A watchdog group slammed the state Division of Income for failing to handle “evidence” that the Metropolis of Boston is penalizing industrial constructing homeowners who file appeals by rising the assessed worth, and taxes, of their properties.
The Pioneer New England Authorized Basis despatched a letter to DOR Commissioner Geoffrey Snyder final week accusing his division of choosing “bureaucratic convenience” over a radical evaluation by dismissing what the watchdog alleged had been “unauthorized and unconstitutional” evaluation practices by the town.
“Because our assertions are plain, simple and readily apparent from the records we provided, we can only assume that your professed confusion about our assertions is mere bureaucratic convenience,” Frank Bailey, president of the New England Authorized Basis, wrote within the letter. “Again, taxpayers deserve more, and your office is statutorily required to investigate the city’s assessment practices.”
Bailey wrote final Thursday that Pioneer believes that it has “uncovered a concerted and widespread over-assessment scheme by the city.”
He mentioned Pioneer supplied industrial property file playing cards to DOR that present the town is “deliberately” assessing these properties past the truthful market worth, and was “secretly penalizing” homeowners who appealed these valuations.
The so-called penalty got here within the type of assessed worth being added to properties by the Metropolis of Boston after these industrial property homeowners had filed abatements with the state’s Appellate Tax Board, Bailey’s letter states.
Bailey, when requesting a DOR investigation into the town’s evaluation practices in late June, mentioned, “In so doing, the city has unlawfully increased those taxpayers’ tax burden by as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Snyder, the DOR commissioner, wrote again to Pioneer final month, stating that his division, upon evaluate, was “unable to substantiate” its claims.
Mayor Michelle Wu’s monetary chief on the time described the DOR’s findings as affirmation that the town abides by the regulation in assessing property values.
A metropolis spokesperson had beforehand dismissed Pioneer’s allegations as “baseless and full of misinformation.”
Bailey, a retired choose for the U.S. Chapter Courtroom for the District of Massachusetts, mentioned Pioneer will not be deterred by the DOR’s findings and stands by its claims in opposition to the town.
“This is about fairness, transparency, and ensuring the city cannot punish those who exercise their rights,” Bailey mentioned in an announcement. “The (DOR) commissioner’s refusal to address the evidence is unacceptable.”
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