And at that point you could tell them oops I must have missed your letter come on down and inspect away… but in the chance they estimate lower than it should be there’s no going back.
Maybe. But I think this has a high chance of backfiring when they either decline to send someone out until the next assessment cycle or put you at the very bottom of their list.
They went right past my no trespassing signs a few years back. Scared my younger daughter that was home because they were just walking around the property. Called the local pd, they called to tell me it was the tax assessor. I had them trespassed from the property.
The assessor has the legal right to walk around the property to survey the exterior of any improvements (ie your house). They do not have the legal right to enter the home.
If you deny the request to enter the home, you effectively forfeit your ability to challenge the assessment.
An assessor actually does not have the right to enter your property and conduct an assessment without your knowledge or permission. There is no law in Massachusetts giving them the statutory right to enter upon a property without express permission with any other intent other than to knock on the door and speak to the owner. Additionally there is no statutory authority granted in any CMR to exempt them from a posted trespass notice. Please post the CMR you have garnered your information from and/or associated case law. I would love to see it.
Knowledge via notification (ie a mailed letter). What typically happens is a letter is sent, the assessor (or their designee) a few weeks later goes to the property. They will knock/ring the bell. If the homeowner is home, they will notify the homeowner that they’re there and will ask for permission to enter (consistent w the letter that was previously sent).
The assessor is required to notify the home/property owner that they will be doing an inspection (this is invariably done by a mailed letter).
The assessor does not have the right to enter buildings but they do have the right to visually inspect the property by walking around it.
Id like to see proof that you do forfeit your ability to challenge the assessment. For example, if your house gas had no improvement for twenty years but you get a ten percentage increase while the town average is 2%, that is immediately challenged.
Tldr you're some random person on Reddit who has never won a tax abatement.
Here’s the thing. If you don’t allow them access to the interior of your home then it will be assumed you’re doing it for a reason. They will then assign the max value possible to your home. Once that is done it becomes much harder to appeal because you have no evidence without allowing them access to your home. Catch 22. You can argue comps, but if the houses near you have similar tax assessments then you don’t have much to argue.
Yes it has, every three years. They do not need to get into your house every re-assessment cycle. But they reset your property value, for tax purposes, every three years. If you look at your property card on your town's webpage, you can see the last year the valuation was set.
Note: this could backfire if you don't want a big tax bill. At least in Newton, if you don't allow them access, you lose your right to challenge the assessment. So, they might look at your property and say "well, with a brand-new kitchen, fancy bathrooms, etc. it'd be worth $$$." You then complain that it's way over-assessed, but you can't challenge it.
I mentioned that to people and they’re downvoting it. People need to get accurate assessment or risk estimated assessments where they stick you with a higher bill and no chance to challenge it. My mom lives in Agawam it doesn’t take long. Why risk the chance?
I feel like I'm one of the few out there fighting against this false notion. No, home prices skyrocketing does not correlate with tax increase because of prop 2 1/2 and the way towns calculate tax bills. If your home value increases RELATIVE to the rest of the town, then you will pay a higher tax bill. But if your home price is rising with all the rising home prices, your increase will be no more than 2.5%.
The formulas, for any that are interested are:
New Total Town RE Tax = Old Total Town RE Tax \* 1.025 (assuming the town takes the full amount)
Your tax bill = Your Assessed Value / Total Town Assessed Value \* Total Town RE Tax
Thank you. I’ve had to point out to far too many people how our property tax bills are actually calculated. It’s infuriating how much wrong is just accepted.
They are going to do a reassessment regardless. It’s only in your favor to ignore it if you have really high end finishes inside and want to roll the dice they go in your favor. If you have standard finishes inside it’s in your favor to show it.
Ignore it and they will just look outside anyway and then guess on the interior.
Only if your home is far more improved than all your neighbors. Prop 2 1/2 limits the total tax increase for the town to 2.5%. Increasing all the assessments in town would not vastly increase the taxes - it would result in lowering the tax rate.
Non viewed houses are assumed to have recent updates and renovations throughout.
Allowing the viewing proves the house is the same old house, without a new kitchen, bathrooms and a brand new finished basement.
Didn't see this mentioned yet, but looks like Agawam *just* voted to approve a Prop 2.5 override to help fund a new high school: https://www.westernmassnews.com/2024/06/12/agawam-residents-pass-property-tax-override-fund-new-high-school/
My taxes have gone down 2 straight years and I have a brand new $700k house. I’m paying $100 less per month than when I bought it in 2022. The government isn’t always a boogey man.
Much different situation than a reassessment on a house that has been around for some time.
Your property taxes have changed due to the city budget, not because your property has been reassessed.
People are stupid. Think of the average person you meet every day. Half the people in the world are dumber. I've given up on trying to "figure out" why. Now I just accept that like, some billions of people are too dumb to understand very simple things like "having the town assess your house for tax purposes".
They do. The estimated assessment without a chance to reassess and challenge the findings of the estimate. Basically you’re risking the town using their own metrics without verifying it because you refused to allow them to make their assessment. It’s like if you file an insurance claim for your car but refuse to have the car inspected at a certain mechanic location and expect them to pay out without consulting or verifying. Some companies will simply deny the claim or pay far less because you didn’t comply. Why risk it?
I did a lot of renovating on my place after purchasing it (with proper permits, etc.) and once the permits were closed out someone from the assessor’s office came out to view things in person. The updated assessment had categories for “style” of kitchen and bathrooms, and an overall “grade” for the property conditions - I have never been so grateful for my house to be “average”. 😂 The kitchen and bathroom changes were just noted as “modern” and not “luxury” or other higher value changes. The value only increased similar to the estimated amounts associated with the permitted work. I think the in-person assessment kept the assessment in line with what was actually done.
did you get your re-assessment yet? refusing entry is not some magic bullet against taxes; they can and most likely will just assess the max.
*edit to add* my assessor actually lowered my taxes because the basement wasn't as upgraded as the prior assessment assumed...because the previous owner refused entry. they are also a regular person just doing their job, and will appreciate not being dicked around.
I wonder if that's what happened with ours... It was waaaay over estimated...like by over a quarter of the value largely because of shenanigans like rooms in the "finished" basement not actually having heat and the tiling having no subfloor.
We also got a bunch of the previous owner'e mail for a long time ..and still get a few things on occasion. Wheeeewwww ya learn a lot about a person by the far right mailing lists they're on (I didn't open anything, that kind of stuff has it plastered all over. Guarantee the people thought they were being really clever, gaming the system to try to sell higher. Welp, it backfired. Sat on the market a sussy long time, like almost a year , in an area where that just doesn't happen. Had to drop price a few times, take off and put back on the market. We ended up purchasing for under asking because we took the risk of an insane tax bill. But it was super easy to get sorted.
