A: The following 3 questions can help you decide if your assessment is correct.

Please note: If you are concerned that your taxes are going to double because your property value has doubled, that is usually not the case.

Since everyone else’s property value is also rising, the tax rate usually drops somewhat proportionally to the amount of total increase to the County’s total value.

1) Can I sell my property for that amount?

The first thing that you should do is ask yourself if you could sell the property for approximately that amount.

2) Does the Assessment Office have the correct information on my property?

You can review the information that the Assessment Office has collected on your property to make sure the data is accurate. Tioga County hosts this information online in our Online Database.

While reviewing your property, you should make sure that all measurements on the sketch are accurate. Please note that all measurements are taken from the exterior. You should also check the land size and interior data to ensure accuracy.

3) How much have similar properties in my neighborhood been assessed for?

You can look up the assessed value of similar parcels that are located near your property in Tioga County’s Online Database by using the Street Listing option at the top of the page.

Please be aware that what may appear to be a similar parcel may in fact be very different from your property.

A: The Tioga reassessment team will employ a market adjusted cost approach which it has successfully utilized on over 500 valuation projects.  It is a system that is very effective for estimating market value.

Land valuation will be accomplished through an analysis of vacant sales, as well as a land residual analysis, which is accomplished by deducting improvement values and extracting land values from improved sales. This analysis results in a base land curve. In each community, neighborhoods will be established that represent similar value patterns and neighborhood factors will be established.  Each neighborhood, street by street, will also be rated for desirability which provides a second factor that may be applied to the base square foot or acreage schedule to account for differences in location.  In addition, factors will be applied to account for negative or positive influences on value such as topography, view, irregular lot shape, waterfront and other factors. 

Overall property values, including improvement value, will be verified by the sales ratio analysis, segregated by the pertinent value related factors of each property.  This analysis will be stratified within various categories including style of property, segmented by size and age, by lot size and location factors.  This analysis enables the Project Management team to fine-tune the final tables for each property to create a mirror image of market sales activity within the County.

For commercial/industrial properties, all three approaches to value will be employed.  For commercial/industrial properties that are basically non-income-producing, the secondary approach will be the market approach, utilizing the square foot values derived from the sales analysis for the particular use type of the property.  Square foot values will be segregated by type, including industrial, warehouse, retail, etc. and will provide reasonable ranges for per square foot sale prices of building areas.  Land value, once determined, will be added to building value for an estimate of total value.  For all income producing commercial property, the income approach, utilizing a direct capitalization approach, will be employed.

The replacement cost approach to value will be employed for both residential and commercial and industrial properties as follows:

Information derived from our cost analysis will provide the basis for determining the cost pricing schedules used in the valuation of residential and commercial/industrial properties.

Subsequent to the determination of replacement cost pricing schedules and the establishment of land values, the team will analyze the sales of improved properties in order to derive an estimate of physical and functional depreciation and economic obsolescence.

Physical and functional depreciation and economic obsolescence will be computed to be the difference between the selling price of the total property and the sum of the estimated replacement cost new of the improvement plus the estimated land value.

Provided that a sufficient number of sales are available, guidelines in the form of tables based upon the condition, desirability and usefulness of a building relative to its actual age will be developed. After approval by the Assessor, these tables will be used to estimate the depreciation of comparable subject properties.

All of these tables are then applied to each parcel in the County. Each property is then reviewed by an appraiser. During this review, the appraiser rechecks the physical data and then ensures that the value is consistent with the sales activity within the immediate area. This value then becomes the final proposed value and once accepted by the County becomes the final assessed value.

A: Absolutely not. Below we have listed sample models used for valuing residential buildings and residential building lots. Please be aware that our models are built to represent market conditions within a County and therefore they can vary between different Counties. Nevertheless, a typical building and land model are depicted below. All beginning costs are arrived at by performing an in depth study of the local market which is a process that includes one or more of the following steps- a complete review of recent County sales transactions, consultations with local builders, consultations with local realtors, an examination of transactions where new properties were built and sold as well as the use of nationally recognized building cost manuals.

