCenter 5. The homeowners were hoping that the assessments were a terrible mistake, but town officials insist they were not. Therefore, Lunenburg Principal Assessor CJ Carroll was grilled by a packed crowd during Tuesday’s meeting of the Lunenburg Select Board.Recent lakefront home sales were used to calculate the property value assessments, but those sales came during a time of hyperinflation — when home prices skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic.”In two years, they’ve tripled the value of the property,” said Ken Chenis, who lives along Lake Shirley. “My taxes have gone up dramatically from $1,600 to $5,099 per quarter.”Chenis said he recently received a private property value assessment that ended up being far lower than the town’s.”That professional assessment came in at $715,000 in the same year that the town’s assessment came in at $1.1. million,” he said.Carroll said the town’s assessments were based on state guidelines, but residents argue that the increase may be too hard on too many homeowners.Now, the only option for those Lunenburg residents facing steep property tax payments is to ask for an abatement, and the deadline to file is Feb. 1.”Like many others, I’ll be filing for an abatement,” Chenis said.Some Select Board members admitted during Tuesday’s meeting that the town failed to give people enough warning about the large increase in property value, and therefore property taxes. The board said it will investigate how the communication failure happened.
The assessor for the Massachusetts town of Lunenburg is receiving blowback from hundreds of angry residents over a massive increase in their property taxes.
Some Lunenburg residents with lakefront homes in the town have seen their property value increase by 135%, and with tax bills due in two weeks, many will need to cough up thousands of dollars more than expected.
“So about $2,000 (property taxes have) gone up, and many of the residents can’t afford this kind of a jump,” homeowner John Fortune told NewsCenter 5.
The homeowners were hoping that the assessments were a terrible mistake, but town officials insist they were not. Therefore, Lunenburg Principal Assessor CJ Carroll was grilled by a packed crowd during Tuesday’s meeting of the Lunenburg Select Board.
Recent lakefront home sales were used to calculate the property value assessments, but those sales came during a time of hyperinflation — when home prices skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In two years, they’ve tripled the value of the property,” said Ken Chenis, who lives along Lake Shirley. “My taxes have gone up dramatically from $1,600 to $5,099 per quarter.”
Chenis said he recently received a private property value assessment that ended up being far lower than the town’s.
“That professional assessment came in at $715,000 in the same year that the town’s assessment came in at $1.1. million,” he said.
Carroll said the town’s assessments were based on state guidelines, but residents argue that the increase may be too hard on too many homeowners.
Now, the only option for those Lunenburg residents facing steep property tax payments is to ask for an abatement, and the deadline to file is Feb. 1.
“Like many others, I’ll be filing for an abatement,” Chenis said.
Some Select Board members admitted during Tuesday’s meeting that the town failed to give people enough warning about the large increase in property value, and therefore property taxes. The board said it will investigate how the communication failure happened.
Read More:Hundreds in Mass. town fuming over massive property tax increase
2023-01-18 03:34:00