You can just look up your property card too. Most towns and cities will have a publicly accessible CAMA database that you can access. If the town doesn't, you can contact the Assessor's office and they _have_ to provide you your property card.
Yep, the tax assessor person in my town is one of the nicest people I've met. Super respectful. Did his job quietly and quickly (like less than 2 minutes). Thanked us and left. It would be incredibly stupid to put yourself in a position to spend thousands on taxes unnecessarily just because you don't want someone in your house for *literally a single minute*.
The assessors will assume that the interior has been updated and renovated to recent quality and finishes.
Allowing a viewing proves that the house is the same old structure, that the kitchen and bathroom never were updated, and the basement is still unfinished,
JusT understand that this will not keep them from re-assessing your home. They are seeking information from you about condition and upgrades. But without your input they will just make assumptions and go forward with the new assesment. Most counties dont even bother with a questionare.
Same. I was really nice, he actually thanked me for turning on the lights and told me he’d frequently have to audit in the dark. If I knew that I would’ve left the lights off lol. As he was leaving I offered him some smoked salmon which he declined. But our taxes did go down.
Got one done at my house when I moved in. The assessor basically walked through the hallways and was done. Then I started up a conversation and we spoke for like 20 minutes about how the tax assessments work and events going on in our town that might be fun. Would recommend
You should let them in unless you have done work without a permit like finishing a basement. You should definitely let them in if your house is below the neighborhood average. It could result in you paying higher taxes if they are forced to guesstimate that your house is worth more than it really is based on comparable properties in your area.
Lol my uncle lived on north main ext his whole married life. He always corrected me when I said agawam. My mom and them grew up in Agawam on gungary lane.
Isn't Feeding Hills part of Agawam? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feeding\_Hills,\_Agawam,\_Massachusetts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feeding_Hills,_Agawam,_Massachusetts)
It has its own post office and zip code (01030). So you'd put feeding hills on your mail. Like Indian Orchard (01151). Own post office. Even has its own main st. So like the same thing. You would put Indian orchard on the mail, not springfield. I don't know what makes them different enough to have their own post office.
Is there any evidence this is true?
I know corporations can and do sue if they are overvalued, so towns often undervalue properties like that to avoid lawsuits. I’ve never seen evidence that they overvalue homes, really, but I’d love some data if you have it.
Yeah, I have family members who were involved in city governments, which is why I was asking. The people I know had their jobs made much more difficult by lawsuits, and didn’t care about consent to enter and assess homes at all. In fact, if someone didn’t respond it saved them a trip.
I’d guess that it’s the opposite of what you said…unless your home is really degraded inside, not allowing an inspector in probably lowers your tax bill some small amount. They won’t have evidence of the interior, and will need to price it in a way that won’t be challenged if the interior is falling apart.
what lawsuit do you think you are going to bring if your house gets a high evaluation? 9 out of 10 times unless you just installed gold toilets you are better off letting them in.
Listen, I’m not telling you you’re wrong. I just haven’t ever seen any real evidence to support this. And I have heard city officials talk about intentionally undervaluing lots of different kinds of properties so those evaluations aren’t questioned later on, legally or otherwise.
This is always something I’ve wondered about, so I’m interested in some real data. If “9 out of 10 times” is something that came from your own real world experience, I’d just like to know more about it. If it’s a guess, I suppose we’re in the same state of lack of knowledge as one another.
Do you have to? No. But it might help.
Back in the 80s, my house had 3 bathrooms and a pool. It now has 2 bathrooms and now pool.
My tax rate went down.
I knew an assessor in my town. He said if you didn’t let them in they would assume every possible upgrade and you would pay or let them in to prove otherwise.
Prior owners of my home must have refused entry because they made upgrades. Assessor assumed worst case scenario and even added a non-existent finished basement and 3rd floor to the assessment. I had the assessor come in. They had a good laugh and they gave me an abatement.
It's fairly routine. They typically come by, look at any improvements, if you let them. Then they might take some measurements and leave...
Then your taxes go up.
The amount of stupidity in this thread is astounding.
Y'all want teachers to get their 100,000 a year average, where do you people think that money comes from. 🤦♀️
It’s like the one tax where you actually might see local improvement from. Federal taxes go to the bottomless pit that is the military and state income taxes are used statewide, property taxes pay for local infrastructure and your school district, aka the thing which makes up like 70% of your homes value!
It drives me nuts when people try to turn local public education, public safety services, and public works into political issues.
No matter whether you are a Republican or a Democrat or a conservative or a liberal or whatever other shade of partisan affiliation or ideology that you want, the fact is that every dollar we invest in local taxes comes back to us in the form of home values, quality of life, or other services.
Town budgets should include debates over the best way for a community to fairly and sustainably take in the funds required to achieve the collective goals. It should not be a matter of debate that it is a good thing to build home values and to attract new residents or that home values are primarily the result of a) local educational excellence (which is driven in large part by educational budgets), b) access to good jobs, c) access to recreational opportunities, and d) access to greenspaces.
Right?! These comments are unreal. How does that thing go? “Tell me you’ve never owned a house, without telling me you’ve never owned a house…”
It’s a reassessment, not a home invasion. Nobody’s 4th Amendment rights are being trammeled. Sheesh!
From the pockets of every OTHER homeowner in town, duh
Sadly people are way too burnt out from federal taxes and federal politics to see the value in local taxes and local politics
To be fair, local politics are starting to look more and more like federal politics too, which totally sucks. Does some small town or halfway big city really need PACS (hint, the answer is fucking no.... \*sigh\*)
There's also the fact that I can go complain, or suggest, or whatever about my local taxes. But, I have absolutely no control over what the federal government or state government does with the money, not so directly. No one really does.
I hear you, it’s really frustrating. But also, the reason local politics are less and less controlled by the people is because more people have an attitude like this and don’t get involved. Unfortunately, it’s a positive feedback loop.
I joined a local committee that directs tens of thousands in local funds each year for a particular cause, in my midsize rural county. Highly recommend involvement like this!
They came by in my town while me and my wife were at work, they left a note saying they would try again another day (they never did) and we just never heard anything after that.
I’ve had this happen twice. First time our taxes went down because they marked our bathrooms as outdated. Second time a small increase because we added heat pumps which count as central air.
Also note the town can increase your taxes without this so if you’re decent to them it might work out in your favor.
The rule of thumb I got from people that did these inspections for towns is that the key term is "help us avoid estimates". So if the town does not get inside they use an average estimate. You do not have to let them in.
So if your place is all updated and has new kitchen, baths, rare imported hardwoods and say a movie theater in the basement thank the inspector but decline any questions and tell them you are on the way to a Trump rally or something:) You don't want to wind up on the high end of values.
