CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – Given that their lake is dry, some homeowners are puzzling over new property assessments that add thousands of dollars in water access value.
Pillsbury Lake has been dry since May’s floods. Repairs to a dam that would have refilled the lake have been delayed for months.
Homeowner Harriet LeBlanc says she knows property assessments sometimes increase, but questions whether it’s reasonable to be evaluated for water access when the lake doesn’t exist. The assessment for her two-bedroom house increased by more than $68,000, from about $144,900 in 2003 to $213,500.
“We haven’t done a thing to make it go up,” she said. “Plus, we have no lake.”
Town officials say the assessments – performed by Avitar Associates of New England – have taken water access into account for years, but this is the first year it has been broken out and itemized.
Lake Commissioner David Klumb said the increase has nothing to do with the cost of fixing the dam, since voters approved a bond to repair it and the federal government also will help. Taxpayers will not begin to pay back the bond until 2008, he said. “I’ve heard comments about waterfront influencing the property value,” he said. “Waterfront always influences the property value.”
He attributed some of the shock to the infrequency with which the town has updated its property values. The town went from 1977 to 1995 with no updates, he said.
Tamara Rodrigues said she and her husband will consider asking for an abatement for the portion of the year that their waterfront home has overlooked mud, weeds and stagnant pools of water.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
