Brookfield Listers Minutes for the 2015 Grievance Hearings Held
(unapproved)
Grievance Hearings Held on June 18 (5 to 7pm) and June 20 (8am to 12pm), 2015, Brookfield Town Office
Listers in attendance on both dates: Stuart Edson, Teresa Godfrey, Phyllis Humez
Thomas Heed, guardian to Joseph Heed, grieved the assessed value of Joseph Heed’s property:
1. House never finished. Doors do not have sills, window units not plumb, roof on porch never done, linoleum was not sealed.
2. No one knows where the septic is located.
3. Basement walls, doors and electric are incomplete and/or nonfunctional.
4. The only source of water is a dug well.
5. Land on second parcel – right of way issue.
The Listers will do a site visit by 6/27/15.
David Christensen, representative for Gifford Medical Center, and as 2015 owner, grieved the assessed value of the Gifford Medical Center’s property:
1. Requested an explanation for valuation difference between realty and town appraisals.
2. Requested an explanation for valuation difference between town appraisal and sale price.
3. Informed Listers of radon issues (both air and water) that required installation of a mitigation system. The radon now measures at safe levels.
4. Pole barn is sinking because the support poles have no footings. Instability prevents Green Mountain Power from re-installing electric meter and activating the electrical system in barn.
5. Ice damage to retaining wall between the upper and lower driveways has left it in a state of serious disrepair.
The Listers will do a site visit by 6/27/15.
Leon Snow grieved the assessed value of two properties:
1. The land-only parcel is too wet for farm use or building a structure. Has not been perked for septic.
2. The parcel with his house on it has unusable land behind the house (ravine with stream), and the entire southern half of the parcel is wetland.
The Listers will do a site visit by 6/27/15.
Tom Malanchuk, representing Randolph Fish and Game, requested an explanation of how the assessed value was determined, and what the property tax would be now. Mr. Malanchuk was satisfied with the explanation provided by the Listers, and with the tax calculation computed by Teresa based on last year’s tax rate. No grievance. No site visit necessary.
Megan Miller presented issues regarding her newly acquired parcel via the subdivision of her mother’s property.
1. Ms Miller informed the Listers that the terrain of her land parcel has ledge that will make creating a building lot difficult. The Listers will make a site visit by 6/27/15.
2. Ms Miller requested an explanation for the valuation having increased so much from what it had been before subdivision occurred. The Listers explained that two of her acquired acres had to be assessed at the higher house-site value that is applied to every parcel in Brookfield.
The Listers will do a site visit by 6/27/15.
Marvin Williams grieved the assessed value of his parcel of land from which material was quarried for the construction of neighboring Interstate 89, and stated that no part of the parcel is suitable for use as a building site.
The Listers will do a site visit by 6/27/15.
6/27/15 note: All site visits have been done.
Respectfully submitted,
Phyllis Humez