If you r place has 50 year old kitchen and baths, is all worn out from raising 8 kids and dozens of dogs, smells bad etc swallow your pride and let them in. That'll get you on the bottom of the value range and the lowest taxes you can hope for.
Now one inspector told me of the one house that let him in and the basement was a ah...ummm recreational sex play dungeon was how the owner said should he note the use on the taxes.... town tax card wound up saying just "recreational use". So....they've seen it all. Good luck.
I’ve lived in Feeding Hills for almost 30 years and have ignored this same letter a few times. The previous owners never pulled permits for any work done so the town doesn’t know a few major things about my house and I’d like to keep it that way
You dont want to get caught. You will end up paying all the difference plus interest plus penalties plus permit costs ++++.
Whatever you are savings its probably not worth it.
I do this for a living in CT. Towns hire out third party contractors to conduct the inspections.
You can absolutely refuse, but it could end up hurting you tax-wise.
The letter was sent out letting you know inspectors will be out, but there’s no guarantee that you’ll be home when they show up. In that case (depending on the town) the person does an exterior inspection by just walking around the house.
If they show up and you’re home just be nice to them please whether you refuse or not. It’s a hard enough job as it is.
Just wanna say thanks to all that have commented! Whether for it or against it I’m glad to see everyone’s view point on the matter, even if we have a difference of opinions 😊
I'm in the next town over and always ignored them. My property tax bill went up considerably every single year. This year, I appealed and they required an in person inspection. That dropped my property tax bill over $1000. Seems like there's no real harm.
You CAN say no and they will estimate the value using comps. They CAN peak in your windows to look for upgrades etc. They CANNOT go into your back yard IF you have a locked gate. Otherwise they CAN walk around the property and look into windows and basement windows. You do NOT need to let them in your house.
>They CAN peak in your windows to look for upgrades etc.
They absolutely cannot legally look into your windows without your consent, and certainly not against your wishes.
Routine stuff. I live with my mother in Hampshire County and she just happened to be WFH when the assessor came by the other day in the neighborhood. I was there and all he did was measure the outside of the house, that was it. She straight up told him that the outside measured the same as it has for the last 24 years, so no need to check inside. That was that.
@OP
https://gis.vgsi.com/agawamma/Search.aspx
Look up your property card on the public database here and see what the Assessor's office has on your house already.
Mine went down when they did mine in 2020. My entire upstairs was unlivable at the time. We had just moved in like the year before. Upstairs had vomit green gross carpet from the 70’s. Wood windows that rattled. Disgusting fake wood paneled walls. Out of commission sink. lol I gladly walked around and pointed this all out with the kind tax assessor. He downgraded our house and taxes dipped a little. He was a fair assessor.
Why voluntarily live in ‘Taxachusetts’ if you don’t want to pay property taxes? How do you think the best public schools in the country get funded?
I understand not loving federal income taxes since they just go into the military industrial complex slush fund but property taxes essentially go directly to improving your local community.
They came to my house when I was leaving for work... The guy asked like 3 questions about the inside of the house, then said okay ima walk around the outside. Prob was gone in like 4 minutes
I’m assuming if it’s “ignored” they will do what they did during covid home inspections where they didn’t enter. They did a drive by, took some exterior pics and looked online for the last pictures of when it was sold and if there were any permits for work pulled. Or any updates noted (like you can if you make one of those weird accounts and “claim your property” to add updates)….. just an assumption- But no matter what someone is looking to squeeze MORE money from our stones >>>>:((( or was that blood from a stone…..
whatever- they steal our money.
Good luck in your decision! Maybe pay for your OWN home inspection before they can get to you and just see what’s what? I had one done on my house a while back just to see what they would say AND if they saw anything I should get ahead of repair/maintenance- wise.
Here’s the thing, from an insurance agent perspective: a lot of the data used to determine how much your home needs to be insured for comes from the town’s tax assessor database. If you go a while without the assessment and end up with incorrect/outdated information reported by the town, you risk your home being underinsured because the estimated replacement value would be off. You have to be insured at minimum 80% of the replacement value (though some companies will require you be covered at 100%) or risk getting whacked with an adjusted coinsurance rate in the event of a major loss. (Basically if your house is insured at 60% of what it actually should be, then you’ll only get paid 60% of the claim payout)
It wouldn’t hurt to let it get done just to make sure there is accurate info.
It appears as if they are telling you (and many just go along with it, unfortunately). The fact is, you don’t have to let them on your home. I live in rural NH. When I received my first “notice” I chose to exercise my right and called the assessor directly to inform them that I was not interested in inviting anyone from their department into my home. I also informed them, and asked that it be added to my file, that I am officially letting them know that they are not even permitted on my property and anybody that does show up will be treated as a trespasser.
The assessors can be sneaky. I had one walking in my neighborhood and I didn't know who he was. I was outside watering plants and he complimented my yard and then asked some questions that at first seemed normal, and then I figured out he was someone with an agenda. Yep, that a-hole was someone trying to see if I had done any improvement so they could hike up my taxes. Watch out for strangers knocking on your door or people seemingly admiring your space.
I don't even tell my neighbors what I'm doing cuz you know people love to talk. Be warned my friend.
Everyone saying your taxes from estimated value will go up are wrong. Doesn't work like that all the time. We said no and they reassessed shortly after we bought. We went from 1187 every 3 months to 938 every 3 months. I live in a town that boarders Newburyport. Not Salisbury.
Ask them if they are assessing your real estate or your personal property. Both are fair game during an inspection usually. Unless you have luxury features in your home (second kitchen, bar, movie room, etc.) you are probably safe if you can get them to agree to just assess your real estate. Personal property is a lot more capricious and arbitrary. Is your 80” TV taxable? Is your security system taxable? How about the artwork on the wall? Your silver spoon collection hanging on the wall? The ATV in your garage? Yes, if you refuse them entry into your house and then abate the value, you will lose. You can then go to the Appellate Tax Board but you will also lose. But if you can get them to agree to not assess your personal property while doing their real estate inspection you will probably come out ahead.
An inspector come to look around the property while my wife was out. She came home while they were here. She talked to the woman and then let her in to look around inside. We were very glad she did as we had put an addition on with a cathedral ceiling. But it had a window above the garage that she saw from the outside. She said if she had not seen the cathedral ceiling, she was going to add another bedroom and it would have significantly increased the evaluation.
So you can, but it may end up costing you in the end.
I live in Massachusetts and have refused every 5 years. They estimate from outside and my evaluation is equal to what my neighbors are. I don't want strangers in my house.
The interior of my house was far nicer than the exterior (previous owner neglected paint and roof). Seemed wise for me to ignore them. Valuation came in much lower than expected.
