LAWRENCE COUNTY Residents to receive property notices

The county will convene a third property appeals board.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County property owners should receive their new real estate assessments in early July.
County commissioners and New Castle officials came to an agreement Thursday in closed chambers with Common Pleas Court Judge J. Craig Cox to send out the notices.
County commissioners were trying to get permission to delay reassessment for one year. The county and city signed a consent order in 1998 agreeing to complete reassessment this year. City officials had threatened to sue the county to force a reassessment because they believe city residents are paying an unfair share of county taxes.
As part of Thursday's agreement, the county will convene a third property appeals board to handle any overflow from the two boards.
Request for delay
Commissioners initially asked for the delay because they believed there will be a large number of appeals, and the county appeals boards won't be able to process them before municipalities must set their 2003 budgets.
Pittsburgh attorney Sam Kamin, who is representing the county, said he believes the fair market values compiled by Sabre Systems, the Miamisburg, Ohio, company that did the reassessment, contain overassessed and underassessed properties.
Kamin added that those who are overassessed will likely appeal and get their property values reduced, but those who are underassessed will not appeal.
He said once the fair market values are sent to taxpayers, any errors in calculating the numbers, such as those who are underassessed, can't be fixed until there is another countywide reassessment.
City Solicitor James Manolis argued that municipalities and school districts can appeal any property they believe is underassessed.
"Our position is the current fair market values are accurate. The county has no credible evidence to determine that the values submitted by Sabre Systems are inaccurate," he said.
Reassessment agreement
As part of the court agreement reached Thursday, Mary Bullano, the county's chief assessor, will analyze the fair market values submitted by Sabre Systems to determine if any are undervalued.
Judge Cox said he will schedule another hearing for mid-August to determine if a delay is needed. He said Bullano's report and the number of appeals filed should determine if one is needed.
All property appeals must be filed by Aug. 1.
Judge Cox also continued a hearing set for July 12 for the city's motion to hold the county in contempt of court. City officials claim the county violated their 1998 agreement by asking for the one-year delay in reassessment.