04-18-2012 Council Minutes Board of Appeal & Equalization

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Alternate Method of Appeal---Open Book Meetinq Open book meetings are an altemative to�the Local Board of Appeaf and Equalization. During "open book" meetings, the valuation and classification issues are handled by the assessor's staff on a one-on-one basis with the prope�ty owner. Typically, open book meetings are held by the county assessor's staff. However, larger cities with an appointed city assessor may hold their own open book meetings. � . The open book meetings are.held in locations that are convenient for property owners. Often open book meetings are held over several days during both day and evening hours. This allows property owners�to appeal when it best suits their schedules instead of having to rearrange their schedules to attend a local board meeting held at one place and time. The open book meetings provide a forum for property owners to meet with assessment staff on an informal basis to review information about their property and to ask questions about the assessment. This setting allows the assessor's office to resolve questions and reduce the number of property owners who feel the need to appeal to the County Board of Appeal and Equalization. Property owners do not need to make an appointment to meet with the • assessment staff. They can simply show up at the dates and times stated on the . Notice of Valuation and Classification, and an appraiser will discuss their assessment. Depending on the jurisdiction, the appraisers may have laptop computers to access information about the taxpayer's property. Some counties may be able to link directly to their computer-assisted mass appraisal (CAMA) system which allows the appraiser to obtain data on sales of comparable properties. When reviewing the details of the property with the owner, the appraiser can verify the accuracy of the county's data and correct any errors. The property owner can also schedule an appointment for the appraiser to view the property if needed.