CTV.ca - Ont. property assessment methods flawed: = ombud- CTV News, Shows and Sports -- Canadian Television

CTV.ca News Staff

Updated: Tue. Mar. 28 2006 11:55 = PM ET=20

Taxpayers have been complaining for years that Ontario's = property=20 assessment system is flawed and unfair and now they have the = support of=20 provincial Ombudsman Andr=E9 Marin.

Introducing his report, titled "Getting It Right", Marin said = that=20 property owners are in a "David versus Goliath" battle against = Ontario's=20 property evaluators, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation = (MPAC).

The corporation's assessments determine how much landowners = must pay=20 for their property tax bill and Marin said that MPAC is getting it = wrong=20 in an alarming number of incidents.

After a five month investigation, Marin made 22 recommendations = to=20 revamp MPAC, 18 of which are set to be implemented = immediately.

Marin said MPAC should not make taxpayers prove their = evaluation is=20 wrong; rather, MPAC should have to prove the validity of their own = assessments.

He also said that MPAC relies too heavily on their = computer-based=20 evaluation system instead of actual sale prices of properties.

MPAC has agreed to give homeowners more information on future=20 evaluations in an effort to prevent more errors.

At a press conference Tuesday, Marin said although MPAC is a = Crown=20 corporation they act like a private business in their dealings = with=20 property owners.

"In one corner you have the average citizen, with scant = information on=20 his property and very little additional useful information to make = his=20 case, facing an adversary in the other corner with a full bank of = relevant=20 data, collected at taxpayers expense,'' Marin said

"This is not a match-up, it's a slaughter, and it's happening = in tens=20 of thousands of cases every year.''

He said the corporation has a "superiority complex" in its = dealings=20 with the public.

Conservative Finance Critic Tim Hudak was quick to respond to = the=20 report.

"Taxpayers are getting hit on all sides," Hudak said. "Then = when you=20 get a big increase in your assessment, it's like a slap in the = face."

Hudak is calling for a five per cent annual cap on increases in = assessments.

"I want to see Dalton McGuinty act and bring in caps on how far = those=20 assessments can go up every year."

Unfortunately for taxpayers, the deadline to appeal 2006 = assessments is=20 March 31 which may not give landowners enough time to react to the = report.

New Democrat critic Michael Prue told Canadian Press that the = province=20 should extend the deadline "for at least 30 days, to allow people = who have=20 been vindicated by this report to go out and quite simply, have an = opportunity to appeal."

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said his government will = consider the=20 report's recommendations. He also wouldn't rule out the = possibility of=20 extending the appeal deadline.

The review was set up after hundreds of complaints were = received by=20 homeowners last fall, when property taxes raised an average of = 14.35 per=20 cent.

Marin will re-examine MPAC's practices in six months but he = said that=20 property owners should be seeing changes right away.=20