Residential Building Valuation Model

Beginning Square foot price

+/- Physical characteristics (bedrooms, bathrooms, quality of construction, flooring, fireplace etc…)

= Adjusted cost per square foot

Adjusted cost per square foot x building square footage

– Building depreciation

= Building value

Land Valuation Model

Land units

x Unit price

x Land condition adjustment

x Location adjustment

= Land value

A: A reassessment is the process of performing all of the necessary Market Analysis and Valuation steps to determine accurate and equitable values for all properties within a municipality. The purpose of a reassessment is not to raise taxes. It is to create an equitable distribution of the tax load.

A: A physical inspection of the exterior of each property is conducted. While data collection is being conducted, appraisers are studying the recent market sales in order to gain a full understanding of the real estate market in your County. This study of recent property sales allows the appraisers to establish valuation models used to estimate the value of properties that have not sold using comparisons with recent sales. The valuation models are applied to all non-sale properties in order to approximate the market value of each property.

A: Refer to our Is My Assessment Correct? section.

A: Since the last reassessment, real estate values have changed significantly. Over the same period, building construction costs have increased at a slower rate than property values have appreciated. Since building costs have not increased as much as total values, the bulk of the total increase, if any, is attributable to land. This makes perfect economic sense, as it is land that is limited supply.

A: Towards the end of the reassessment, every property owner receives a notice of their proposed valuation. If they have a question or concern about the proposed valuation, they are asked to call the Assessor or their contractor to set a date and time for an informal hearing. This appointment is meant to allow a brief discussion about the valuation process, review the specifics of the property in question and to answer general questions the owner may have. Most hearings last about 10-15 minutes. Homeowners are asked to come prepared with their questions and have compared their property to other comparable ones in their neighborhood. They are also encouraged to provide the hearing officer with copies of any documentation they may have regarding specific issues with their proposed assessments. See Preparing for a Hearing for more information on appropriate documentation.

It is important to remember that an informal hearing is not a forum to discuss taxes or town politics nor is it an in-depth class on appraisal practices and theory. It is strictly meant to answer general questions on the proposed property assessments. The hearing officer will takes notes during your meeting to document the information you have discussed. They will later determine if further review of your property assessment is necessary based on these notes. The proposed values are not final until all hearings and any data or value changes resulting from the hearings are completed.

A: It is up to the taxpayer to make the case that the assessment is incorrect. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you come to a hearing fully prepared to state your case.

After you have completed all of the steps outlined in Is My Assessment Correct?, you may decide that you want to schedule a hearing. You may have uncovered a data error, found some comparable sales that support a lower assessment on your property or you may want to make someone aware of an irregularity that affects the value of your property. When attending the hearing, you should come prepared to prove your case. It is up to you to convince the hearing officer why the value is incorrect if you are to receive a change of value. If you supplied information in the past that lowered your value, bring it along again. Please be aware that the information may already be on your record and may already be reflected in your value.

If you are challenging the value on your property, please bring in recent, comparable sale properties that are located close to your property or are in an area that is similar to your property. A recent appraisal usually contains this information and can be helpful to proving your case provided that the appraisal actually comes in lower than your proposed assessment. Simply saying that the value is too high or offering to sell it to the hearing officer for the assessment amount will not be viewed as good reasons to lower your value.

If you have an issue pertaining to the use of your property, please bring in supporting evidence such as a deed showing a usage restriction or a plot plan which outlines any topographical irregularities.

If you want to make us aware of other issues, please bring in pictures, past documentation or anything else that will help you to prove your case.

For all documentation, please bring copies that you can leave with the hearing officer as there may not be access to a copier and original documents cannot be guaranteed a safe return to you.

A: At the conclusion of the hearings for your County, appraisal staff will review the notes from your hearing and any information you have provided on your property. They will make changes to the data and/or value of the property if appropriate. After this final review process is complete for all properties, another notice is sent to you. The new value on this notice will reflect the changes made based on your hearing. This value will now be considered your new assessment and will be reflected in the Assessors records.

Contact your local Assessors office for this information.

A: A revaluation may result in an increase or decrease of individual taxes depending on how a property value increased or decreased relative to the average change in the County’s assessments. It does not mean that all property taxes will increase or decrease. Remember assessments are only the base that is used to determine the tax burden. The tax burden is the amount that the municipality must raise to operate the local government and support the many services each of us has come to expect, such as schools, police, etc. As an example, if the same amount of money is to be raised after the revaluation as the previous year and each assessment doubles, the tax rate would merely be cut in half.

