PORT TOWNSEND — A story in the Sunday Peninsula Daily News, “County hears last of property tax appeals,” incorrectly said the Assessor’s Office increased the value of Melanie C. Reynolds’ Port Townsend home when it actually decreased the value.
The story also included the incorrect purchase price and the wrong amount of 2009 taxes that Reynolds paid on the parcel.
The story was about tax appeals that were filed because of the Assessor’s Office’s 2009 assessments in Port Townsend for payment of 2010 taxes.
Reynolds bought the Adams Street house in 2007 for $427,500. She paid $2,145 in property taxes in 2009, she said.
The Assessor’s Office this year decreased the value to $363,470 in its assessment of Port Townsend properties
“Obviously, the Assessor’s Office recognized the values have dropped from Jan. 1, 2007, to Jan. 1, 2009, which is why it’s 15 percent below what she paid by for it by Jan. 1, 2009,” Assessor Jack Westerman said Monday.
The Board of Equalization, composed of William Marlow of Port Hadlock, Dave Garing of Marrowstone Island and Richard Broders of Discovery Bay, heard Reynolds’ appeal on Friday.
It will issue its ruling on Dec. 2 after also hearing two other appeals.
“We appealed our new property tax assessment because it was based on the sales price in 2007 [at the height of the real estate market], thus creating an increase of 36 percent, which seemed extreme,” Reynolds said in an e-mail.
“Most people in our area had assessment increases in the 10 percent range, and we felt it was unfair to impose dramatic jump increases on in the property taxes of those folks who had who had bought homes in the last four years, and not have similar increases affect all homes in the neighborhoods.”
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Staff writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@ peninsuladailynews.com.
