No Change In Assessment To Main Street Property

No Change In Assessment To Main Street Property

By David Howell

Editor

WATER VALLEY – Although Monday’s discussion during a public hearing concerning the county’s tax roll centered on questions about assessments of multiple properties after property owner Kagan Coughlin presented a compilation of Main Street properties, supervisors also addressed Coughlin’s specific objection filed in writing for his building located at 420 North Main Street.

Supervisors did not lower Coughlin’s assessment after he explained that he was not officially objecting to the value of his building, instead explaining that his dialogue with Tax Assessor/Collector Linda Shuffield was about determining the assessed value of his property in context to the assessed value of similar properties. 

“I told her I want to see the context,” Coughlin explained, adding his objection was ultimately to have the discussion about the countywide assessments of property. 

“Whatever the fair, assessed value is, I will pay my bill. I have a lot of tax bills in this county and I pay them all,” Coughlin added.  “But I would like to know that the process is fair.”

Coughlin also said the assessed value at 420 Main Street increased from $34,656 in 2015 to $47,191 in 2016, although no improvements were made to the building.

The Dialogue

“If there is something in that building that I wasn’t aware of, it would be up to y’all to make a change in the assessment,” Shuffield told supervisors about Cough-lin’s objection.

Coughlin explained the increase from 2015 to 2016 stemmed from a change in the condition Shuffield rated the building at, increasing from 35 percent to 50 percent.

“So what triggered the change in condition?” Coughlin asked.

“I am not sure the opinion was correct last year. I really don’t know if it was clerical, but the value we have this year more reflects the value of the property in my opinion,” Shuffield answered.

“Last year I remember the previous board gave you a reduction because the bathroom and air conditioner had not been put in there, right?” District 5 Supervisor Gaylon Gray asked.

“Right,” Shuffield answered.

“Well now it is in there,” Gray added, referring to the increase in the assessment.

But Coughlin countered, explaining the 34,656 assessment from last year was before the board reduced his assessment to reflect the heating and cooling system and bathroom was not installed prior to the start of 2015.

“That number included the air conditioner and bathroom. My assessments are materially on the same building with the same improvements,” Coughlin said. 

“Would you take that for it?” Washington asked about the assessed value set by Shuffield. “That has been the question she has always asked me.”

“Anybody with a checkbook and some money in their account would make a fortune if they went and bought houses in town for the assessed value,” Cough-lin answered. “Nobody’s assessment is worth what the market value is today,” Coughlin explained, adding that the question is how much fluctuation there is for comparable properties. (See related story, Page A1.)