Anyone else going to grieve their assessment this year?  Know of a good site to find recently sold homes? Typed in my zip code and only found two that sold in the last 8 months comparible to mine.  Found houses for sale, very low prices, one house on my street sold for five thousand dollars !!!

I see the tentative roll is up for 2011 http://www.cityofschenectady.com/pdf/Assessment/2011%20Tentative%20Roll.pdf

And PT Redevelopment still has property listed at $100
Villa Italia valued at $815,500
Micheal Brockbank 1100 Nott St valued at $488,400
and tons of property by Union College Trustees

ALL FULLY TAX EXEMPT

Well I have my comparables and am all set to grieve. Is it the same review board meaning the same people on it?  The most recent sale in my neighborhood with a house that compares to mine sold for $20,000.  

It's the same group of idiot socialists led by Lady Madonna, former "leader" of the now defunct Liberal Party. Good luck. Another reason to vote for Hull.

Quoted from benny salami

It's the same group of idiot socialists led by Lady Madonna, former "leader" of the now defunct Liberal Party. Good luck. Another reason to vote for Hull.

ROFL.   Vote for the guy that removed tons of houses from taxable status, thus causing HUGE tax increases onto the long struggling overtaxed homeowner?   Vote fopr the same guy who refused to pay any taxes to the city, refused to pay evern a pilot for all the services the college received.

McCarthy vs Hull.   You can't even say which is the lesser of two evils, neigher cares about the residents.  Neither cares how high they tax the homeowners.

The same group CRAP    

As for the mayoral candidates, not going to vote for either one, hope someone else comes along.

Ya gotta vote for Hull!!! Sure he has some history.......but remember........he was working FOR Union College and was doing what was best FOR Union College at the time. But WHO allowed it? Remember.....the elected officials put their rubber stamp on it in the end.

Voting for Hull is a NO VOTE for McCarthy!!!! It's a no brainer here folks!!

And if Hull does a crappy job.........vote him out next time around too!! Gotta start somewhere, and this is it!!

Quoted from bumblethru

Ya gotta vote for Hull!!! Sure he has some history.......but remember........he was working FOR Union College and was doing what was best FOR Union College at the time. But WHO allowed it? Remember.....the elected officials put their rubber stamp on it in the end.

Voting for Hull is a NO VOTE for McCarthy!!!! It's a no brainer here folks!!

Thank you. There is no other option. At the least Hull will clean out the DEM time pieces on every bored including assessment review. Remember the disgusting way the DEMS have treated all property owners. Purposely making sheeple stand in line for hours only to dismiss 99% of requests for "lack of documentation". This maybe the last time there is a viable alternative.

If you've had a nagging feeling that the property taxes you pay on your house are higher than they ought to be, at least when compared with other similar homes in your community, the deadline is here to do something about it. This Tuesday, the fourth one in May, is that special date known as Grievance Day in most area towns and cities (there are a handful of exceptions), and it's your last chance until next year to make a case that your assessment is higher than it ought to be. The good news is that there are more resources than ever to help an average homeowner decide whether it could be worthwhile to go through the process and, if so, to help the homeowner build a case.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/defa.....61.php#ixzz1N3IAhINC

Quoted Text

SCHENECTADY
Grievance Day gets good reviews
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Kathleen Moore at 395-3120 or moore@dailygazette.com.

    So few people came out for Grievance Day in Schenectady this year that bystanders who hadn’t even intended to protest their tax assessment were able to fi ll out the paperwork, make their case and stroll out during their lunch hour.
    City workers were posted on every fl oor of City Hall, ready to help hundreds of residents. The morning deluge: four people. The lunch rush: about six.
    “It’s very quiet,” finance clerk Diane Marco said as she waited for residents who wanted to make their case directly to the Board of Assessment Review.
    By midday, when one of the board’s two panels went on lunch, she had six residents waiting. The average wait time for them: 10 minutes.
    Two years ago, residents waited for nine hours, mostly in the heat, without chairs, as they waited to pick up their paperwork.
This time, 26 chairs were lined up there. All were empty.
Director of Operations Sharon Jordan, who reorganized Grievance Day last year to better handle large crowds, said this year could have been busy — 360 people filed grievances ahead of time. But most chose not to make their case in person as well. Those who filed Tuesday morning were able to walk in and immediately speak to the board.
Residents said they had no complaints with this year’s process. It was so easy that some residents decided, on a whim, to try to get their assessment reduced. .......................>>>>......................>>>>.....................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01003&AppName=1

Diane Marco? Most people have given up. 99% of the grievances are tossed for lack of sufficient documentation. Until the whole working together crew is cleared out of City Hall no one will get a fair hearing.

I have talked to many folks in the city and they say it is a total waste of time. Very very few, if any, get their assessment lowered.

Quoted from bumblethru

I have talked to many folks in the city and they say it is a total waste of time. Very very few, if any, get their assessment lowered.

What's sickening is the old tyme socialists/liberal party operatives that sleep on the review bored. Another DEM old folks home. More people should go to get a full dose of DEM working together where the sun doesn't shine. It woke Roger Hull-it could happen to you!

Well I went yesterday and the hallways were empty. There was a table set up on the first floor where a lady I assume would help with looking up properties.

Went to the council chamber and maybe six people waiting to be seen by the "board" They were divided into two groups. I got my three minutes, told them I had all comparables to mine, that my house was lowered to fair condition (which they had to look up on computer to verify) and described the crime and how it impacts us on our street (which is supposed to help as per NYS office of real property)  This time all were awake lol, they seemed to listen but of course not getting my hopes up. At least now I know how to file and go to court if I have to.

For sure the board will respond to everyone with "denied, has not proven..."

Given that assessments are supposed to be based on property values which are based on actual selling prices of comparable houses let's see if DV can rovide an answer has to how someone get's their assessment lowered to what it's worth when there are no actual selling prices of comps because virtually no houses are selling....(.oh wait, DV never owned a house so he would not know about assessment.  That's probably why he does not comprehend the issues of plummeting proeprty values coupled with increasing taxes; and most defeinitely proves he never owned a house becaus he doesn't understand that when 100% tax exemptions are given to the millionaires and billionaires, then the taxes of those properties have to be paid by the homeowners.)

Can you hear the city, "well only one house sold, that's not enough to justify a reduction"

I hope all the grievants went armed with all the "for sale" ads showing comps in their area, for example, a person whats to be lowered from $80,000 to $50,000, and since no one wants to buy a house in the city, thus there are no sales which which to compare, then it would seem logical to show the HUGE MUTITUDES of houses, printing the real estate for sale ads that show "listed for sale April 2010 for $84,900, no willing buyers at that price, lowered asking price to $79,900 in June 2010, no willikng buyers, lowered asking price to $69,900 in Sept.......no willing buyers at $42,900 as of May 1, 2011" and all the HUGE MUTITUDES of such ads and their history, because THAT would/should prove that values are way way down.  City is full value assessment and full value assessment is supposed to be market value, and the state defiines market value as the "amount which a willing buyer pays to a willing seller."  

Not surprising to see that the process went smoothly.   You have to figure all of the current admin. employees are on there best behavior what with it being an election year.   More evidence is the current wave of road patching etc.   Kind of reminds one of when the wife says we have to whip the house into shape for the inlaws visit (or for the upcoming election).