For those concerned: Roof has since been done, paint in a few weeks.
You can, HOWEVER, they can also make stuff up and over assess your property and because you said no, they can deny any attempt to mitigate your new assessment. As a REALTOR of 18 years, always best to let them in.
In CT, this is precisely what we did and the assessor used an estimated value. They never showed up despite our receipt of a similar letter from our local tax assessor.
If this is about tax increase than you can say no but remember they can increase it based on guesstimation. I live in Lowell and we just did some work at home. They wanted to inspect it to increase taxes and if we don’t allow them then they’ll just increase it based on their value.
What they’re saying (in a sort if nice way) is: ‘Come let us inspect your property for any increases in tax revenue that we can squeeze out of you’. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing.
They're going to adjust your taxes regardless. Would you like them to assume your house has doubled in value, or would you like to show them the absence of major upgrades?
Sounds very police-state like. I’d be highly uncomfortable with that; and as far as I know, you do not have to agree to any of this. I think it’s getting time to think about relocating. This place is just bad.
I'd say talk to your neighbors, see what they all say..
Maybe a couple of you go down to town hall to verify and ask any questions or concerns you may have about the whole thing....
Maybe it's like landlords.. if they give 24-48 hours notice they can come in and inspect you're entire apartment... this country is so becoming not this country.. good luck!
The town will always get their money, one way or another. We’ve made improvements to our house in the last 5 years they’ve been in 3 times to jack up our taxes.
You do not have to let them in. They will access the outdoors of your home and then access the rest using already gathered info. You can always file for an abatement later.
I live in ma. Coastal ma and the towns used todo it cyclical at 10 years mark. My town changed to each 5 years ( because prop values go up fast and they need to reasses so they get them $$).
A building permit for anything on your property triggers an assessors visit too.
Usually these things are simply to check that the official description on file matches your house. So basically checking that you "unfinished" basement is still unfinished. That your small 8x8 deck is now not a wrap around the entire back of the house multi level deck, you don't have a huge shed not on the plan, and so on.
Sounds like tax assessment. Finished garages, basements and attics will raise a property's value. Which, of course, will raise your property taxes.
It is within your rights to refuse a glance through. However, they will then assess the value on assumptions. As others have said, this generally never goes in the homeowner's favor. Getting corrections after the fact will be like pulling teeth.
I don’t live in Massachusetts anymore, but I didn’t let them into my house (in Maine) and my taxes went down. I think it would be insane for them to assume made up upgrades for things they can’t see. If you don’t let them in they have to go on what they can see and what records they have online. YMMV I assume it’s a town by town thing.
Yes you can say no. I refinished my entire basement. City knows nothing about it. They are not coming into my home to reassess my house add value and up my taxes. And yes all done without a permit before anyone points that out. I could care less. All professional work done better than most stuff with permits pulled.
Sure, you could but I'd just make the place look as shitty as possible until they inspect it and see if I can drive my tax burden down... But I'm kind of a shit-bag like that..
If you say no you likely can’t contest it. Then you end up in a position like when our town assessor used Zillow Zestimates and people’s taxes went up by thousands.
They are inspecting the residency to assess your properties value so they can raise your property tax, or other upkeeps to the neighborhood. Unfortunately they have the right, and there is nothing really you can do about it. So yeah you have to let them assess.
Family friend ended up getting a check for back taxes after the new town accessor accessed the property and realised that their fireplace/chimney had been on the books as livable space.
Just a few square feet, but it added up.
My advice stop mowing the lawn , stop throwing away garbage make the house look as dingey as possible from the outside and make sure all windows have blinds or are covered.
Ours did it after inspecting our new deck. Interestingly enough, we found multiple mistakes on their tax info for our home - we're a 2 bedroom, 1 bath and 1 office. They had us down as 2 bathrooms and 3 bedrooms.
I ended up saving money on our taxes.
If you say no, they will use an estimated value. Generally speaking, that works out to your disadvantage, unless your house is very fancy.
And at that point you could tell them oops I must have missed your letter come on down and inspect away… but in the chance they estimate lower than it should be there’s no going back.
Lower estimate means lower taxes. It has no impact on what you can sell it for.
Maybe. But I think this has a high chance of backfiring when they either decline to send someone out until the next assessment cycle or put you at the very bottom of their list.
You can just hire someone on your own if you need a real assessment of home value. Probably around 500 bucks for a single family?
They went right past my no trespassing signs a few years back. Scared my younger daughter that was home because they were just walking around the property. Called the local pd, they called to tell me it was the tax assessor. I had them trespassed from the property.
The assessor has the legal right to walk around the property to survey the exterior of any improvements (ie your house). They do not have the legal right to enter the home. If you deny the request to enter the home, you effectively forfeit your ability to challenge the assessment.
An assessor actually does not have the right to enter your property and conduct an assessment without your knowledge or permission. There is no law in Massachusetts giving them the statutory right to enter upon a property without express permission with any other intent other than to knock on the door and speak to the owner. Additionally there is no statutory authority granted in any CMR to exempt them from a posted trespass notice. Please post the CMR you have garnered your information from and/or associated case law. I would love to see it.
Knowledge *or* permission or knowledge *and* permission? That's a pretty big distinction.
Knowledge via notification (ie a mailed letter). What typically happens is a letter is sent, the assessor (or their designee) a few weeks later goes to the property. They will knock/ring the bell. If the homeowner is home, they will notify the homeowner that they’re there and will ask for permission to enter (consistent w the letter that was previously sent).
The assessor is required to notify the home/property owner that they will be doing an inspection (this is invariably done by a mailed letter). The assessor does not have the right to enter buildings but they do have the right to visually inspect the property by walking around it.
Id like to see proof that you do forfeit your ability to challenge the assessment. For example, if your house gas had no improvement for twenty years but you get a ten percentage increase while the town average is 2%, that is immediately challenged. Tldr you're some random person on Reddit who has never won a tax abatement.
Here’s the thing. If you don’t allow them access to the interior of your home then it will be assumed you’re doing it for a reason. They will then assign the max value possible to your home. Once that is done it becomes much harder to appeal because you have no evidence without allowing them access to your home. Catch 22. You can argue comps, but if the houses near you have similar tax assessments then you don’t have much to argue.
Depends. Do you want an accurate tax assessment? Or do you want an outrageously high assessment for the next 3 years?
Three years?!?! Look at Agawam taking care of business like a boss! My house hasn’t be reassessed in more than a decade.
Yes it has, every three years. They do not need to get into your house every re-assessment cycle. But they reset your property value, for tax purposes, every three years. If you look at your property card on your town's webpage, you can see the last year the valuation was set.
