Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 6, Issue 11, November 2002

Copyright 2002 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Seattle Sun as your source.

Phinney Ridge hit with steep property assessments

By LEAH WEATHERSBY

It wasn't long ago that Kathy Munson thought she'd been priced out of her own home.

Like many of her fellow Phinney Ridge homeowners, Munson had received a postcard from the King County Assessor's Office in July with huge increases in the assessed value of her home. According to the card, the value of Munson's house had gone up by over $200,000 in one year, even though she hadn't made any major improvements to the property.

The owners of several homes in the area just north of the Woodland Park Zoo received similar, large, confusing increases, including Neil and Nancy MacDonald.

The MacDonalds, both real estate agents, did an analysis of some of the homes, which Neil MacDonald said showed them to be worth about $200,000 less than what the County claimed.

"We knew there were people on a fixed income who were being hammered by the potential of that huge increase," Neil MacDonald said.

Larger assessments, of course, mean higher taxes about $10.66 for every $1,000 worth of property assessed. (Seniors pay a lower rate about $7.73.)

Meanwhile, property owners have only 60 days from when they receive their assessments to appeal, so Munson got to work, researching her assessment on the computer, calling neighbors and even visiting the Assessor's Office to get answers. Although her file contained a notation about an error, no one in the office seemed to know what it meant and she was initially told by the tax assessor who reviewed her property that it wasn't relevant.

What neither Munson, nor the MacDonalds realized was that their efforts were unnecessary. The Assessor's Office had already recognized the problem, which had been caused by a computer glitch, back in mid-July. However, letters to the homeowners advising them of the error weren't sent out until Aug. 29. That's where the real problem lies, Phinney Ridge residents said.

Debra Prins, residential division manager for the Assessor's Office, said her department did notify the agency's public information officers of the error as well as the citizen's Tax Advisor for King County. She also pointed out that the error affected only 41 out of 4,620 parcels with buildings on them in the Greenwood, Phinney and Fremont area less than 1 percent.

However, Prins acknowledged that the department did need to do better when it comes to communicating with the public.

"We did a good job of identifying the problem and fixing it," Prins said. "We did a lousy job of notifying taxpayers."

Prins said that by next year, her department will have new systems in place that make sending out corrected assessments and letters about errors more efficient, although the process will still take a minimum of two weeks. As to exactly what the time frame for letters to go out will be, Prins said "as quickly as possible."

Meanwhile, Munson is still frustrated that she and her neighbors had to spend so long investigating the assessments before receiving a letter explaining the error. She would still like to see a firmer commitment from the Assessor's Office to inform the public in a timely manner.

Dealing with high assessments:

Through her research, Munson has some up with tips for tackling such problems in the future:

First, Munson said, if your property assessment seems out- of-whack, don't take it for granted. It's important to "have the knowledge that it really, really could be an error," she said.

Second, research assessments of comparable properties in your neighborhood to make sure your's makes sense. This can be done by visiting the Assessor's Office's Web site (www.metrokc.gov) and plugging in the parcel number of the properties you're interested in. Those with broadband Internet service can search for parcel numbers using the property's address by going to the county's Department of Development and Environmental Services Web site, which can also be reached through www.metrokc.gov. Those without Broadband service must call the Assessor's Office or go there in person get neighbors' parcel numbers.

Third, Munson said, she will take more notice when her property comes up for a physical inspection by the Assessor's Office.

Physical inspections take place every six years. Those inspections set a base for property valuations over the next five years. From there, valuations can go up or down depending on the housing market. Although the fact that this was an inspection year had no bearing on the computer glitch that caused the problem on Phinney Ridge, Munson said knowing that physical inspections set a home's base value will encourage her to pay more attention to those inspections in the future.

Fourth, Munson said, double check the information on your own assessment. If it looks like the assessor used incorrect data to determine the value of your home bring that to the attention of the Assessor's Office.

You can also have a real estate agent do their own market analysis of your home, which may lend credence to your concerns. If you're still not satisfied, you may want to file an appeal. King County's Tax Advisor Office assists citizens with that stage. The office can be reached at 296-5202.

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The Assessor's Office is located at 500 4th Ave., seventh floor, and is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The office can also be reached by calling 296-7300.