Reassessment decision will help property owners
While the Fayette County commissioners have announced plans to halt the countywide reassessment slated to go into effect next year because of fairness concerns, a sampling of some county property owners shows they will be much better off because of the decision. Throughout the county, 60 percent of the properties had decreased in value or stayed the same. However, some properties increased 100 percent or more in assessed value. The total assessed value of the entire county increased 36 percent. By not implementing the reassessment, the values of properties throughout the county will remain at the assessed value that was put in place in January 2003. The last reassessment used a base year of 2001.
If the reassessment had been implemented, it would have used a base year of 2008.
A listing of 29 actual sales that occurred throughout the county in 2008 shows properties that were sold for significantly more than their previous assessed values in various municipalities throughout the county. Each of the properties went up in assessed value between 77 percent and 250 percent. However, since the reassessment isn’t being implemented, they will revert back to the old assessed value.
The decision to stop the project means each of the property owners will now pay taxes on the old assessed values instead of the new projected assessed values.
The following is a list of the 29 properties, the municipality in which they are located, the purchase price and the two assessed values as well as the percentage increase in assessed value, had the reassessment been implemented.
? In Bullskin Township, a parcel with an old assessed value of $63,730 sold for $127,000 and had a new assessed value of $125,630, an increase of 97 percent.
? In Bullskin Township, a parcel with an old assessed value of $107,680 sold for $209,000 and had a new assessed value of $200,820, an increase of 86 percent.
? In Bullskin Township, a parcel with an old assessed value of $77,480 sold for $154,000 and had a new assessed value of $140,800, an increase of 82 percent.
? In Bullskin Township, a parcel with an old assessed value of $76,860 sold for $162,000 and had a new assessed value of $161,690, an increase of 110 percent.
? In Bullskin Township, a parcel with an old assessed value of $106,720 sold for $256,000 and had a new assessed value of $228,130, an increase of 114 percent.
? In Bullskin Township, a parcel with an old assessed value of $80,140 sold for $200,000 and had a new assessed value of $204,830, an increase of 156 percent.
? In Bullskin Township, a parcel with an old assessed value of $54,890 sold for $117,000 and had a new assessed value of $107,850, an increase of 96 percent.
? In Connellsville, a parcel with an old assessed value of $20,760 sold for $48,000 and had a new assessed value of $44,150, an increase of 113 percent.
? In Connellsville, a parcel with an old assessed value of $35,650 sold for $69,500 and had a new assessed value of $62,760, an increase of 76 percent.
? In Connellsville, a parcel with an old assessed value of $30,420 sold for $69,900 and had a new assessed value of $64,940, an increase of 114 percent.
? In Connellsville, a parcel with an old assessed value of $48,670 sold for $97,000 and had a new assessed value of $90,220, an increase of 85 percent.
? In Connellsville, a parcel with an old assessed value of $30,090 sold for $76,000 and had a new assessed value of $65,410, an increase of 117 percent.
? In Menallen Township, a parcel with an old assessed value of $4,920 sold for $27,000 and had a new assessed value of $17,100, and increase of 348 percent.
? In South Connellsville, a parcel with an old assessed value of $43,900 sold for $115,360 and had a new assessed value of $109,780, an increase of 250 percent.
? In South Connellsville, a parcel with an old assessed value of $40,050 sold for $78,500 and had a new assessed value of $75,890, an increase of 89 percent.
? In South Union Township, a parcel with an old assessed value of $55,190 sold for $140,000 and had an old assessed value of $133,850, an increase of 143 percent.
? In South Union Township, a parcel with an old assessed value of $184,200 sold for $350,000 and had a new assessed value of $341,960, an increase of 86 percent.
? In Uniontown, a parcel with an old assessed value of $38,230 sold for $73,800 and had a new assessed value of $72,270, an increase of 89 percent.
? In Uniontown, a parcel with an old assessed value of $53,610 sold for $117,500 and had a new assessed value of $105,200, an increase of 96 percent.
? In Uniontown, a parcel with an old assessed value of $41,990 sold for $78,000 and had a new assessed value of $74,520, an increase of 77 percent.
? In Uniontown, a parcel with an old assessed value of $77,560 sold for $189,000 and had a new assessed value of $161,590, an increase of 208 percent.
? In Uniontown, a parcel with an old assessed value of $38,210 sold for $75,000 and had a new assessed value of $71,800, an increase of 88 percent.
? In Uniontown, a parcel with an old assessed value of $44,450 sold for $111,300 and had a new assessed value of $92,460, an increase of 108 percent.
? In Uniontown, a parcel with an old assessed value of $298,450 sold for $649,000 and had a new assessed value of $601,090, an increase of 101 percent.
? In Uniontown, a parcel with an old assessed value of $38,000 sold for $72,500 and had a new assessed value of $71,540, an increase of 88 percent.
? In Wharton Township, a parcel with an old assed value of $105,100 sold for $265,000 and had a new assessed value of $263,260, an increase of 250 percent.
? In Wharton Township, a parcel with an old assessed value of $151,800 sold for $319,000 and had a new assessed value of $292,510, an increase of 93 percent.
? In Wharton Township, a parcel with an old assessed value of $125,000 sold for $230,000 and had a new assed value of $223,700, an increase of 79 percent.
? In Wharton Township, a parcel with an old assessed value of $151,300 sold for $271,000 and had a new assessed value of $267,370, an increase of 77 percent.
“Those were actual sales from the recorder of deeds office,” Hercik said.
Hercik pointed out that the new assessed value on most of the properties was lower than the sale price.