Board of Assessors

BOARD OF ASSESSORS MINUTES November 30, 2017 CITY HALL – CONFERENCE ROOM 200B 5:30 P.M. CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Lenny Miner called the meeting to order at 5:27 pm. RECORDING SECRETARY: Deb Derrick SALUTE TO THE FLAG ROLL CALL: Present were, board members Karen Mudgett, Robin Mooney and Lenny Miner. STAFF IN ATTENDANCE: Deb Derrick ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING(S): With no corrections, the minutes of September 28, 2017 are considered accepted. PUBLIC HEARINGS: None OLD BUSINESS: None NEW BUSINESS: 130-481-5.112, Akwa Vista LLC: Chris Duprey, representative of Akwa Vista LLC, filed an abatement request for the above referenced land use change tax on August 21, 2017. The property in question is a .36 acre lot at the end of Lighthouse Cliffs with an above average view factor. It is a part of a gated community. It was billed a land use change tax on May 25, 2017 because it was no longer part of a 10 acre contiguous current use lot. The Bill was for $22,500 which is 10% of the “Full and True Value at the Time of Change in Use.” In this case it was determined to be $225,000. Mr. Duprey’s abatement request reflects 2016 assessed values for 77 and 79 Lighthouse Cliffs as comparable property value. However, setting a value for land use change tax is based on RSA 79-A:4 I … the tax shall be at the rate of 10 percent of the full and true value determined without regard to the current use value of the land which is subject to a non-qualifying use or any equalized value factor used by the municipality…” When a land use change tax is billed it is based on values at the change date. In this case April 1, 2017. In this case the closest value would have been a sale on Lighthouse Cliffs on July 8, 2016. The sale price for the land and building was $1,295,000. The estimated building value finished would be $706,400 and the residual land value would be $588,600. This was for a 1 .37acre parcel. If we were to do a .36 acre interpolation, the value would become $572,692. The next closest property sale was August 10, 2016 on 160 Soleil Mountain – for $565,000 land and building, the Building value was $464,700 leaving the land residual of .33 acre at $110,300. If we again do a .36 acre interpolation, it would be $120,327. In determining the values, the Lighthouse Cliffs value has the same characteristics as the subject while the second sale, on Soleil Mountain, is without views and lower value. Therefore, this assessor determined to set a value consistent with the previous Lighthouse Cliff Land Use Change Tax Bills at $225,000. After considering the information provided R. Mooney made a motion to deny the request for abatement. The motion was second by K. Mudgett and passed unanimously. NON-PUBLIC SESSION: ***L. Miner made a motion that the Board enter into a non-public session to discuss matters of pending or threatened (in writing) litigation against the Town or Town Officials, Board Members of employees according to RSA 91-a:3IIe. R. Mooney second, a roll call vote was taken, vote unanimous, and a non-public session was entered into at 5:36 p.m. L. Miner made a motion to return out of non-public session at 5:47 p.m. and K. Mudgett seconded. A roll call vote was taken, vote unanimous. 400 Main St., 442-142-45: L. Miner made a motion second by R. Mooney to allow assessor D. Derrick the opportunity to offer the taxpayer a settlement offer of $573,000 for the 2015 and 2016 tax year. The motion passed unanimously. 375 Endicott St.#312, 144-252-2.032: L. Miner made a motion to deny the request of the taxpayer. K. Mudgett second the motion and it passed unanimously. OTHER Abatement slips and warrants were signed. ADJOURNMENT: L. Miner made a motion to adjourn, seconded by R. Mooney. The meeting was adjourned at 5:51 p.m. Submitted by: ________________________________ Deborah Derrick, Assessor 2