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TOWN OF NEWTOWN
OFFICE OF THE ASSESSOR
BOARD OF ASSESSMENT APPEALS
MINUTES
MARCH 2, 2010 @ 6:00 PM
NEWTOWN MUNICIPAL CENTER
3 PRIMROSE STREET
NEWTOWN, CT 06470
PRESENT: CHARLES V. FRAMULARO JR., MARIANNE BROWN, & JOHN GODIN
ALSO PRESENT: CHRIS KELSEY
1. Stephen & Danielle DeGrazia
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 3 Taunton Lake Road, Newtown,
CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Believes property is over assessed. This property is being kept as
farmland indefinitely. The use has not changed-fields are being hayed and we are
repairing the barn and restoring pastures.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Approved. Re-apply PA490 (Farm Exemption) taken off
in error.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $325,300
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $1,890
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 6 Dover Circle, Newtown, CT,
06470
Reason for Appeal: Believes property is over assessed because the assessment’s are
based off of the 2007 market value.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $481,360
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $481,360
3. Aaron & Christiann Carlson
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 2 Old Farm Hill Road, Newtown,
CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Appeal based on market conditions and house comps. Original
home purchase price $635,000 in 8/2007. Market decrease in the area at 17% in this time
frame. JP Morgan/Chase estimated value at $562,000.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No Change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $444,680
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $444,680
4. Rudi & Karen Kugler
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 29 Brookwood Drive, Newtown,
CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Believes house is over valued.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No Change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $381,640
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $381,640
5. Ken & Laura Wittmer
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 3 Jordan Hill Road, Newtown,
CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Home purchased on 1/22/10 for $529,000 and the bank appraisal
was $544,000. Current assessment is $469,420 which corresponds to an estimated value
of $670,600.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No Change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $469,420
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $469,420
6. Christopher Mocarski
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 53 Birch Hill Road, Newtown,
CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Believes house is valued too high based on the condition of the
property.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Approved. -5% Topography.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $268,550
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $260,280
7. John & Joanne Andrew
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 17 The Old Road, Newtown,
CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Appellant did not appear for hearing.
8. Stephen & Angela Smolley
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 134 MT Pleasant Road, Newtown,
CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Believes house is over assessed due to the location and condition
of the house.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No Change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $387,650
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $387,650
9. Jade Guo
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 9 Edgewood Drive, Newtown,
CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Assessed too high. Too close to highway I-84. Extremely noisy.
Very dusty. Bad air quality. Low land easy flooding.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Approved. -35% for highway, traffic, and location.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $293,850
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $253,830
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 2 Winslow Road, Newtown, CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Believes assessment is too high. Purchased house 8/42/09 at current market value.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No Change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $312,820
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $312,820
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 15 Townsend Lane, Newtown,
CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Assessment too high due to the condition of the property. Also, it is a vacant piece of land that will not be developed.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $271,920
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $271,920
- Whelan Homes LLC/Joe Whelan
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 15 Stonewall Ridge Road, Newtown, CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Believes assessment is too high. Assessment is significantly higher than comparable houses in the same area.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No Change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $808,150
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $808,150
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 18 Sherman Street, Sandy Hook, CT,
06482
Reason for Appeal: Believes assessment is too high. Increase was almost doubled. House is less than 1500 square feet, kitchen is small and no dishwasher. Assessment is not in line with the condition of the property. The back of the property slopes into a pond and property has topography issues.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Approved. Change the condition of the house from average to fair. Take off +5% for topography and change it to -5% for topography.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $290,430
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $251,350
14. Frank & Peggy Scalzo
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 175 MT Pleasant Road, Newtown,
CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Property assessment too high based on the year the condition of the
property. The topography, traffic, and access deductions have not been adjusted for the
property or equivalent to other similar properties.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Approved. -30% for topography, traffic, and location.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $260,720
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $242,860
15. Susan Fernandes
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 132 Hattertown Road, Newtown, CT,
06470
Reason for Appeal: Disagree with assessed value based on comps. Comparing similar
properties in my area the square footage of my home is much higher. Valuing house as a
Colonial when in reality it is a Cape.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No Change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $375,370
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $375,370
- Robert M. Carr & Anna Snellman
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 91 Forest Drive, Sandy Hook, CT, 06482
Reason for Appeal: Assessment is too high.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No Change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $224,280
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $224,280
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 4 Galilee Way, Newtown, CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Property over assessed based on comparable homes with the same square footage, number of bathrooms and bedrooms, age of home, size of lot, and general condition of the property.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No Change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $654,730
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $654,730
- Paul Meisel & Cheryl Clark
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 2 Pheasant Ridge Road, Newtown, CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Over assessed due to the condition of the property. Property has topography issues.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Approved. -5% for topography.
2009Original Property Assessment: $565,390
2009Revised Property Assessment: $552,100
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 142 Boggs Hill Road, Newtown, CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Believes assessment is too high due to the condition of the property. Land has excessive wetlands. 48 Shepard Hill Road used as comp.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Approved. -5% for wetlands.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $528,370
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $514,490
- Donald & Vanessa LaFerriere
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 2 Golden Pond Road, Newtown, CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Property assessed too based on comparable houses. Believes based on a professional appraisal that the real estate value was $680,000 at the time the re-assessments were done in 2007. The Towns value of $791,499 represents a significant variance.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Approved. Adjust value to reflect a full market value of $680,000 resulting in an assessment of $476,000 based on appraisal created by the Lunar Appraisal Group.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $554,050
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $476,000
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 18 Kelly Court, Sandy Hook, CT, 06482
Reason for Appeal: Believes property is over assessed. Property purchase price and appraisal (August 2009) are significantly below town assessed value.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No Change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $452,200
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $452,200
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 6 Bobcat Lane, Newtown, CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Believes assessment is too high based on the condition of the property. Land has topography issues.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Approved. -5% for topography.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $716,910
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $702,410
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 4 Bobcat Lane, Newtown, CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Assessment too high based on the condition of the property and comparable lots. Vacant piece of land that has not been developed.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No Change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $258,830
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $258,830
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 4 Concord Ridge Road, Newtown, CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Assessment too high.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No Change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $451,450
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $451,450
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 10 Bridle Path Trail, Newtown, CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Assessment too high based on condition of the property, comparable homes in the area, and there is an easement on the property.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Approved. -5% for easement.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $327,420
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $317,090
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 41 High Rock Road, Sandy Hook, CT, 06482
Reason for Appeal: Valuation excessive given the market conditions. Property value decreased dramatically. We bought house in 2007 for $590,000.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Denied. No Change.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $372,440
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $372,440
Date: 3/2/10
Property Location/Description being appealed: 20 Oak Ridge Drive, Newtown, CT, 06470
Reason for Appeal: Believes assessment is too high based on current market value, and comparable homes in the area.
Board Discussion/Resolution: Approved. Change the grade factor from a 15 to 0.
2009 Original Property Assessment: $711,510
2009 Revised Property Assessment: $667,600
Board of Assessment Appeals adjourned at 11:00 PM
Mindy Kovack, Clerk
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