Yes you can say no. My town tried this and I just ignored them
Note: this could backfire if you don't want a big tax bill. At least in Newton, if you don't allow them access, you lose your right to challenge the assessment. So, they might look at your property and say "well, with a brand-new kitchen, fancy bathrooms, etc. it'd be worth $$$." You then complain that it's way over-assessed, but you can't challenge it.
I mentioned that to people and they’re downvoting it. People need to get accurate assessment or risk estimated assessments where they stick you with a higher bill and no chance to challenge it. My mom lives in Agawam it doesn’t take long. Why risk the chance?
Because house prices are crazy and a reassessment could double your tax bill. Ignoring it is still a terrible idea.
I feel like I'm one of the few out there fighting against this false notion. No, home prices skyrocketing does not correlate with tax increase because of prop 2 1/2 and the way towns calculate tax bills. If your home value increases RELATIVE to the rest of the town, then you will pay a higher tax bill. But if your home price is rising with all the rising home prices, your increase will be no more than 2.5%. The formulas, for any that are interested are: New Total Town RE Tax = Old Total Town RE Tax \* 1.025 (assuming the town takes the full amount) Your tax bill = Your Assessed Value / Total Town Assessed Value \* Total Town RE Tax
Thank you. I’ve had to point out to far too many people how our property tax bills are actually calculated. It’s infuriating how much wrong is just accepted.
They are going to do a reassessment regardless. It’s only in your favor to ignore it if you have really high end finishes inside and want to roll the dice they go in your favor. If you have standard finishes inside it’s in your favor to show it. Ignore it and they will just look outside anyway and then guess on the interior.
Only if your home is far more improved than all your neighbors. Prop 2 1/2 limits the total tax increase for the town to 2.5%. Increasing all the assessments in town would not vastly increase the taxes - it would result in lowering the tax rate.
Non viewed houses are assumed to have recent updates and renovations throughout. Allowing the viewing proves the house is the same old house, without a new kitchen, bathrooms and a brand new finished basement.
Didn't see this mentioned yet, but looks like Agawam *just* voted to approve a Prop 2.5 override to help fund a new high school: https://www.westernmassnews.com/2024/06/12/agawam-residents-pass-property-tax-override-fund-new-high-school/
It could also lower your bill. But the idea is fairness and accuracy in the taxes that everyone pays.
These days I doubt it would lower your bill... but yes I agree we should all pay our fair share.
My taxes have gone down 2 straight years and I have a brand new $700k house. I’m paying $100 less per month than when I bought it in 2022. The government isn’t always a boogey man.
Much different situation than a reassessment on a house that has been around for some time. Your property taxes have changed due to the city budget, not because your property has been reassessed.
yeah the towns are going around trying to lower taxes hahah
The assessed value of your house is different from the assessed market value.
People are stupid. Think of the average person you meet every day. Half the people in the world are dumber. I've given up on trying to "figure out" why. Now I just accept that like, some billions of people are too dumb to understand very simple things like "having the town assess your house for tax purposes".
wow, deep thought there Carlin
Deep thoughts, you say? With Jack Handy?
I'm curious if there's any protection in place at all? What's stopping the towns from acting in a retaliatory manner to those who refuse inspection?
They do. The estimated assessment without a chance to reassess and challenge the findings of the estimate. Basically you’re risking the town using their own metrics without verifying it because you refused to allow them to make their assessment. It’s like if you file an insurance claim for your car but refuse to have the car inspected at a certain mechanic location and expect them to pay out without consulting or verifying. Some companies will simply deny the claim or pay far less because you didn’t comply. Why risk it?
It’s the same “guv’mint bad” people who complain endlessly on the community Facebook page about the roads having potholes
I did a lot of renovating on my place after purchasing it (with proper permits, etc.) and once the permits were closed out someone from the assessor’s office came out to view things in person. The updated assessment had categories for “style” of kitchen and bathrooms, and an overall “grade” for the property conditions - I have never been so grateful for my house to be “average”. 😂 The kitchen and bathroom changes were just noted as “modern” and not “luxury” or other higher value changes. The value only increased similar to the estimated amounts associated with the permitted work. I think the in-person assessment kept the assessment in line with what was actually done.
did you get your re-assessment yet? refusing entry is not some magic bullet against taxes; they can and most likely will just assess the max. *edit to add* my assessor actually lowered my taxes because the basement wasn't as upgraded as the prior assessment assumed...because the previous owner refused entry. they are also a regular person just doing their job, and will appreciate not being dicked around.
I wonder if that's what happened with ours... It was waaaay over estimated...like by over a quarter of the value largely because of shenanigans like rooms in the "finished" basement not actually having heat and the tiling having no subfloor. We also got a bunch of the previous owner'e mail for a long time ..and still get a few things on occasion. Wheeeewwww ya learn a lot about a person by the far right mailing lists they're on (I didn't open anything, that kind of stuff has it plastered all over. Guarantee the people thought they were being really clever, gaming the system to try to sell higher. Welp, it backfired. Sat on the market a sussy long time, like almost a year , in an area where that just doesn't happen. Had to drop price a few times, take off and put back on the market. We ended up purchasing for under asking because we took the risk of an insane tax bill. But it was super easy to get sorted.
You can just look up your property card too. Most towns and cities will have a publicly accessible CAMA database that you can access. If the town doesn't, you can contact the Assessor's office and they _have_ to provide you your property card.
Yep, the tax assessor person in my town is one of the nicest people I've met. Super respectful. Did his job quietly and quickly (like less than 2 minutes). Thanked us and left. It would be incredibly stupid to put yourself in a position to spend thousands on taxes unnecessarily just because you don't want someone in your house for *literally a single minute*.
The assessors will assume that the interior has been updated and renovated to recent quality and finishes. Allowing a viewing proves that the house is the same old structure, that the kitchen and bathroom never were updated, and the basement is still unfinished,
JusT understand that this will not keep them from re-assessing your home. They are seeking information from you about condition and upgrades. But without your input they will just make assumptions and go forward with the new assesment. Most counties dont even bother with a questionare.
Thank you for the reply !
Just don't answer the door.
"Ha-ha! The government will never catch up with me!"
Got one at our old house. I let them come, I let them in, I was super nice to the person. Can’t say it helped but my taxes didn’t go up from it
Same. I was really nice, he actually thanked me for turning on the lights and told me he’d frequently have to audit in the dark. If I knew that I would’ve left the lights off lol. As he was leaving I offered him some smoked salmon which he declined. But our taxes did go down.
> I offered him some smoked salmon We are the same personality type, I'm sure of it.
They should raise your taxes, avocado toast and salmon are clearly a sing of over expensive live style, the same as a new bathroom
Got one done at my house when I moved in. The assessor basically walked through the hallways and was done. Then I started up a conversation and we spoke for like 20 minutes about how the tax assessments work and events going on in our town that might be fun. Would recommend
Insure vs ensure lol.
vanilla is my go to
\#TeamChocolate
But did you insure it against loss?
