Real Estate Tax Assessment Revolt
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I am a 75-year-old senior citizen that retired off my rental property in Dickinson, North Dakota, which in some cases are now producing nothing for me due to their over assessments. For example, I own one property where the taxes are more than the net income. Me nothing, the taxes $7,000.
I am raising money to bring litigation in Dickinson, North Dakota to benefit all over assessed property owners. There was an oil boom and they raised our assessed values, but the oil boom has been over now for four years going on five but the assessor, in collusion with the City and County Commissioners, have not lowered assessments to match the bust. The City and County commissioners are so capricious and arbitrary in their actions that they have turned down 100% of all property owners that have appealed their assesses values. The outcomes "Denied" are fix and known before the hearings even begin. This is just not right.
The commissioners hired and paid for independent appraisals of every commercial property in Dickinson to rise our assessment and taxes but have refused to hire or even considers independent appraisals to lower assessed values to match true market values. If the commissioners looked to independent appraisals to raise our values, shouldn’t they also look to independent appraisals to lower our values? I don’t know about you but my property values have dropped 75% compared to the boom.
I am not doing this for the money; it will cost me far more than I will save on taxes but I am doing it because what is going on in Dickinson is not right and is corrupt. The law clearly states that all real property is to be listed at its true and full fair market value, not a past oil boom price which makes the property 100% to 300% over assessed today. The system to make sure that doesn't happen is not working when the Commissioners act in a capricious and arbitrary manner by rejecting every appeal. 100% have been denied, rejecting the property owners’ independent appraisals, comparable sales and income and expense for their properties. Is it even reasonable that 100% of the property owners with independent appraisals could be wrong? How many independent appraisers does it take to prove the assessor wrong?
As far as I know, the commissioners have not ordered any independent appraisal of a property being appealed since the oil bust to spot check the assessor as required by law. "North Dakota Century Code 57-12-01.1 clearly states the board is to conduct “Spot Checks of Real Property.” What are the commissioners afraid of? The truth maybe? What could be more capricious and arbitrary than a rigged system where the outcome “denied" is known even before the hearing begins. When I was scheduling my hearing, the lady at the county commissioners’ office actually asked me. “Why are you coming here? You know that we have had 79 of these hearings and not one has been approved.”
We ask that the commissioners go back and do their job and review independent appraisals supplied by the property owners and if they question the owners' independent appraisals, then the commissioners should hire their own independent appraisers to at least spot check the values of the assessor as required by law for the years 2015, 2016, 2017 and now 2018. So far, the commissioners have taken the word of the assessor 100% of the time. The assessor uses a Mass Computer Assisted Appraisal System, that is not even designed to get every property right. The Commissioners and the Assessor should expect errors. That is what the appeal system is for, to catch the errors, but that is not happening because the commissioners, acting in an arbitrary and capricious manner accepting the word of the assessor 100% of the time totally disregarding independent appraisals submitted by owners.
Property owners have a right to be heard and given a fair and honest hearing where the evidence is reviewed and considered by a neutral party, where the outcome is not known in advance and the assessor is spot checked for accuracy. This is my give back to the City of Dickinson, tenants renting property and the property owners of North Dakota because when properties are over assessed and losing money owners will stop paying their taxes, stop doing maintenance and will eventually abandon their properties for economic reasons and blight takes over and that is not good for tenants, property owners, the City, the County or the State.
To show I am dedicated to this cause, I will personally match total contributions up to the first $25,000 raised. Our goal is to raise $50,000 for the hard costs of the Class Action lawsuit. I have agreed to fund half if you will help fund the other half. If you feel no one should be over assessed and everyone should have the right to a fair and honest hearing, then please support us. It can be large or small: we will accept any amount you want to give. If you would rather write a check to help in this legal battle send it to Carlos Royal, Office, 1156 21st W, Dickinson, ND 586501, on the memo line write Tax Revolt Legal Fees.
We seek only one thing: That our properties be listed on the tax rolls at their true and full fair market values as required by law.
1. You can ask to join the fight (Class Action) if you feel your property is over assessed.
2. You can volunteer to help. We need help with email, social media, and people to attend Commissioner and court hearings.
3. You can simply show your support with a donation. 100% of the money goes to the legal fund. Any funds not used will go to Charity.
ARE YOU BEING OVER TAXED?
If you would like to discuss your property’s value to see if it may be assessed too high, contact Mike Wedl at [email redacted] . Mike is a former county assessor and is the President & CEO of USAPTA, Inc. and Pinpoint Property Tax Finder software. He will discuss your property with you so that you can decide if you are being over assessed and over taxed.
