NEW INFORMATION
Assessors' Property Inspection Program
The collection and maintenance of current and accurate property inventory data is a critical element in the development of uniform, fair market values. Accordingly, the Bureau of Local Assessment (BLA) requires that assessors in every community re-inspect all town property, including tax-exempt parcels, at least once every nine years.
A cyclical re-inspection program involves completing an interior and exterior inspection of all property over this multi-year period.
A program of regular inspections enables a community to maintain the most current property database and helps ensure that all taxpayers are assessed equitably, and only pay their fair share of the property tax burden.
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WHAT WE DO:
The Assessors value all Real and Personal Property within the Town of Mashpee and the Mashpee Water District as of January 1st of every year. The legal standard is that all property is assessed at its “full and fair market value” that is, the amount a knowledgeable and willing buyer would pay a knowledgeable and willing seller on an open market.
Assessors have a major role in promoting the effective financial management of a town. Real estate and motor vehicle excise tax levies account for a majority of the funds available to the municipality to provide necessary services. Efficient and effective assessment practices result in a predictable tax levy which is essential to maintaining adequate and sufficient cash flow.
The Board of Assessors’ areas of responsibility include:
· Real Estate tax bills
· Personal Property tax bills
· Motor Vehicle Excise tax bills
· Boat Excise tax bills
· Personal Exemptions
· Charitable Exemptions
· Administering water, street and sewer betterments
The Assessors must:
· Discover, analyze, and reflect the value changes that are occurring in the market
· Inspect each property to record specific features of the land and buildings
· List items such as size, type, and quality of construction, number of rooms, baths, fireplaces, the type of heating, etc.
· Inspect each structure in town at least once every nine years
The Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) audits the Assessor’s Office every third year to verify that the assessors are using correct Mass Appraisal methodology and that its values reflect full and fair market value. When the DOR is satisfied that the assessor’s methodology is correct and its values reflect full and fair market value, it certifies the assessments as being accurate and the community is allowed to issue tax bills. The Assessors also make annual revisions of property assessments that are then approved by the DOR.
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