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1. If hearings are being held, how do I prepare for one?

When you come to a hearing, bring whatever information that you may have (property information and/or data changes, comparable sales that sold for less than your property, pictures of your property, etc.) to the hearing. If the revaluation required a physical inspection of the property, make sure you allowed a physical inspection to be conducted or you may lose your right to an appeal.

For more information, please call 860-665-8530.

2. What is an informal hearing?

Please note Informal hearings are typically held on full revaluations, but are always conducted in Connecticut and New Hampshire. Towards the end of the revaluation, every property owner receives a notice of their proposed valuation. If they have a question or concern about the proposed valuation, they are asked to call the Assessor or their contractor to set a date and time for an informal hearing. This appointment is meant to allow a brief discussion about the valuation process, review the specifics of the property in question and to answer general questions the owner may have. Most hearings last about 10-15 minutes.

Homeowners are asked to come prepared with their questions and have compared their property to other comparable ones in their neighborhood. They are also encouraged to provide the hearing officer with copies of any documentation they may have regarding specific issues with their proposed assessments. It is important to remember that an informal hearing is not a forum to discuss taxes or town politics nor is it an in-depth class on appraisal practices and theory. It is strictly meant to answer general questions on the proposed property assessments. The hearing officer will take notes during your meeting to document the information you have discussed. They will later determine if further review of your property assessment is necessary based on these notes. The proposed values are not final until all hearings and any data or value changes resulting from the hearings are completed.

For more information, please call 860-665-8530.

3. How will I know if a change was made to my assessment after my hearing?

At the conclusion of the hearings for your town, appraisal staff will review the notes from your hearing and any information you have provided on your property. They will make changes to the data and/or value of the property if appropriate. After this final review process is complete for all properties, a change notice is sent to you. The new value on this change notice will reflect the changes made based on your hearing. This value will now be considered your new assessment and will be reflected in the Assessors records.

For more information, please call 860-665-8530.

4. If I disagree with my assessment after a hearing, what are my options?

Please note that each City or Town may proceed with this process in a different manner. The following is a typical scenario. If any property-owner believes the assessment on their property is in excess of its fair market value they should first notify the assessor’s office. They may then appeal before the municipality's board of assessment appeals. The board of assessment appeals will review the case and make a determination as to the disposition of the appeal. Should the property-owner still feel the assessment is incorrect, they may appeal to the superior court for the judicial district in which the municipality is located. All appeals typically have time deadlines. Always contact your local Town Hall with any questions pertaining to the filing dates for appeals.

For more information, please call 860-665-8530.