A: The value of your property is based on an analysis of the entire market for a specified period of time before the completion of the revaluation project. The market can generally be defined as, you, the person who sold the property to you, and the person willing to buy it from you. It is the appraiser’s job to research and analyze the values in any particular area or neighborhood. In effect, they do what you would do to determine the selling price when putting your property up for sale. However, the appraiser has specific guidelines to follow during their research. Some factors that are examined for each property are: location, size, quality of construction, age of improvements, topography, utilities, zoning restrictions, if any, etc.

A: Most likely, yes. However, not all property values will change at the same rate. Market value may have increased more for some neighborhoods and property types than for others. Some neighborhoods and property types may have decreased in value and others may have remained the same. One purpose of a revaluation is to make sure that the assessed values reflect the changes that have occurred in the real estate market.

A: Market value has been defined by the courts as, “The price in a competitive market a purchaser, willing but not obligated to buy, would pay an owner, willing but not obligated to sell, taking into consideration all the legal uses to which the property can be adapted and might be reasonably applied.” (See Buhl Found. v. Board of Prop. Assessment, 180 A.2d 900 (Pa. 1962).

The Market value represents the typical selling price for the property, unaffected by special or creative financing or sales concessions granted by anyone associated with a sale.

A: This question highlights one of the clear differences between the revaluation appraisal process and the more well-known fee appraisal. Most homeowners have had a fee appraisal of their property before and are familiar with the process involved and the resulting report. Many assume that the revaluation company uses the same process. Although the appraisal concepts are the same and the results similar, the process is different.

In a revaluation, the value of your property is based on an analysis of the sales within your market area for a specified period of time. (usually a one or two year period). This study of recent property sales allows the appraisers to establish valuation parameters (construction rates, land rates, market adjustments, etc). Once these valuation parameters are applied to the properties that sold, the result is an appraised value that is very close to the sales price.

The revaluation appraisers test the newly developed parameters then apply these same valuation parameters to all of the “non-sale” properties in the County. In doing so, they are approximating the market value of each property using the information derived from all of the sales. Therefore, no particular sale or group of sales was used to determine the value your property. This is because ALL of the recent sales were included in the analysis that set the parameters used in the revaluation of your town.

A: The next best evidence is the arms length sales of reasonably comparable properties. These are properties similar to yours in location, age, style, condition, and other features that affect market value, such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms and size of garage.

A: We will then consider all other factors that may affect the market value of your property. The cost to replace your building(s), less any depreciation, plus the value of the land could be used to estimate market value. For income producing properties, the income and expenses could be considered.

A: Your construction cost is a historical figure that may or may not reflect the current market value of your property. It is only one element that will be considered.

A: Generally speaking, improvements that increase the market value of a property will increase the assessment. The following examples are typical items that may increase the assessed value of your property. – adding living or rentable area – substantial modernization of kitchen or baths – extensive remodeling – adding features such as A/C, finished basement rooms, garages, pools, etc.

A: Normal maintenance will help retain the market value of your property, but generally will not affect your assessment.

A: General economic conditions such as interest rates, inflation rates, and changes in the tax laws will influence the value of real estate. As property values change in the marketplace (sales), those changes will eventually be reflected on the assessment roll.

A: There are differences between individual properties and between neighborhoods. In one area, the sales may indicate a substantial increase in value in a given year. In another neighborhood, there may be a lesser change in property values.

Different types of properties within the same neighborhood may also show different value changes. For example, one – story houses may be more in demand than two – story houses or vice versa. Older homes in the same area may be rising in value more slowly than newer homes.

Among the numerous factors to be considered that will cause values to differ are location, condition, size, quality, number of baths, basement finish, garages, and many others.

A: No. If an inspection is necessary on your property, we have to analyze all of the information we gathered before placing a value on your property. We will then further review this information to ensure that your assessment corresponds fairly to the assessments of other properties.

A: The Assessors Office maintains a complete record for each property. Information is kept current through permit inspections, sales inspections, periodic re-inspections and exterior reviews. The records are available for your review. This information is used to develop the new assessments.