Assessor

NOTICE TO TAXPAYERS  - July 14, 2023

Agreeably to the provisions of Title 32, Vermont State Statutes Annotated, Section 4111, notice is hereby given that the undersigned assessor within and for the City of Montpelier has this day completed the abstract of property owners as of the first day of April 2023.  The assessor has this same day lodged the abstract in the office of the clerk for the inspection of taxpayers. 

 On the 31st day of July, 2023, at 9:00 AM, the undersigned assessor will meet by appointment at Montpelier Senior Center, 58 Barre Street, to hear appeals of the taxpayers aggrieved by actions of the assessor from whom timely grievances have been received.  To be timely, such grievance must be in writing and received in this office at your hearing or by mail/email no later than the 4th day of August, 2023.   At the close of grievance hearings, the assessor shall make such corrections in the abstract as were determined upon hearing or otherwise. Unless cause to the contrary is shown, the contents of said abstract will, for the tax year 2023, become the grand list of the city of each taxpayer named therein.  

Signed at Montpelier, in the County of Washington, this 14th day of July, 2023. 

 

                                   

                     Marty Lagerstedt 

                      Assessor 

                      City of Montpelier

 

 Will the due date for property taxes change?

At this time, the City is still undergoing the reappraisal process. Due to the flood, reappraisal grievance hearings will be delayed. Tax bills have not yet gone out. The first quarter installment date will be later than normal but has not yet been set because the reappraisal is not yet complete. The City will make an announcement as soon as the tax bill due date is set. 

 

Proposed Grand List & Property Value Booklets

Click an Item to View and Download

  1. 2023 FINAL GRAND LIST 08-15-2023
  2. 2023 Official Preliminary Grand List 6-20-2023
  3. 2023 Proposed Grand List
  4. 2023 Proposed Grand List Booklet.xlsx
  5. abatement vs grievance
  6. Booklet by Location_2023
  7. Booklet by Owner_2023
  8. Grievance Application form

Abatement vs. Grievance

  1. abatement vs grievance

Proposed Grand List & Preliminary Notice of the 2023 Reappraisal Results

The City of Montpelier contracted with New England Municipal Consultants, Ltd. (NEMC) for a complete reappraisal of all real estate within the City for the 2023 Grand List. As a portion of that contract, NEMC is required to hold informal public hearings to discuss the new proposed values with property owners. This notice is a presentation of the proposed 2023 value. This notice does not constitute the beginning of the legal grievance period. You will be officially notified of your final Grand List value in June. 

The last full appraisal completed in Montpelier was in 2010. NEMC has conducted an inspection program over the past two years to collect information on the homes and businesses in Montpelier. Upon completion of the property inspections, the senior project manager established new values for all property by analyzing the sales of property within Montpelier. The results were applied to the appraisal of land and buildings in Montpelier. The project supervisor and staff reviewed the appraisal for each property, checking locations, grades, conditions, and topography for each property. 

The next step for the Property owner, (if you have questions), is to informally discuss the new appraisal with a representative from NEMC. In this process, you (the property owner) can sit and discuss the new value the reasoning behind it, and the data used to arrive at the new value.  The key to this process is a discussion of fair market value. Vermont law states that all taxable property in the State be appraised at fair market value and be listed at 100% of that value. Fair market value can be best described as that value you might reasonably expect to receive upon the sale of your property in a fair, considered transaction.  

The proposed 2023 value (see above) is an indication of the market value of your property as of April 1, 2023. Please be aware that there are only three ways to change your new assessment:

  1. The new value is not fair market. Simply, you feel that your property is not worth what the new assessment has been set at. 
  2. The property is not fairly assessed when compared to other similar property. When you compare your property to reasonably similar propery, in a similar location, you should see that the assessments are similar. 
  3. There may be data errors in your record. You can get a copy of your record at the hearing, on the Assessor's page here, or by calling 802-223-9504. 

