Oct 21, 2009 By Amy Revak 3 min read

The Fayette County Assessment Appeals Board convened hearings Tuesday in which the owners of Uniontown Mall and the Wal-Mart Super Center are seeking lower property valuations. Appraisers provided new proposed values for the sites during separate hearings on the two South Union Township commercial properties.

Although both of the presented appraised values are more than the current values assigned to the properties, the assessed values may end up being less because the county’s common-level ratio is 82.2 percent.

James A. Hercik, the county’s chief assessor, said that the current assessment, which has a base year of 2001, uses a ratio of 100 percent of market value. However, he said every year counties send the State Tax Equalization Board property sales and the state board compares the sales with assessed values to come up with the common level ratio, or difference in the two.

Hercik said as long as the market value to assessed value comparison, or common level ratio, is within 15 percent, the county can continue with using the current assessed value. However, this year the county’s common level ratio came in at 82.2 percent, which is outside the 15 percent allowable by law.

So, even if the appeals board accepts the new higher appraised values, when the common level ratio is applied, the assessed values would be lower, Hercik said.

Ironically, the county was set to implement a countywide reassessment project on Jan. 1, 2010, using a 2008 base year, but the county commissioners unanimously opted to halt the project, thus reverting to the 2001 base-year values.

Currently, the Uniontown Mall property, which encompasses 84.42 acres, is assessed at $33.2 million, including $8.9 million for the land and $24.3 million for the mall structure.

Appraiser John Coyle said his appraised value for the property is $33.5 million. Hercik said using the 82.2 percent common level ratio on Coyle’s appraised value would mean a new value of $27.5 million, or $5.7 million less than the current value.

For the Wal-Mart Super Center located at the Fayette County Business Park, the 21.85-acre site is valued at $13.8 million, including $2.9 million for the land and $10.9 million for the building.

The appraiser for Wal-Mart put the value of the site at $14.6 million.

Hercik said using the 82.2 percent common-level ratio on the new Wal-Mart appraised value would set a new value at $12 million, or $1.8 million less than the current value.

Hercik said that is a loss of more than $6 million in assessed value and the corresponding taxes to the Laurel Highlands School District, South Union Township and Fayette County.

“This is why reassessments need to be done periodically,” Hercik said.

The county commissioners voted to scrap the countywide reassessment process earlier this year.

Hercik said if the reassessment had been implemented, the new value of the Wal-Mart would have been $18.5 million and the new value of the mall would have been $36.1 million.

The appeals board, which includes Lloyd Mosier, John Rogish and Dee John, opted to make decisions at a later date.

The board also agreed to continue a hearing for the former Wal-Mart site until noon Oct. 29.