BOARD MATTER
June 6, 2005

Real Estate Tax Assessment Review and Notification Deadline

Mr. Chairman:

I am fully aware that this year's real estate assessment period has placed an enormous burden on staff members of the Real Estate Division of the Department of Tax Administration (DTA) and I appreciate all their hard work. However, several Providence residents have contacted my office during this 2005 real estate tax assessment period due to challenges they faced while conducting business with the Real Estate Division. Two of the critical challenges they faced were that of receiving untimely and inappropriate responses which hindered their case preparation to the Board of Equalization (BOE).

According to a letter sent out by the Real Estate Division, property owners would have to submit their appeals to DTA by April 4, 2005 in order to complete its review by May 18, 2005. The residents facing untimely notification claimed that the above statement does not mean that DTA would respond by May 18, 2005. In fact, three residents had received denial notifications only 4-5 days prior to the BOE Appeal deadline of June 1, 2005.

The second critical challenge was that residents were not furnished with complete information on which the Real Estate Division based their decisions on appeals cases. This incomplete information also reflects the lack of coordinated research with other county agencies.

Therefore, I move that the Board direct the County Executive to look into the review and notification process utilized by the Real Estate Division and recommend changes that will enable residents to attain timely and completed information on their appeals cases.