Harmful Property Tax Measure Defeated

A proposal that would have unfairly restricted commercial taxpayers’ access to counsel of their choosing in the property tax appeal process was rejected by the Connecticut legislature’s Planning and Development Committee.
HB 5183, which would have made it significantly harder for commercial property owners to appeal a property assessment in Connecticut, was defeated by the committee 12-8, with two members absent.
CBIA opposed the arbitrary and inflexible limitations contained in the proposal.
Many boards of assessment appeals throughout the state are summarily denying appeals without a hearing–often reluctant to make changes to the assessments for a variety of reasons.
As a result, many commercial property tax appeals have to be filed in court.
When taxpayers go to court to seek redress, they should have the ability to select competent counsel of their choosing and enter into a fee arrangement with an attorney who is suitable to them.
CBIA appreciates the committee’s vote to ensure that taxpayers continue to have access to this legal support.

For more information, contact CBIA’s Bonnie Stewart (860.944.8788) | @CBIAbonnie