Newtown Property Tax Appeal

Process Is A Joke

To the Editor:

Five months after moving into my new town home, my assessed property valuation went up over 65 percent. We of course also received our additional annual 7.5 percent tax increase. The letter I received from the assessor’s office for me to initiate the appeal process gave a deadline that was two days prior to the postmark on the letter they sent me. I am sure that when most taxpayers in Newtown received their similar notice, they tossed the letter in the garbage, since the assessor’s office conveniently sent the letters out after their own deadline. I was so upset with these actions of the assessor’s office that I called to complain; they did accommodate my request and extended the deadline.

Needless to say, the assessor’s office rejected my appeal, despite the fact that there are 11 properties on my street with the same square footage as my home but with lower assessed values. Given this inequity, I filed a subsequent appeal on March 20 with the assessor’s office. What transpired next is even more outrageous than when the assessor’s office mailed the initial notices out after their own deadline had passed. I received a call from them on Thursday, April 10, asking me if I could come in the next morning for my formal appeal hearing. When I told them I could not come in the next day because I had to work in order to pay my increased taxes, they asked if I was available the next week. Guess what next week was? Spring break for all Newtown schools! When I told them I had plans for the week of spring break, I was told that this was the only week they were hearing appeals. How convenient for the assessor’s office and how inconvenient for the Newtown taxpayers!

I obviously had no expectation that the assessor’s office would agree to my appeal. However, I at least would have appreciated the right to address their kangaroo court to express my displeasure with their property tax assessment and their broken process. I’ve only lived in this town for the past five years, but the assessment of property taxes and the entire budget process is a joke! When will our first selectman and other town officials realize that there was a reason why our forefathers tossed tea into Boston Harbor!

Phil Dinielli

9 Copper Creek Circle, Newtown                                   April 30, 2003