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PITA NEWSLETTER

What  do  the  assessors  do?  The  assessors    establish    values  for  each  and  every  property  in  town  annually;  keep  track  of  sales  and  physical  changes  to  property  that  could  affect  a  property’s  value;  decide  on  applications  for  exemptions  allowed  by  state  law  and  on  abatement  applications  for  taxpayers  who  think  their  properties  are  incorrectly  valued;  appear  before  the  Appellate  Tax  Board  when  a  taxpayer  appeals  an  abatement  decision;  process  and  answer  questions  on  motor  vehicle  and  boat  excise;  and  prepare  and  file  a  great  deal  of  paperwork  with  the  state  Department  of  Revenue.    What  don’t  the  assessors  do?  The  assessors  don’t  control  the  size  of  the  tax  bills  or  the  tax  rate,  both  of  which  depend  on  the  town  budget,  which  in  turn  is  decided  annually  by  the  voters  at  town  meeting.      How  are  values  determined?  The  assessors  are  required  to  value  property  within  ten  percent  of  “Fair  Market  Value”.    Fair  market  is  found  by  looking  at  arms-­‐length  sales,  for  the  year  prior  to  each  January  1st,    of  comparable  properties.  Given  that,  there  are  a  lot  of  factors  that  come  into  play.  Among  the  most  important  are  the  specific  location,  neighborhood,  condition  of  the  property,  size,  construction  quality  and  “amenities”  like  number  of  baths.      

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

FAQ about Real Estate Assessments Upcoming Events at PITA Hall: Nov. 11 Shifting Sands--Formation of New Plum

Island Point and the Basin Dec 5 PITA Christmas Fair

October 2009 Volume 9, I s sue 2

Frequently Asked Questions*about Real Estate Assessments *and Frequently Made Comments, written by a Town

of Newbury Real Estate Assessor

Christmas Fair celebrates 15th year Saturday, December 5th. It  all  started  in  1995  with  a  simple  idea:  Let's  do  something  to  bring  Islanders  together  for  a  fun  time  -­‐-­‐  and  maybe  raise  a  little  money  to  help  maintain  the  Hall.    So  was  born  the  first  Plum  Island  Christmas  Fair  at  PITA  Hall.      Barbara  Kezer  made  the  fish  chowder  that  year.  PITA  sold  its  first  Christmas  trees.  The  Newbury  volunteer  firefighters  delivered  Santa  Claus  by  fire  truck  for  the  first  time.  And  the  Mothers  Club  took  photos  of  kids  who  are  now  in  their  teens  or  early  20s.    The  tradition  continued  through  weather  fair  and  foul  -­‐-­‐  a  blizzard  few  years  back  cancelled  every  local  holiday  fair  except  ours.      Which  brings  us  to  the  15th  annual  Christmas  Fair  on  Saturday,  December  5,  from  9  a.m.  to  3  p.m.,  with  Santa  returning  for  his  15th  visit  about  2  p.m.    Once  again,  PITA  will  be  selling  reasonably  priced,  premium  balsam  Christmas  trees,  with  free  delivery  

Please  see  Assessments  continued  on  page2   PITA  Fair    continued  on  page2  

Nov. 11 at PITA Hall Shifting Sands: Formation of New Plum Island Point and the Basin, Jerry Klima and Steve Atherton Presentation of maps and pictures showing how the new Plum Island point and the Basin formed during the 1840's as well as the government's efforts to control Plum Island erosion and improve navigation at the mouth of the Merrimack during the 19th and early 20th centuries, including the 1831 breakwater between Old Point and Joppa Flats, the 1883 Basin dike and the Merrimack River jetties.

P I TA Newsletter Page 2

Assessments  Continued    That’s  nice,  but  my  property  is  overvalued.    The  tax  year  is  a  fiscal  year  (FY)  that  starts  on  July  1.  So  July  1,  2008  was  the  beginning  of  FY09,  and  FY09  ended  on  June  30,  2009.  But  state  law  requires  that  the  values  we  use  for  FY09  are  the  values  that  existed  on  January  1,  2008  –  six  months  before  that  fiscal  year  even  started  .  If  prices  are  changing,  assessments  will  not  reflect  it  right  away.    If  sales  prices    are  going  up,  our  assessments  will  be  lower  than  “market  value”,  and  when  sales  prices  are  going  down  the  assessments  will  be  higher  than  “market  value.”    This  is  simply  because  assessments  always  trail  the  market,  up  or  down.    Right,  but  my  value  is  still  too  high!  You  may  be  right,  but  it  will  depend  on  the  data  –  both  the  market  data  and  data  specific  to  your  property.  If    it’s  wrong,  then  you  are  not  being  assessed  properly  and  the  system  is  not  providing  “Fair  and  Equitable”  assessments.  If  there  are  mistakes,  we  will  correct  them  in  a  heartbeat  if  we  know  about  them      -­‐    which  really  means  “if  you  let  us  know.”  We  may  need  to  take  a  look  at  the  property,  and  you  can  always  ask  us  to  do  an  inspection  to  confirm  what’s  there  –  or  not  there  –  but  we’ll  deal  with  it  promptly.  If  it  still  seems  wrong,  you  may  file  for  an  abatement.  There  is  a  form  to  fill  out,  and  there  are  deadlines  (based  on  the  time  the  third  bill  of  the  fiscal  year  goes  out,  which  generally  happens  at  the  end  of  December),  but  it’s  not  terribly  complicated  and  there’s  no  fee.  We  can’t  complete  the  application  for  you,  but  we  have  the  forms  and  we’re  happy  to  explain  the  process.  We  look  at  each  application  carefully,  and  we  take  each  seriously.        You  can  get  the  form  and  some  information  on  the  assessors’  page  of  the  town  website  at  www.townofnewbury.org.    What  does  it  take  to  actually  get  an  abatement?  The  most  important  factor  is  sales,  especially  sales  of  comparable  properties  in  similar  locations  and  in  the  time  frame  we  have  to  use.    A  sales  book  is  kept  on  the  counter  of  the  assessors’  office  for  your  reference.    You  may  also  use  assessments  of  similar  properties,  especially  those  in  your  neighborhood  or  in  similar  neighborhoods.  

