The Okanogan County Board of Equalization on Wednesday reduced the assessed value of a small waterfront parcel after the owners argued the lot’s irregular pie‑shape, restricted access and heavy aquatic vegetation in the adjacent bay limit marketability and therefore fair market value.

Appellants Wade (or Wayne) Paul and co‑owner described the parcel as a 0.64‑acre, pie‑shaped waterfront lot accessed only by an easement between neighbors and largely obscured from the road by a neighboring garage. The owner also told the board the bay in front of the parcel is heavily infested with pondweed and tules and that treatment options had been limited historically because of proximity to the Canadian border.

Owners said the parcel has been listed for four years and produced one offer of $380,000; they asked the board to set a market value of $425,000. Assessor staff pointed to recent waterfront sales on similar parts of the lake and explained that the county’s waterfront model relied principally on front‑foot value; assessor comparables generally showed higher front‑foot prices than the appellant’s parcel.

After discussion the board concluded the parcel’s combination of restricted access, limited usable buildable envelope (floodplain and easements) and the waterfront bay’s vegetation justified a lower valuation than the assessor had placed on the record. The board set a new land value of $435,000, with improvements of $5,000, producing a combined assessed value of $440,000 for parcel 4780010000. The board said it would mail a written decision within 45 days.

The board’s decision did not prohibit the owners from attempting to sell at higher asking prices; rather, it adjusted the assessed taxable value to better reflect the board’s finding about marketability given access, shape and waterfront conditions.