Assessment corporation spanked by Ombudsman

From: Subject: Assessment corporation spanked by Ombudsman Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 11:42:23 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01C65325.D85DF750" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C65325.D85DF750 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.cbc.ca/toronto/story/print/to_taxassess20060328 Assessment corporation spanked by Ombudsman

CBC.CA News = - =20 Full Story :=20

Assessment corporation spanked by Ombudsman =
Last = Updated: Mar=20 28 2006 12:32 PM EST

Concerns that=20 a highly-critical ombudsman's report on the corporation that = oversees=20 assessment in the province could provoke an onslaught of = last-minute tax=20 appeals by property owners has moved the province to extend the = deadline=20 for such appeals by 90 days.

Ombudsman Andre Marin said in his = report,=20 titled "Getting it Right and released Tuesday morning, that the = Municipal=20 Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) has a "superiority = complex," and=20 has often ignored successful appeals against its decisions.

His report went on to say the assessment corporation = withholds=20 information from property owners. And when homeowners appeal their = taxes,=20 the onus or burden of proof falls on them to prove the assessment = is=20 wrong, he added.

That, he said, is "a David and Goliath battle.

"This is not a matchup, this is a slaughter. And it's = happening in=20 tens-of-thousands of cases every year."

Reacting to the report, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan = announced=20 that Friday's deadline for appeal would be extended by 90 days. He = will=20 introduce legislation to that effect on Wednesday.

The property assessment corporation was formed in the late = 1990s to=20 prepare assessment rolls for all Ontario municipalities, plus=20 supplementary assessment lists used to work out taxes on new = construction.=20

Those who disagree with their assessment can appeal to the = separate=20 Assessment Review Board. But Marin said even that process works = against=20 citizens because MPAC ignored the subsequent rulings.

Marin did say that MPAC has agreed to accept or study most = of his=20 recommendations, especially when it comes to giving homeowners = more=20 information on what their assessments say =96 such as whether it = incorrectly=20 states there is a three-car garage rather than none at all =96 in = order to=20 prevent errors.

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