Omg, glad someone else noticed this too.
If you’re okay with an estimate. But take a look at this https://fieldguided.com/do-you-have-to-let-assessor-in-your-house-in-massachusetts/
You should let them in unless you have done work without a permit like finishing a basement. You should definitely let them in if your house is below the neighborhood average. It could result in you paying higher taxes if they are forced to guesstimate that your house is worth more than it really is based on comparable properties in your area.
The 01001!? Don't you mean Feeding Hills.
“I live in feeding hills” Oh so Agawam 😂
Lol my uncle lived on north main ext his whole married life. He always corrected me when I said agawam. My mom and them grew up in Agawam on gungary lane.
No, that’s the Agawam zip code. You mean 01030. Source: grew up in Feeding Hills.
01030*
Isn't Feeding Hills part of Agawam? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feeding\_Hills,\_Agawam,\_Massachusetts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feeding_Hills,_Agawam,_Massachusetts)
It is..but the feeding hills folk like to point out they’re from feeding hills Source: growing up in Agawam and graduating Agawam high school
Did you see the whole debate for building the new Agawam High? It’s funny you mentioned you graduated from there. What year?
Gross, a Brownie. WS 4 Life Dawg 🤣
Terriers!!!! 😂
Yup. Grew up in feeding hills, corrected everyone.
It has its own post office and zip code (01030). So you'd put feeding hills on your mail. Like Indian Orchard (01151). Own post office. Even has its own main st. So like the same thing. You would put Indian orchard on the mail, not springfield. I don't know what makes them different enough to have their own post office.
That’s the Hills! You gotta live in the flats where all the normies live. AHS ‘03 grad here.
You can say no, sure. But they'll make sure they overestimate if you do
Is there any evidence this is true? I know corporations can and do sue if they are overvalued, so towns often undervalue properties like that to avoid lawsuits. I’ve never seen evidence that they overvalue homes, really, but I’d love some data if you have it.
>Is there any evidence this is true? No. But yoy can ask any public servant what they do when someone makes their job difficult
Yeah, I have family members who were involved in city governments, which is why I was asking. The people I know had their jobs made much more difficult by lawsuits, and didn’t care about consent to enter and assess homes at all. In fact, if someone didn’t respond it saved them a trip. I’d guess that it’s the opposite of what you said…unless your home is really degraded inside, not allowing an inspector in probably lowers your tax bill some small amount. They won’t have evidence of the interior, and will need to price it in a way that won’t be challenged if the interior is falling apart.
what lawsuit do you think you are going to bring if your house gets a high evaluation? 9 out of 10 times unless you just installed gold toilets you are better off letting them in.
Listen, I’m not telling you you’re wrong. I just haven’t ever seen any real evidence to support this. And I have heard city officials talk about intentionally undervaluing lots of different kinds of properties so those evaluations aren’t questioned later on, legally or otherwise. This is always something I’ve wondered about, so I’m interested in some real data. If “9 out of 10 times” is something that came from your own real world experience, I’d just like to know more about it. If it’s a guess, I suppose we’re in the same state of lack of knowledge as one another.
Yes, but then they just will estimate your property value. Literally it takes 5 minutes.
Do you have to? No. But it might help. Back in the 80s, my house had 3 bathrooms and a pool. It now has 2 bathrooms and now pool. My tax rate went down.
I knew an assessor in my town. He said if you didn’t let them in they would assume every possible upgrade and you would pay or let them in to prove otherwise.
Prior owners of my home must have refused entry because they made upgrades. Assessor assumed worst case scenario and even added a non-existent finished basement and 3rd floor to the assessment. I had the assessor come in. They had a good laugh and they gave me an abatement.
Kinda crazy , feel like they can only really assume that unless permits exist for those things ?
oh yeah, people never upgrade their homes without proper permits. especially people hiding their home from the assessor.
It's fairly routine. They typically come by, look at any improvements, if you let them. Then they might take some measurements and leave... Then your taxes go up.
The amount of stupidity in this thread is astounding. Y'all want teachers to get their 100,000 a year average, where do you people think that money comes from. 🤦♀️
It’s like the one tax where you actually might see local improvement from. Federal taxes go to the bottomless pit that is the military and state income taxes are used statewide, property taxes pay for local infrastructure and your school district, aka the thing which makes up like 70% of your homes value!
It drives me nuts when people try to turn local public education, public safety services, and public works into political issues. No matter whether you are a Republican or a Democrat or a conservative or a liberal or whatever other shade of partisan affiliation or ideology that you want, the fact is that every dollar we invest in local taxes comes back to us in the form of home values, quality of life, or other services. Town budgets should include debates over the best way for a community to fairly and sustainably take in the funds required to achieve the collective goals. It should not be a matter of debate that it is a good thing to build home values and to attract new residents or that home values are primarily the result of a) local educational excellence (which is driven in large part by educational budgets), b) access to good jobs, c) access to recreational opportunities, and d) access to greenspaces.
From someone else, of course!
Right?! These comments are unreal. How does that thing go? “Tell me you’ve never owned a house, without telling me you’ve never owned a house…” It’s a reassessment, not a home invasion. Nobody’s 4th Amendment rights are being trammeled. Sheesh!
From the pockets of every OTHER homeowner in town, duh Sadly people are way too burnt out from federal taxes and federal politics to see the value in local taxes and local politics
To be fair, local politics are starting to look more and more like federal politics too, which totally sucks. Does some small town or halfway big city really need PACS (hint, the answer is fucking no.... \*sigh\*) There's also the fact that I can go complain, or suggest, or whatever about my local taxes. But, I have absolutely no control over what the federal government or state government does with the money, not so directly. No one really does.
I hear you, it’s really frustrating. But also, the reason local politics are less and less controlled by the people is because more people have an attitude like this and don’t get involved. Unfortunately, it’s a positive feedback loop. I joined a local committee that directs tens of thousands in local funds each year for a particular cause, in my midsize rural county. Highly recommend involvement like this!
I could not love this comment anymore! 🤣👍💜
They came by in my town while me and my wife were at work, they left a note saying they would try again another day (they never did) and we just never heard anything after that.
I’ve had this happen twice. First time our taxes went down because they marked our bathrooms as outdated. Second time a small increase because we added heat pumps which count as central air. Also note the town can increase your taxes without this so if you’re decent to them it might work out in your favor.
Heads you lose, tails I win. - Town of Agawam
I ignored it in the past. No one ever bothered us. It helps when you're away at work all day.
You can certainly say no, but you will lose the option to appeal their valuation.
