NEW: March 21,
2009: This page and most of those linked from it are old & often
outdated, but may still contain some useful information and background. See our
updated (2009) page regarding appeal of your current assessment. The deadline is
Mar. 31, 2009
Market value assessment as a basis for property taxes is a
semi-permanent issue that shows no signs of resolution. One of world19's first public
meetings, in March, 1998 focused on this issue.
In November of 2003, in reaction to the most recent round of
re-assessments, Bruce Haines, a resident of the area, forwarded us a letter he had been
distributing through his neighbourhood. Entitled "A wolf in sheep's clothing",
it addressed what he sees as an unfair and arbitrary property assessment process by the
provincially-mandated Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).
He has since provided a lot of background on the
re-assessment process, how it affects your property taxes -- and how to fight back. As
well, he continues to expose what he sees as the arbitrary methods of the Arbitration
Review Board. (See his May 11 letter below for example).
Below are links to other pages on our website with
information and comment on this issue. Most of the information comes from Bruce Haines.
NEW: Four new Documents
from Bruce Haines (new Jan. 2/06)
... Also: an updated (Feb. 2006) document "Request for
Pre-hearing" below.
The
following note is from Bruce Haines: Note that the links referenced in
this introductory note are WORD documents.
As part of the Property Assessment area of the World19 website I am
pleased to offer the following updates. Home Owners can successfully
challenge the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation before the
Assessment Review Board on issues pertaining to the production of
information and documents. On May 27, 2005 a favourable decision was
obtained before Vice Chair Seaborn in respect of the assessment of a
condominium unit at 1A Dale Avenue in Toronto, Complaints #1626471 and
1756835. A wider order might have been obtained had the complainant
based the complaint not only on the issue that the assessment was
incorrect but also that the assessment methodology was flawed. You might
take the opportunity of reviewing the decision.
On November 3, 2005 a town hall type meeting was sponsored by Education
Minister Gerard Kennedy for residents and property owners in the
Parkdale-High Park riding. A summary of the
meeting has been posted under the title “ASSESSMENT-
MEETING” . There was a large turn out for the meeting which saw
the venting of a lot of hostility toward MPAC.
All those attending were urged to make representations to the Ontario
Ombudsman who is currently conducting a review of the MPAC valuation
system. My own submissions concerning a neighbourhood in this ward were
sent to the Ombudsman and they are posted to the website under the
heading “OMBUDSMAN LETTER” and
also “OMBUDSMAN – TABLE”. If
you have submissions to make please bear in mind that Mr. Andre Marin
will be making his report to the government likely by the end of January
2006.
MPAC:
same old, same oldNov. 15/04 An article from the Toronto Sun about MPAC and its problematic
property valuation system, along with some local examples.