To the Editor:

I recently had the experience of attending the Town of Guilderland Grievance Day. I would like to share my ineffective and frustrating experience.

My husband and I bought our house in 2008 just outside the village of Altamont for about $100,000, less than the full-market value our assessment was based on at that time.  We felt that we had received a good deal on the home and we were a little intimidated by the grievance process, which we heard was quite arduous, so we did not contest the value.

This past fall, we added a bathroom and bedroom to our basement for which we pulled a building permit.  So, it was not a surprise when we received a notification that our assessed value was increasing.

However, we were not prepared for the new market value.  The market value that our assessment was to be based on was now around $140,000 higher than our purchase price in 2008.  We felt that this new full-market value was quite a bit higher than other comparable houses in the surrounding area.

So, I started on the process to contest our assessment.  I read all the information on the New York State Taxation and Finance website.  One line on the website stated, “Often, an informal discussion between a taxpayer and an assessor can result in a sharing of information beneficial to both parties.”

I contacted the Town of Guilderland Assessor’s Office and was told that the assessor would not talk to homeowners about this and my only recourse was to file my paperwork and attend Grievance Day.

I contacted a local real-estate agent very familiar with the area.  She talked to me about what she felt a fair market value was for my house and also helped me collect eight different comparables that supported the fair market value determination.

I gathered up all of my information, including proof of purchase price, receipt of construction cost for adding the rooms in the basement, and all eight comparables.  I attended Grievance Day, presented my case, and took questions from the board.  There were very few questions.  I then waited for the response.

I received the letter June 21 and it stated that my assessed value had not been reduced at all. The only reason that was given was, “The proof of value you presented was inadequate because the supporting data was insufficient.”  I called the assessor’s office to find out what information the board was looking for and spoke to Karen VanWagenen, the town assessor.

She said she plays no role in the grievance process and had no idea what data would have been sufficient.  I asked if there was someone I could talk to find out more and she stated that the board was adjourned and there was no one for me to speak to.

I put a lot of work into this endeavor and believe I have a good case. It seems to me that this is a very flawed and opaque process where the taxpayers are not even heard.  I have no idea what the board based its determination on and there is no way for me to find out. I do plan to continue contesting the assessment by filing in small claims court.  I am, however, very disheartened by the way town of Guilderland handles the whole grievance process.

The Enterprise had a very interesting column recently, sharing useful information about the Town of Knox’s Grievance Day.  I would be very interested to hear how Guilderland’s process compares.

Melanie Shatynski

Guilderland

Editor’s note: See related story.