Seller and buyer of a parcel known as Lot F told the Town of Woodstock Select Board on a public meeting call that they have submitted an abatement request after the assessor’s office treated part of Lot F as in "current use" and applied a land‑use change tax that increased the assessed value well above the $45,000 sales price. Ed Magiacomo Jr., president of GV Inc., said he did not realize part of the parcel remained in current use when he sold the lot.

The matter matters because a land‑use change tax (LUCT) and a current‑use designation can trigger retroactive taxes or penalties when open land is removed from the program, and the assessed valuation drives the amount owed. The assessor and appraisal staff will review the abatement materials and then make a recommendation to the Select Board.

At the meeting the board discussed procedural and factual points rather than taking any immediate vote. Magiacomo said the lot closed in December 2023 and that the parties had agreed on a $45,000 purchase price. He said he later discovered a 2020 current‑use filing that showed part of Lot F remained in current use. "At no point did I ever mention to him that the lot was in current use because I didn't realize it was in current use or else I certainly would have told him that," Magiacomo said. He said a memo arguing the case was attached to the abatement application and that the assessors' appraisal group has the materials and will review them.

Select Board members and attendees discussed the mechanics of the review. A representative of the assessor’s office told participants the assessors group will review the application and related documents, and that the assessors typically have up to six months to complete a response; the assessor will then make a recommendation to the Select Board based on the data they gather. The board also discussed that an informational form (referred to in the meeting as a "PA 34" closing form) helps the assessor understand whether a sale is arm’s‑length and what information was provided at closing.

On process and repayment, the meeting clarified how payments and any abatement work: the town generally collects payment and, if an abatement is later granted, refunds the abated amount and pays any required interest on the refunded portion. Board members noted the abatement process could include communications among the buyer, the seller and the assessor; Magiacomo and the current owners were open to a three‑way call if the assessor requested it.

No formal vote or final decision on the abatement occurred at the meeting; the assessors will complete their review and, if warranted, present a recommendation to the Select Board for decision. The board stated they would follow up after the assessors report is complete.

What happens next: assessors review the submitted abatement memo and sale documentation, contact the buyer or seller if they need more information, and then send a recommendation to the Select Board. The timeline given at the meeting was up to six months for the assessor’s response, though board members said they hoped it would be faster.

Key details summarized from the meeting:
- Sale price cited by the seller: $45,000.
- Valuation used by the assessor for LUCT purposes cited in papers: $90,000.
- Closing date cited by the seller: December 2023.
- Historical items mentioned: GV Inc. placed roughly 100 acres into current use in 1999; a subdivision approval around 2008 created six lots including Lot F; a portion of Lot F was taken out of current use around 02/2012, according to meeting comments.

Board members encouraged communication among the parties and the assessor’s office and said the assessor’s recommendation would guide any formal action by the Select Board.