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Fixed-income B.C. senior 91Ƶbullied91Ƶ by $12,000 tax bill for waterlogged home

Frustrations continue with mounting BC Assessment as regulation deters upgrade of decaying property
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Shelley Robinson feels she91Ƶs being bullied by BC Assessment.

Robinson is a senior with limited income who owns waterfront property in Honeymoon Bay where she grew up.

The home on the half-acre property, which was built in 1948, has seen better days after a quarry was constructed on higher ground behind it almost 30 years ago ago that has caused constant flooding on the property for years.

This has left the house heavily water damaged and dilapidated, and much of the property washed out.

Robinson said a family member still lives in the house, but it91Ƶs technically a tear-down now and a section of floor in the home separated from the house just last week.

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But Robinson said BC Assessment, an independent body that provides annual value assessments on all properties in B.C., has assessed the home at $296,000 and the property at $1.94 million in 2022, and her property tax bill was an astonishing $12,000 for the year.

91ƵIt91Ƶs a joke, and I feel like I91Ƶm being forced off my land,91Ƶ she said.

91ƵI haven91Ƶt been able to do anything with the house for more than 20 years because it has been designated as being in a riparian zone, so the Cowichan Valley Regional District won91Ƶt let me do anything with it. This has been very difficult for me and it91Ƶs taking everything I have to cover the tax bills. The assessment of the property keeps going up year after year but the home and the property are falling apart. It91Ƶs frustrating and heartbreaking and I don91Ƶt want to lose my house and property.91Ƶ

Robinson is one of up to 30 property owners in the Youbou/Honeymoon Bay who are being assisted with their appeals of their property assessments in 2022 by Jason Anson, with eXp Realty which operates in the Cowichan Lake area.

They are frustrated because many of their appeals of BC Assessment91Ƶs latest evaluation of their properties, which they consider much too high, were being dismissed without, they consider, due process.

Due to the high number of appeals and concerns being raised in the area, BC Assessment announced in May that they intended to physically inspect every property in the area that is under appeal, as well as an additional 100 properties which are not under appeal, to reassess their values.

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But Anson said that the inspector who was responsible for inspecting Robinson91Ƶs property stated that Robinson refused them access, which she vehemently denies, so BC Assessment is using photos and information on the house and property from 1997, before the quarry was established, and are basing much of their assessment on that.

Anson said that of all the appeal cases he91Ƶs involved with, Robinson91Ƶs case concerns him the most.

He said it91Ƶs all so very deceptive.

91ƵThey are saying that they attempted to inspect the property on June 27 and was declined by the owner, but we know none of that is true,91Ƶ Anson said.

91ƵShelley just wasn91Ƶt there at the time, but they said that she didn91Ƶt allow them on the property and the inspector has since acknowledged that. But BC Assessment is saying that a picture dated March 21, 1997, is the best representation of the house they have, however much of the property has been washed out due to flooding since the picture was taken. This is totally deceitful and doesn91Ƶt represent the actual condition of the house and property.91Ƶ

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Anson said that, based on the false and dated information they have, BC Assessment compared Robinson91Ƶs property to three others in area, which are much newer and much more maintained, that range in value between $2.1 million and $2.45 million to determine the value of Robinson91Ƶs property.

91ƵThese comparable properties that are being used are not accurate at all,91Ƶ he said.

91ƵThis is beyond hoodwinking and bamboozling.91Ƶ

In a statement, BC Assessment said it does not comment on specific property assessments and/or appeals of specific properties.



robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com

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Robert Barron

About the Author: Robert Barron

Since 2016, I've had had the pleasure of working with our dedicated staff and community in the Cowichan Valley.
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