Vancouver Island realtor Jason Anson is offering help to homeowners who want to challenge the value of their property from BC Assessment this year.
Anson is leading an initiative in partnership with a group from Paradise Valley, located near Squamish, that has launched an online education platform and community support system, called “Community Connect: Safe Spaces for Empowering Homeowners” for homeowners looking to appeal their assessments.
The platform can be found at https://2024.bcassessmentappeals.com.
Anson is a seasoned advocate who successfully guided 40 homeowners from the Youbou area through the appeals process last year.
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Under his leadership, BC Assessment conceded 75 per cent of the time, resulting in a total reduced property value of $5 million in 2023, and he is currently awaiting a decision from an appeals board that could potentially reduce an additional $10 million in assessed values as a result of what he describes as the over assessments by BC Assessment last year.
“BC Assessment’s guidance to its staff in preparation for the 2024 Property Assessment Review Panel has brought to light their concern over homeowners working together,” Anson said.
“While BCA advises staff to report instances of collective homeowner activity, ‘Community Connect: Safe Spaces for Empowering Homeowners’ stands as a bastion of solidarity.”
Anson said the initiative, galvanized by the cooperative energy of communities like Paradise Valley and Youbou, thrives on bringing together collective wisdom and support.
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He said his role in uniting these communities has been to provide a forum where shared concerns can lead to empowering solutions.
“Our alliance is not just about facing the appeal process, it’s about reshaping it,” he said.
“By fostering communication and pooling our collective experiences, we’ve cultivated innovative strategies that now serve as a beacon for other communities across British Columbia. We extend our hand to all homeowners across B.C. to be part of a forward-thinking alliance.”
BCA said in a statement that, in general, the assessment agency does not comment on properties under appeal, nor does it comment on internal business processes.
“What we can say is if there are concerns regarding a similar topic, we will try and address them together to better understand the nature of the concern,” the statement said.
“There are many resources available to the public at bcassessment.ca. If there are further concerns from members of the public, we encourage them to contact our office at 1-866-825-8322 to discuss with an appraiser. Those who feel that their property assessment does not reflect market value as of July 1, 2023, or see incorrect information on their notice, should contact BC Assessment as soon as possible in January.”
If a property owner is still concerned about their assessment after speaking to one of BC Assessment’s appraisers, they may submit a Notice of Complaint (Appeal) by Jan. 31, for an independent review by a Property Assessment Review Panel.