To the editor:

Mary Ann Kieffer’s letter of Saturday, May 7, about the problem of our unfairly rising property tax values, despite the recession, raises an important issue. She wrote that “the county compares your property to five houses that the computer picks out … with the same square feet and style” to arrive at what the county claims is the fair market value of your home.

I recently appealed the value that the county claimed for my home, and the five houses that my home was compared to did NOT have the same square footage or style. All of the so-called “comparables” were much larger, were of a higher quality, and were in better condition than mine, even according to the county’s own “Comparable Sales Report.” The county then confusingly tweaked the report’s numbers and came up with the claim that my modest home had jumped in value by a considerably greater percentage than the other homes on my block.

The county didn’t need to use these large homes as “comparables” since I submitted evidence of homes in my area that really WERE comparable to my home in size and condition and that had far lower tax bills. Yet the hearing officer ignored my evidence and upheld the county’s appraised value.

I agree with Ms. Kieffer that our county needs to institute a better, fairer system of honest appraisals.