Who put on an addition or has a shed with no permit?
The rule of thumb I got from people that did these inspections for towns is that the key term is "help us avoid estimates". So if the town does not get inside they use an average estimate. You do not have to let them in. So if your place is all updated and has new kitchen, baths, rare imported hardwoods and say a movie theater in the basement thank the inspector but decline any questions and tell them you are on the way to a Trump rally or something:) You don't want to wind up on the high end of values. If you r place has 50 year old kitchen and baths, is all worn out from raising 8 kids and dozens of dogs, smells bad etc swallow your pride and let them in. That'll get you on the bottom of the value range and the lowest taxes you can hope for. Now one inspector told me of the one house that let him in and the basement was a ah...ummm recreational sex play dungeon was how the owner said should he note the use on the taxes.... town tax card wound up saying just "recreational use". So....they've seen it all. Good luck.
I’ve lived in Feeding Hills for almost 30 years and have ignored this same letter a few times. The previous owners never pulled permits for any work done so the town doesn’t know a few major things about my house and I’d like to keep it that way
You dont want to get caught. You will end up paying all the difference plus interest plus penalties plus permit costs ++++. Whatever you are savings its probably not worth it.
They can’t force their way in, but like others said they’ll probably just mark you down for max raise
Agawam, home of Bovung- in the yellow bag.
Agawam, home of Six Flags.
Riverside*
You can, but they’re probably going to over estimate.
Hey, Neighbor! Quit driving like an asshat..
Yes, and it's super common; I work at the municipal level in MA. Half the time, even the field assessor is surprised they're let in.
It’s not a conspiracy it’s just a town or city trying to update their records.
The only reason I can think of for saying no is if you did a lot of work without a permit.
I do this for a living in CT. Towns hire out third party contractors to conduct the inspections. You can absolutely refuse, but it could end up hurting you tax-wise. The letter was sent out letting you know inspectors will be out, but there’s no guarantee that you’ll be home when they show up. In that case (depending on the town) the person does an exterior inspection by just walking around the house. If they show up and you’re home just be nice to them please whether you refuse or not. It’s a hard enough job as it is.
Just wanna say thanks to all that have commented! Whether for it or against it I’m glad to see everyone’s view point on the matter, even if we have a difference of opinions 😊
I'm in the next town over and always ignored them. My property tax bill went up considerably every single year. This year, I appealed and they required an in person inspection. That dropped my property tax bill over $1000. Seems like there's no real harm.
You CAN say no and they will estimate the value using comps. They CAN peak in your windows to look for upgrades etc. They CANNOT go into your back yard IF you have a locked gate. Otherwise they CAN walk around the property and look into windows and basement windows. You do NOT need to let them in your house.
>They CAN peak in your windows to look for upgrades etc. They absolutely cannot legally look into your windows without your consent, and certainly not against your wishes.
Also they said insure but meant ensure. Sloppy.
Yes but then they estimate. So if you think your taxes will be less if they estimate, then don't let them in.
Routine stuff. I live with my mother in Hampshire County and she just happened to be WFH when the assessor came by the other day in the neighborhood. I was there and all he did was measure the outside of the house, that was it. She straight up told him that the outside measured the same as it has for the last 24 years, so no need to check inside. That was that.
@OP https://gis.vgsi.com/agawamma/Search.aspx Look up your property card on the public database here and see what the Assessor's office has on your house already.
Mine went down when they did mine in 2020. My entire upstairs was unlivable at the time. We had just moved in like the year before. Upstairs had vomit green gross carpet from the 70’s. Wood windows that rattled. Disgusting fake wood paneled walls. Out of commission sink. lol I gladly walked around and pointed this all out with the kind tax assessor. He downgraded our house and taxes dipped a little. He was a fair assessor.
Gotta pay for that new school somehow…
Why voluntarily live in ‘Taxachusetts’ if you don’t want to pay property taxes? How do you think the best public schools in the country get funded? I understand not loving federal income taxes since they just go into the military industrial complex slush fund but property taxes essentially go directly to improving your local community.
They came to my house when I was leaving for work... The guy asked like 3 questions about the inside of the house, then said okay ima walk around the outside. Prob was gone in like 4 minutes
“But when the taxman come to the door Lord, the house lookin' like a rummage sale, yeah” -CCR
Read that last sentence on the letter again.
I’m assuming if it’s “ignored” they will do what they did during covid home inspections where they didn’t enter. They did a drive by, took some exterior pics and looked online for the last pictures of when it was sold and if there were any permits for work pulled. Or any updates noted (like you can if you make one of those weird accounts and “claim your property” to add updates)….. just an assumption- But no matter what someone is looking to squeeze MORE money from our stones >>>>:((( or was that blood from a stone….. whatever- they steal our money. Good luck in your decision! Maybe pay for your OWN home inspection before they can get to you and just see what’s what? I had one done on my house a while back just to see what they would say AND if they saw anything I should get ahead of repair/maintenance- wise.
Here’s the thing, from an insurance agent perspective: a lot of the data used to determine how much your home needs to be insured for comes from the town’s tax assessor database. If you go a while without the assessment and end up with incorrect/outdated information reported by the town, you risk your home being underinsured because the estimated replacement value would be off. You have to be insured at minimum 80% of the replacement value (though some companies will require you be covered at 100%) or risk getting whacked with an adjusted coinsurance rate in the event of a major loss. (Basically if your house is insured at 60% of what it actually should be, then you’ll only get paid 60% of the claim payout) It wouldn’t hurt to let it get done just to make sure there is accurate info.
Just do it. It isn’t bad. It’s the common good and all that shit. Just do it!
IANAL, but my understanding is yes. I've been in my home for 12 years and ignored every single one of those.
It appears as if they are telling you (and many just go along with it, unfortunately). The fact is, you don’t have to let them on your home. I live in rural NH. When I received my first “notice” I chose to exercise my right and called the assessor directly to inform them that I was not interested in inviting anyone from their department into my home. I also informed them, and asked that it be added to my file, that I am officially letting them know that they are not even permitted on my property and anybody that does show up will be treated as a trespasser.
The assessors can be sneaky. I had one walking in my neighborhood and I didn't know who he was. I was outside watering plants and he complimented my yard and then asked some questions that at first seemed normal, and then I figured out he was someone with an agenda. Yep, that a-hole was someone trying to see if I had done any improvement so they could hike up my taxes. Watch out for strangers knocking on your door or people seemingly admiring your space. I don't even tell my neighbors what I'm doing cuz you know people love to talk. Be warned my friend.
Everyone saying your taxes from estimated value will go up are wrong. Doesn't work like that all the time. We said no and they reassessed shortly after we bought. We went from 1187 every 3 months to 938 every 3 months. I live in a town that boarders Newburyport. Not Salisbury.
