The Challenge
Unfortunately, this created a legal re-assessable event that allowed the county to re-assess the taxable value of the entire property. The final effect was that, just 3 years after the original purchase of the land, the assessor seized the opportunity to increase the value of the property by nearly $10,000,000, creating an additional $100,000 tax burden. This all took place by the actual opening of the hotel. Though property values did “increase during this 3-year period” between the purchase of land prior to the finished construction, the re-assessment increase in value far exceeded the actual increases during the same period.
Solution
PROTAX LLC examined the assessor’s value. What this revealed was that the assessor added the actual costs to the assessed value, but they increased the value of the land by $10,000,000. However, approximately 70% of this land is utilized as “vineyard”, for the purpose of the Mediterranean ambiance, but it was treated by the assessor as hotel land. By providing the assessor separate actual lower value estimates for the vineyard, as well as showing that the actual income did not support the overall re-assessment, we were able to achieve a reduction.
Client benefit
Reduced assessment and a $40,000 refund to our client.
Resolution
PROTAX LLC achieved a four million dollar taxable value reduction.