PRESS RELEASES

Thursday, August 07, 2008
Governor Signs Paulin’s Legislation to Make Assessment Inventory Data Public

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin’s bill (A.11150A) which establishes that property assessment inventory, consisting of the physical characteristics of a property, must be made available for public inspection and copying, has been signed by the governor.

Typically, a property owner who wishes to challenge the assessed value of his property must follow certain procedures to have the assessment changed, including comparing his assessment to his neighbors’ assessments to determine if similar properties have been assessed comparably. Assessment inventory data, which simply consists of the physical description of real property, is essential in order to ensure that property owners can effectively compare their assessments to those of their neighbors.

In 2006, however, an Appellate Court ruled that making this information public would result in an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. This decision overturned a long-standing common sense principle that assessment inventory data should be accessible by the public.

“Allowing the public access to these records will assist property owners who seek to challenge their assessments and ensure a more accurate tax roll,” stated Assemblywoman Paulin. “I believe this law was necessary to ensure that the spirit of the Freedom of Information Law is upheld” Paulin further noted.