Notices of new Assessments to be mailed to West Hartford property owners during the week of Nov. 14, 2016, and appointments to discuss the assessment will be scheduled beginning Nov. 21.

West Hartford Town Hall. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Submitted

The Town of West Hartford has completed the revaluation of all real estate on its Grand List as of Oct. 1, 2016.  Notices of new values will be mailed during the week of Nov. 14, 2016.  The notice will contain the old market value and assessment based on the 2011 revaluation and the new market value and assessment based on current market values as of Oct. 1, 2016.

Revaluations are required every five years by the State of Connecticut. The primary purpose of a revaluation, which is a mass appraisal of all real property within an assessment jurisdiction, is to eliminate any assessment inequities that may have developed since the implementation of a previous revaluation. This is accomplished by updating the assessments of real property to reflect their current fair market value.

The new assessment represents 70 percent of your property’s current market value as of Oct. 1, 2016.  Please note that the new assessment, not the market value, will be the basis for your tax bill in June 2017. The Town will adopt a new mill rate in April 2017 which will be applied to that new assessment. If you are entitled to exemptions, they will be applied to your June 2017 tax bill.

If you believe the property value indicated on the assessment notice does not reflect the current market value and you want to discuss it, please call 860-561-7598. The phone bank will begin scheduling appointments from Nov. 14, 2016 through Dec. 21, 2016 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Conferences will be held in the Assessment Office, Room 142, beginning Nov. 21, 2016 through Dec. 22, 2016. To better accommodate property owners’ schedules, conferences will be held mornings, afternoons, evenings and Saturdays.

Assessment staff are available to answer general questions during office hours. During the conference period they are Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Staff can be reached at (860) 561-7414 or by email at [email protected]. You can also view property data on-line at http://gis.vgsi.com/westhartfordct or in Room 142.

Before you call for a conference ask yourself THREE questions:

1. Does the Assessment Office have the correct information on my property?  You can verify that the details of your property are correct by going to the Town’s website http://gis.vgsi.com/westhartfordct or visit the Assessment Office in Room 142 of Town Hall.
2. What are similar properties in my neighborhood selling for?  You can do a sales analysis by going to the website and clicking on “Sales Search.” Make sure that you choose recent sales that are similar to your own property by selecting similar criteria like dwelling style.
3. Could I sell my property for that amount?  Bring with you any recent appraisals, real estate broker’s opinion of value, or a list of recent sales in your neighborhood of homes most similar to yours.

An Assessment staff person will verify the data of your home with you, review the information you supply, and may schedule an inspection. A decision letter will be sent to you by mid-January when all the conferences and reviews are completed.

If conference results are not to your satisfaction, you may file an appeal form with the Board of Assessment Appeals by Feb. 20, 2017. Appeal forms will be available in the Town Hall Assessment Office, Room 142, or online at http://www.WestHartfordCT.gov/Assessment after Jan. 5, 2017. The Board will hear appeals during the month of March 2017.

The Assessment Office is located in Room 142, first floor of Town Hall, 50 South Main St.. If you have any questions, please call 860-561-7414.