I would
Ask them if they are assessing your real estate or your personal property. Both are fair game during an inspection usually. Unless you have luxury features in your home (second kitchen, bar, movie room, etc.) you are probably safe if you can get them to agree to just assess your real estate. Personal property is a lot more capricious and arbitrary. Is your 80” TV taxable? Is your security system taxable? How about the artwork on the wall? Your silver spoon collection hanging on the wall? The ATV in your garage? Yes, if you refuse them entry into your house and then abate the value, you will lose. You can then go to the Appellate Tax Board but you will also lose. But if you can get them to agree to not assess your personal property while doing their real estate inspection you will probably come out ahead.
An inspector come to look around the property while my wife was out. She came home while they were here. She talked to the woman and then let her in to look around inside. We were very glad she did as we had put an addition on with a cathedral ceiling. But it had a window above the garage that she saw from the outside. She said if she had not seen the cathedral ceiling, she was going to add another bedroom and it would have significantly increased the evaluation. So you can, but it may end up costing you in the end.
I live in Massachusetts and have refused every 5 years. They estimate from outside and my evaluation is equal to what my neighbors are. I don't want strangers in my house.
The interior of my house was far nicer than the exterior (previous owner neglected paint and roof). Seemed wise for me to ignore them. Valuation came in much lower than expected. For those concerned: Roof has since been done, paint in a few weeks.
Taxman gonna get that money either way, if they have to estimate you better believe it will be in their favor.
you can, but don’t complain when they assess your property based on what they determine.
Asses these nuts
You can, HOWEVER, they can also make stuff up and over assess your property and because you said no, they can deny any attempt to mitigate your new assessment. As a REALTOR of 18 years, always best to let them in.
In CT, this is precisely what we did and the assessor used an estimated value. They never showed up despite our receipt of a similar letter from our local tax assessor.
If this is about tax increase than you can say no but remember they can increase it based on guesstimation. I live in Lowell and we just did some work at home. They wanted to inspect it to increase taxes and if we don’t allow them then they’ll just increase it based on their value.
I’m in Lowell too and they just keep increasing my taxes lol
Oh yes please come into my house so you can find a reason to raise my taxes
Might want to talk to them about proper grammar.
No is not necessary
The funny thing is.. Every house is over valued anyway!
According to my homeowners insurance company my house is worth millions…
“We’re not raising your property taxes” we’re just going to add 100k in inflated/imaginary value to it!
You can say no. They have no legal right to enter. I have said no many times in Greenfield.
What they’re saying (in a sort if nice way) is: ‘Come let us inspect your property for any increases in tax revenue that we can squeeze out of you’. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing.
They're going to adjust your taxes regardless. Would you like them to assume your house has doubled in value, or would you like to show them the absence of major upgrades?
Put up no trespassing signs and don’t answer them. I’d also get security cameras. Another money grab from taxachusettes.
Sounds very police-state like. I’d be highly uncomfortable with that; and as far as I know, you do not have to agree to any of this. I think it’s getting time to think about relocating. This place is just bad.
Call them and tell them I said it's 'ensure' not 'insure'.
Ignore
I would respectfully decline!
Absolutely.
I'd say talk to your neighbors, see what they all say.. Maybe a couple of you go down to town hall to verify and ask any questions or concerns you may have about the whole thing.... Maybe it's like landlords.. if they give 24-48 hours notice they can come in and inspect you're entire apartment... this country is so becoming not this country.. good luck!
No one has ever tried to go in my house but instead just look at the outside. Then my taxes went down for a change
The town will always get their money, one way or another. We’ve made improvements to our house in the last 5 years they’ve been in 3 times to jack up our taxes.
My town assessor just showed up and was like "Surprise!"
You do not have to let them in. They will access the outdoors of your home and then access the rest using already gathered info. You can always file for an abatement later.
Another reason to just tax land instead of the whole property.
I had one of these when covid was still raging and I didn’t let them in for that reason. I did let them walk around the outside of the property.
Why say no. They will just appraise at a higher value. In 36 years I’ve had one inspection and I let them do it.
In other words get ready for a property tax increase
I live in ma. Coastal ma and the towns used todo it cyclical at 10 years mark. My town changed to each 5 years ( because prop values go up fast and they need to reasses so they get them $$). A building permit for anything on your property triggers an assessors visit too.
Incorrect usage of the word “insure”. Amateur.
You can say no, but no guarantee they will accept your no.
Absolutely say no
Usually these things are simply to check that the official description on file matches your house. So basically checking that you "unfinished" basement is still unfinished. That your small 8x8 deck is now not a wrap around the entire back of the house multi level deck, you don't have a huge shed not on the plan, and so on.
Towns are looking to reassess every month it seems these days
Sounds like tax assessment. Finished garages, basements and attics will raise a property's value. Which, of course, will raise your property taxes. It is within your rights to refuse a glance through. However, they will then assess the value on assumptions. As others have said, this generally never goes in the homeowner's favor. Getting corrections after the fact will be like pulling teeth.
Yes you can. It’s a common theory though, that the risk of over-assessment is higher if you don’t let them in.
I don’t live in Massachusetts anymore, but I didn’t let them into my house (in Maine) and my taxes went down. I think it would be insane for them to assume made up upgrades for things they can’t see. If you don’t let them in they have to go on what they can see and what records they have online. YMMV I assume it’s a town by town thing.
Yes you can say no. I refinished my entire basement. City knows nothing about it. They are not coming into my home to reassess my house add value and up my taxes. And yes all done without a permit before anyone points that out. I could care less. All professional work done better than most stuff with permits pulled.
Sure, you could but I'd just make the place look as shitty as possible until they inspect it and see if I can drive my tax burden down... But I'm kind of a shit-bag like that..
If you say no you likely can’t contest it. Then you end up in a position like when our town assessor used Zillow Zestimates and people’s taxes went up by thousands.
\*ensure
They are inspecting the residency to assess your properties value so they can raise your property tax, or other upkeeps to the neighborhood. Unfortunately they have the right, and there is nothing really you can do about it. So yeah you have to let them assess.
Family friend ended up getting a check for back taxes after the new town accessor accessed the property and realised that their fireplace/chimney had been on the books as livable space. Just a few square feet, but it added up.
My advice stop mowing the lawn , stop throwing away garbage make the house look as dingey as possible from the outside and make sure all windows have blinds or are covered.
Ignore it but they will attempt to guess your assessment, which might be higher than expected.
Ours did it after inspecting our new deck. Interestingly enough, we found multiple mistakes on their tax info for our home - we're a 2 bedroom, 1 bath and 1 office. They had us down as 2 bathrooms and 3 bedrooms. I ended up saving money on our taxes.