Board of Equalization lowers one Madison home's assessed value to $400,000 after owner appeal

Domingo Rocha, the property owner, told the Board of Equalization that he and his wife bought a Fifth Street house in 2023 and that the property's tax valuation had risen to about $450,000, roughly $100,000 higher than the sale price. "I was thinking 400," Rocha said, referring to his preferred total valuation.

A commissioner and equalization staff explained the difference between sales price and the county's valuation for tax equalization, noting the assessor uses recorded finished square footage and sales comparables. Staff said the property was listed in county records as 2,626 square feet above grade and 672 square feet in the basement, for a total of 3,298 finished square feet; comparables used by staff ranged from about $145 to $284 per square foot and produced a higher initial valuation. Equalization staff also said the assessor's proposed land value was $64,600 (roughly 15 percent of the prior total assessment).

After discussion about whether to split the total between land and structure, a commissioner moved and another seconded an adjustment that sets the assessed value at $400,000, with $60,000 attributed to land and $340,000 to the structure. The motion passed on a voice vote. The commissioner presiding said the board would forward the record to the county for its review and that the county's director of equalization would notify Rocha about the county hearing date; staff also said they would email Rocha the completed application and the board's ruling.

Why it matters: The Board of Equalization hears appeals from property owners who dispute the assessor's valuation. A revision at the equalization level changes the local record sent to the county review, which may adopt, modify or reject the board's recommendation.

Additional details: Rocha told commissioners he had been repairing a house that had been neglected and that he had no separate land/structure breakdown when he filed the appeal. Commissioners and staff used the county's recorded finished square footage and local comparables to calculate per-square-foot values and to propose the revised total. Staff advised Rocha to check with the county director of equalization about the county review schedule (staff said the county typically meets on Tuesdays and will notify him).