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Assessment Review
Before you can decide if your assessment is accurate, you should understand the function of the assessment itself. Please visit our General Assessment Information page before continuing.
Generally, an assessed value is based on the market value of the property. However, municipalities value thousands of properties at once, not one at a time. This is commonly called Mass Appraisal. Since the process does not focus on one property but many properties, their similarities and differences, it is more generalized than a single-property appraisal, such as what you might see if you applied for a loan.
The focus is on equity of the results.
The Assessor cannot review your taxes or take into account whether you can afford the home being assessed to you. However, if you believe that your assessed value in incorrect, be prepared to show us why you think so. Submit your evidence to the Assessor for review who will inspect your property to see if your assessment should be changed. This “informal” process is provided as a courtesy to taxpayers, and is made available on a first-come first-served basis, until other deadlines take precedence. Nothing obligates the office to review an assessment because a request has been made informally, and nothing obligates the homeowner to request an informal review. Due to the Assessment Calendar, if the informal review suggests a change is warranted it cannot be put into effect until the next Tentative Roll is filed. If the result of this informal review is not what you had hoped you may follow the process for a formal Grievance. For your benefit the instructions and process are outlined below by the Board of Assessment Review (BAR). However, while even the formal Grievance process is intentionally straightforward, do not be fooled to believe it is optional or casual. Once the Tentative Roll is filed, it is a property owner’s ONLY recourse to changing an assessment before the next annual tax cycle begins. Failure to file a grievance or to follow the process properly may prevent your intended results. The timeline and procedures are established by State law.
In addition to the resources below, feel free to stop in to the Assessment Office during business hours to browse our book of Webster sales. It includes pictures of the homes which sold, and is arranged in a user-friendly so you may confidently find the comps you need.
The Grievance application below may be filled out on line, printed for your signature and submitted to the address below. Due to the strict state deadline to accept these forms, we do not recommend mailing them close to Grievance Day.
Submit form to:
Town of Webster Assessor’s Office
Town Hall
1000 Ridge Road
Webster, NY 14580
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print the forms. Click on the Get Acrobat Reader image to download a copy.
| Instructions by the Town of Webster Board of Assessment Review for Filing a Grievance | |
| Town of Webster Grievance Day Fact Sheet | |
| Grievance Application 2008–RP-524 | |
| How to File For a Review of Your Assessment – A Guide for Property Owners | |
| Small Claims Assessment Review (For qualifying non-commercial property owners who want to appeal their Grievance decision) |