WALWORTH, N.Y. (WHEC) — “An egregious increase” is how one Walworth homeowner described the spike in her home’s assessed value, which she received in the mail this week.
“Right now, our trust in the town, and the town board, has diminished a bit,” said homeowner Peggy Priest, who has lived in Walworth for more than 30 years.
Priest is one of many Walworth residents who has written to News10NBC with the same issue: Huge increases in their home assessments this year.
While New York State recommends that towns and municipalities conduct property assessments once every three to four years, there is no set rule as to how frequently they must occur. Each town and municipality determines that on its own. Webster, for example, has not done one since 2004. Walworth has not done one since 2016 when Priest’s home was last assessed.
“Opened my mail a couple days ago, and received an updated assessment…just under $60,000 for one year,” Priest said.
That’s nearly a 20% increase on Priest’s home in one year. She says she’s heard from neighbors in Walworth who have seen even higher percentage increases on their recent assessments.
“They stated, ranging from 30-50% increase in their value,” Priest said.
News10NBC reached out to Town of Walworth Supervisor Susie Jacobs. She declined an interview but sent us this statement:
Although Peggy is not currently looking to sell her home, she’s concerned about what the spike in her home assessment value could mean long-term.
“What becomes of the saleability of the home when you’re looking at a $100,000 increase in your assessment? That’s our concern.”
It’s important to note that the home assessment value and the real market value of your home are two separate things. You are taxed on your home assessment value, not the real market value. The real market value is what your home would typically sell for on the market.
If you’re curious about the value of your home, there are a couple of ways to find that information:
- You can find your home assessment value on your tax statement.
- You can call your town’s assessment office and they should be able to quickly look it up for you.
- If you live in Monroe County, you can use this website to look it up on your own, or if you live in Wayne County, you can look it up on this website.
Published by WHEC