I am raising money to bring litigation in Dickinson, North Dakota to benefit all over assessed property owners. There was an oil boom and they raised our assessed values, but the oil boom has been over now for four years going on five but the assessor, in collusion with the City and County Commissioners, have not lowered assessments to match the bust. The City and County commissioners are so capricious and arbitrary in their actions that they have turned down 100% of all property owners that have appealed their assesses values. The outcomes "Denied" are fix and known before the hearings even begin. This is just not right.
The commissioners hired and paid for independent appraisals of every commercial property in Dickinson to rise our assessment and taxes but have refused to hire or even considers independent appraisals to lower assessed values to match true market values. If the commissioners looked to independent appraisals to raise our values, shouldn’t they also look to independent appraisals to lower our values? I don’t know about you but my property values have dropped 75% compared to the boom.
I am not doing this for the money; it will cost me far more than I will save on taxes but I am doing it because what is going on in Dickinson is not right and is corrupt. The law clearly states that all real property is to be listed at its true and full fair market value, not a past oil boom price which makes the property 100% to 300% over assessed today. The system to make sure that doesn't happen is not working when the Commissioners act in a capricious and arbitrary manner by rejecting every appeal. 100% have been denied, rejecting the property owners’ independent appraisals, comparable sales and income and expense for their properties. Is it even reasonable that 100% of the property owners with independent appraisals could be wrong? How many independent appraisers does it take to prove the assessor wrong?
As far as I know, the commissioners have not ordered any independent appraisal of a property being appealed since the oil bust to spot check the assessor as required by law. "North Dakota Century Code 57-12-01.1 clearly states the board is to conduct “Spot Checks of Real Property.” What are the commissioners afraid of? The truth maybe? What could be more capricious and arbitrary than a rigged system where the outcome “denied" is known even before the hearing begins. When I was scheduling my hearing, the lady at the county commissioners’ office actually asked me. “Why are you coming here? You know that we have had 79 of these hearings and not one has been approved.”
We ask that the commissioners go back and do their job and review independent appraisals supplied by the property owners and if they question the owners' independent appraisals, then the commissioners should hire their own independent appraisers to at least spot check the values of the assessor as required by law for the years 2015, 2016, 2017 and now 2018. So far, the commissioners have taken the word of the assessor 100% of the time. The assessor uses a Mass Computer Assisted Appraisal System, that is not even designed to get every property right. The Commissioners and the Assessor should expect errors. That is what the appeal system is for, to catch the errors, but that is not happening because the commissioners, acting in an arbitrary and capricious manner accepting the word of the assessor 100% of the time totally disregarding independent appraisals submitted by owners.
Property owners have a right to be heard and given a fair and honest hearing where the evidence is reviewed and considered by a neutral party, where the outcome is not known in advance and the assessor is spot checked for accuracy. This is my give back to the City of Dickinson, tenants renting property and the property owners of North Dakota because when properties are over assessed and losing money owners will stop paying their taxes, stop doing maintenance and will eventually abandon their properties for economic reasons and blight takes over and that is not good for tenants, property owners, the City, the County or the State.
To show I am dedicated to this cause, I will personally match total contributions up to the first $25,000 raised. Our goal is to raise $50,000 for the hard costs of the Class Action lawsuit. I have agreed to fund half if you will help fund the other half. If you feel no one should be over assessed and everyone should have the right to a fair and honest hearing, then please support us. It can be large or small: we will accept any amount you want to give. If you would rather write a check to help in this legal battle send it to Carlos Royal, Office, 1156 21st W, Dickinson, ND 586501, on the memo line write Tax Revolt Legal Fees.
We seek only one thing: That our properties be listed on the tax rolls at their true and full fair market values as required by law.
1. You can ask to join the fight (Class Action) if you feel your property is over assessed.
2. You can volunteer to help. We need help with email, social media, and people to attend Commissioner and court hearings.
3. You can simply show your support with a donation. 100% of the money goes to the legal fund. Any funds not used will go to Charity.
ARE YOU BEING OVER TAXED?
If you would like to discuss your property’s value to see if it may be assessed too high, contact Mike Wedl at [email redacted] . Mike is a former county assessor and is the President & CEO of USAPTA, Inc. and Pinpoint Property Tax Finder software. He will discuss your property with you so that you can decide if you are being over assessed and over taxed.
Organizer
Carlos Royal
Organizer
Dickinson, ND
