The Assessor acts as the town's appraiser and must determine the market value of all property for the collection of taxes. These duties are governed by State Taxation law and are completed annually.
Market value is an estimate of what a property would sell for between a willing buyer and a willing seller when the property has been exposed to the open market for a reasonable amount of time.
There are several reasons why your property's assessed value could change:
In order to accurately determine the market value of your property, we must base our assessment on correct information. The interior layout, quality of materials and quantity of features affects the market value of your property.
No, according to State Taxation law, you are not legally obligated to let the assessor in. However, the law does allow the assessor to estimate the quality and quantity of the interior and you will lose your right to appeal the estimated assessment.
According to Maine Taxation law, your property's assessment is considered reasonable if it falls within 10% of its most probable selling price. The burden to prove the assessment is unreasonable rests with the taxpayer. The first step is an informal review. Your opinion must be supported with facts, so visit the Assessor's office and review the facts on your property record card, the other assessments in your neighborhood and the properties that have recently sold.
Once you have made this preliminary review, and if you still believe that assessment is incorrect, you must must file a formal appeal application to the Board of Assessors. This application must be filed within 185 days after the Commitment Date. The Board of Assessors has 60 days to respond to your application. If this formal appeal is denied, you can appeal within 60 days to the Lincoln County Commissioners.
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