WINCHESTER ASSESSING NEWS
JANUARY 2008
> The weather did not cooperate with our data verification process in December. As a result, Avitar did not finish measuring and listing the 379 homes as planned. There are approximately 80 more properties for Avitar to visit. The assessors returned to Winchester on Monday 1/7/08 and will continue working until this operation is complete.
> We have approximately 150 new construction pickups for 2008 at this point. Avitar will remain in town after finishing the data verification and will visit all of these properties as well. This will give us plenty of time to get the data entry done for this new work prior to the first issue 2008 billing.
> We have received 13 abatement applications for 2007 thus far. Abatement applications must be submitted by March 1, 2008. Avitar will be reviewing the abatement applications received in January at the end of the month.
> The Department of Revenue has analyzed all of the qualified sales in Winchester from 10/1/06 through 9/30/07 and compared the sales prices to our current assessed values. The DRA has determined that our 2007 equalization ration is 91.9% and that we are well within tolerance with this and our other property ratios at this time.
> In 2007, the Town collected $154,247 in past due taxes from the redemption or auction of properties tax deeded by the Board of Selectmen this past year.
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