anywhere  on  the  Island.    Crafters  and  artists  from  Plum  Island  and  vicinity  will  offer  gifts,  stocking  stuffers  and  holiday  decorations.    There  will  be  raffle  prizes,  refreshments  and  lunch  specials,  including  haddock  chowder,  though  Barbara  has  passed  the  ladle  to  a  new  cook.      The  event  is  one  of  PITA's  two  annual  fundraisers,  along  with  the  Taste  of  Plum  Island  in  May.    All  proceeds  go  to  help  maintain  the  Hall  as  a  gathering  spot  for  Island  residents.      The  Hall  hosts  scores  of  public  and  private  events  each  year,  and  we've  worked  hard  to  keep  it  in  top  shape  and  up  to  all  codes.  The  Hall  is  available  for  rentals,  but  we  also  provide  free  use  of  the  Hall  to  Island  residents  for  mercy  meals  and  to  Island  groups  like  the  Friends  of  Plum  Island  Light  for  their  meetings.  In  the  last  year,  the  Hall  has  also  been  the  scene  of  weekly  meetings  of  the  group  that  is  working  on  long-­‐term  and  short-­‐term  solutions  to  our  erosion  problem.      In  the  last  year,  our  fundraisers  and  members'  dues  have  allowed  us  to  put  in  air  conditioning  for  the  first  time,  making  the  Hall  more  comfortable  on  hot  summer  days  and  nights.  The  events  have  also  helped  us  pay  for  betterment  projects,  like  the  one  to  survey  and  mark  beach  right-­‐of-­‐ways.      So  save  the  date  and  come  celebrate  the  season  with  your  PI  neighbors.    For crafters desiring to sell at this year's fair, Tables (24 X 72") - $25.00 Frank Pierce, Hall Manager fpierce1@comcast.net or 978 853-9057  

Fair  Continued  

Rent PITA Hall PITA Member - $200 PI Res. Non-Member - $250 Non-Member - $300 Commercial - $350 Please NOTE: free use of the Hall to Island residents for mercy meals, and recognition of your loved one on the PITA sign. Contact Frank at fpierce1@comcast.net or call 978-462-8808

Page 3 P I TA Newsletter

Assessments  from  page  1  

What  if  I  don’t  get  an  abatement  and  I  still  think  you’re  wrong?  You  can  appeal  our  decision  to  the  Appellate  Tax  Board.  As  usual,  there  are  forms  to  fill  out  and  deadlines  to  meet,  but  it’s  not  unbearably  complicated.  You  can  find  more  information  and  forms  at  their  website  http://www.mass.gov/atb.      Are  there  any  other  ways  to  reduce  my  bill?  There  are  a  variety  of  personal  exemptions  available,  including  exemptions  for  seniors  and  veterans.  You  have  to  apply  –  again,  if  you  don’t  tell  us,  we  have  no  way  to  know  –  but  it’s  a  simple  process  and  it’s  not  up  to  the  assessors’  discretion.  If  you  qualify,  you  get  the  exemption.  There  are  too  many  variations  to  go  into  detail  here,  but  we  are  always  happy  to  explain  them  and  see  if  any  of  them  would  help.    What  about  Plum  Island?    Anything  special?  Values  can  be  very  different  between  two  properties  that  are  very  close  together:  for  example,  one  is  on  the  water,  particularly  oceanfront,  and  one  is  not.  The  oceanfront  house  will  probably  be  assessed  for  a  lot  more  than  the  house  directly  across  the  street.  The  flip  side  of  this  is  that  the  value  of  the  camp  that  your  uncle  built  of  driftwood  and  bark  back  in  1948  may  be  surprisingly  close  to  that  of  the  jewel-­‐encrusted  palace  renovated  by  your  neighbor  last  year.  Erosion:  if  the  ocean  is  eating  away  at  the  beach,  and  I’m  being  assessed  for  owning  a  part  of  that  beach,  shouldn’t  my  property  be  worth  less?  The  answer  is  “maybe.”  Since  we  have  to  look  at  sales  first,  we  compare  your  value  to  sales  prices  of  properties  subject  to  similar  factors,  and,  if  we  don’t  find  one  that’s  absolutely  comparable,  we  keep  looking  and  get  as  close  as  we  can.  If  you  still  think  we’re  wrong,  you  may  be  right.  Your  best  approach  is  to  put  together  as  much  specific  evidence  as  you  can,  bearing  in  mind  that  recent  sales  trump  almost  everything.    A  certified  survey  that  shows  a  change  in  the  square  footage  from  your  deed  can  also  be  good  evidence  to  support  your  case.        

 

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PITA is an informational organization for Plum Island residents. Please Help Support PITA and become a Member PITA Membership - $10 Family- $20 Email Susan at sailpi@comcast.net or call 978-462-8405 No rate increases since 1942 !!

SUSAN FRANGIPANE GRILLO, ABR, CRS, CRP REALTOR®___________________________________ 978-992-4282 VOICEMAIL/FAX 978-270-8527 CELLULAR Susan.Grillo@NEMoves.com

Newburyport Office “Top Three” Producer 2008 2009 Coldwell Banker Sterling Society Award Accredited Buyer Representative & Certified Relocation Specialist Plum Island Resident for 30+ years Your "friends & family" Realtor... in the greater Newburyport area, on Plum Island & for referrals throughout the USA!

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