If you feel that the proposed value is not a fair indication of market value for your property, you can schedule an informal meeting with NEMC representatives. You will be given the opportunity at that meeting to present information to potentially adjust your value. You should be prepared to compare your property to other similar homes, bring data about the condition of your house or land, or bring any appraisal or sale documents you may have. The process is meant to be informal and informative. The goal is to have fair and equitable property values for all. Please be aware that the values are proposed and subject to change based on information gathered prior to the issuance of the Abstract Grand List.

All valuations are also posted to the City's website on the Assessor's page. The downloadable booklet with all new and prior values is available through the link below. You may also contact the City office for a booklet if you are unable to access it on the website.

Each hearing will be scheduled for 10 - 15 minutes. You will be provided with a copy of your new property record card. NEMC representatives will make notes and view the property at a later time if needed. You will be notified of any changes through the grievance notice you receive in June. 

(Informal hearings will be held on May 23 - 27, 2023, at Montpelier City Hall, 39 Main Street in Montpelier. Daytime and evening hours will be available. Please call 802-223-9504 Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm to set up an appointment. If needed, please leave a message and we will return your call. 

You may call and schedule an in-person hearing or telephone hearing. Please be aware that you will be responsible for being available at the appointed time. You may send your data by mail or email: mlagerstedt@montpelier-vt.org 

The mailing address is :

Assessor's Office
City of Montpelier
39 Main Street
Montpelier, VT 05602


All information must be received by June 2, 2023, to be considered in this informal phase. 

The Montpelier Assessor's office and NEMC thank the property owners of the City of Montpelier for the cooperation shown throughout this project.

Sincerely,

Marty Lagerstedt

City Assessor

________________________________________________________________________________________________


NOTICE OF UPCOMING CITY-WIDE REAPPRAISAL ~ 2023

December 2022 Update from the Assessor's office:

New England Municipal Consultant (NEMC) representatives are currently visiting residential properties for the city-wide 2023 Montpelier Reappraisal. NEMC estimates nearly 70% of properties have been inspected from the exterior thus far.  

Please call Jane Aldrighetti in our office at 223-9504 to schedule an interior inspection to help ensure that we have accurate information regarding your home. Commercial properties are being viewed and measured from the exterior with interior inspections planned for this winter.
How does the Assessor's office determine fair market value of a property? 

One of the most frequently asked questions about the reappraisal is how we will determine fair market value given all that has happened with the real estate market in the past few years. In response, we will conduct a thorough analysis of the past three years of real estate sales to determine current fair market value. Vermont law specifies that assessments be 100% of current market value.
   
Will the reappraisal affect my taxes? 

Your city taxes are driven by municipal spending, not property assessments.

 While most property values will rise, please understand that an increase in your assessment does not mean that your taxes will increase by that percentage. If all assessments double, the tax rate is reduced to half the current rate and each property owner would pay the same amount of tax. Those who receive state payments will still pay taxes based on household income.

   

What are the next steps?

You can expect to receive a booklet with Preliminary values in May 2023. You will then have an opportunity to review your new value with the contractor. Official Change of appraisal notices will be sent to all property owners in June 2023, followed by grievance hearings two weeks later.

 

 We appreciate the cooperation of all property owners and if anyone should have any questions, or to schedule an inspection, please feel free to contact our office.


Thank you,

 Marty Lagerstedt, City Assessor




Services

  • Appraisal and assessment of all real estate and business personal property.
  • Maintenance of property information records, sales information, and tax maps.
  • Providing information to other departments, outside agencies, and the general public.

Records Available for Review


  • Copies of recent Grand Lists
  • Property record files
  • Tax maps
  • Transfer and ownership information

Miscellaneous


  • Copies of assessor produced records are available.
  • Copies of records are available in the following formats:
    • Grand List available electronically
    • Paper copies of all records

Copies of documents officially lodged with the City Clerk, such as deeds, plats, and Official Grand List, should be obtained from the City Clerk's Office. Copies of proprietary materials should be obtained from the owner.