Wall local board faces criticism over property inspection approvals

The Pennington County Board of Equalization held hearings on April 21, 2025, addressing several property assessment appeals, particularly focusing on properties in Wall, South Dakota. A significant point of discussion was the lack of interior inspections for certain homes, which has raised concerns among property owners regarding the accuracy of assessed values.

During the meeting, it was revealed that one property had not undergone an interior inspection since February 2018. The assessor noted that without access to the interior, they must rely on external observations to determine property quality. This led to a classification of the property as "average minus," which some attendees questioned, particularly regarding the fairness of assessments made without thorough inspections.

Christina, the assessor, confirmed that she was denied access to the property in question, which prompted further inquiries from board members about the number of appeals being brought forward. Christina indicated that out of an initial 40 appeals, only about 10 to 12 were being reconsidered after discussions with property owners. This reduction was due to agreements reached with local boards on adjusted values.

Concerns were raised by attendees about the local board's process, with claims that several property owners had not been contacted for inspections prior to their assessments being approved. This lack of communication has led to frustrations among residents, who felt their properties were assessed without proper evaluation.

The meeting concluded with motions regarding specific property values, including a proposed adjustment for one property to $156,200, while maintaining land value at $22,000. The discussions highlighted ongoing issues with property assessments in the area and the importance of transparent communication between property owners and assessment officials. The board's next steps will likely involve addressing these concerns to ensure fair and accurate property evaluations moving forward.