Newbury Board of Assessors Votes to Reassess Property to “Owner Unknown
-
Meeting Type:
Property Assessment Board
-
Meeting Date:
08/06/2024
-
Recording Published:
08/09/2024
-
Duration:
10 Minutes
-
Towns:
Newbury
-
County:
Essex County
-
State:
Massachusetts
- Meeting Overview:
In the Newbury Board of Assessors’ recent meeting, the board voted to reassess a property on Island Road to “owner unknown” status after diligent efforts to identify the current owner were unsuccessful. The reassessment will retroactively apply from fiscal year 2013 onwards and will continue moving forward.
The property in question is a small parcel of marshland on Island Road, valued at approximately $2,800. Previously, an individual had been paying property taxes up until 2013 but ceased payments, believing they were no longer the owner. The board discussed the complexities of the situation, including the involvement of the law firm Capa in reviewing the tax title and determining the appropriate course of action. Given the lack of clear ownership and the minimal value of the land, the board decided to assess it as owner unknown.
Board members emphasized that the parcel has little to no value due to its marshland status and its location away from any dwellings. They noted that the town is unlikely to take steps to perfect the title due to the high costs and minimal benefits involved. The decision to reassess the property to owner unknown was seen as the most practical solution under the circumstances.
In other business, the board reviewed warrants and commitments, as well as various property packets requiring signatures. The meeting concluded with the scheduling of the next meeting for Tuesday, September 10th. Public participation was minimal, with no correspondence or comments received.
Tracy Blais
Property Assessment Board Officials:
Frank “Budd” Kelley, Sanford “Sandy” Wechsler, Linda McCamic, Jason DiScipio (Principal Assessor), Stephanie Sergi (Assessors Clerk)
-
Meeting Type:
Property Assessment Board
-
Committee:
-
Meeting Date:
08/06/2024
-
Recording Published:
08/09/2024
-
Duration:
10 Minutes
-
Notability Score:
Routine
Receive debriefs about local meetings in your inbox weekly:
-
State:
Massachusetts
-
County:
Essex County
-
Towns:
Newbury
Recent Meetings Nearby:
- 01/09/2025
- 01/10/2025
- 140 Minutes
- 01/09/2025
- 01/10/2025
- 28 Minutes
- 01/09/2025
- 01/10/2025
- 68 Minutes