Spot Checks Help Everyone They Ensure Market Values for All

We are asking you to support Spot Checks of assessments, (HB 1289) because it will help every property owner in the state of North Dakota have their property listed and valued on the tax rolls at their fair market value. Spot Checks of assessments ensure that property values are fairly assessed at their true fair market values, good times and bad times. This will also help not just the property owners but renters as well because income property owners won’t have to charge to cover over tax assessments. Let me share with you a famous quote. When I questioned the tax assessor’s office about them doubling my assessments in one year, I asked how I was supposed to pay for such a huge increase. “Just raise the rents!,” was the reply.” Obviously, the person had never owned income property with leases. I couldn’t “just raise the rents” until the leases expired plus such a sudden increase would have caused most of the tenants to move. 

We also have the issue come up where the property owner and the assessor don’t agree on the value. Spot checks will help resolve that issue because an independent third-party appraiser will spot check the property’s market value giving the commissioners their own independent third-party opinion of value, their own “expert witness,” not just the assessor’s opinion. My experience has been that appraisals supplied by the owner are completely ignored. Again, to quote from a closed-door session. “We can’t accept that appraisal, it is the owner’s appraisal, bought and paid for.” That is why in Dickinson and Stark County 100% of property appeals had been turned down no matter the evidence supplied. Spot checks are needed to add independent over sight of the assessments and appeal process. 

We ask you to please support HB 1289. Help us get fair market value assessments and independent oversight to the process. 

Thank you 

Carlos Royal, a North Dakota property investor for over 35 years.