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York County commissioners deny property tax abatement after Lake Secaucus valuation dispute
Summary
The County Commissioners voted unanimously Feb. 19 to deny Brian and Janet Deshaies’ appeal of a Limerick tax assessment after hearing testimony about comparable waterfront sales and assessor methodology. The commissioners said the record did not justify lowering the assessment despite one acknowledged anomaly in neighbor valuations.
The York County Commissioners on Feb. 19 denied an abatement appeal from Brian and Janet Deshaies, who argued their Secaucus Lake property had been overvalued relative to nearby lots. Commissioners voted unanimously to deny the appeal; the motion was made by Commissioner Raines and seconded by Commissioner Chenette.
The Deshaieses told the commission they had followed the town process after receiving a high land valuation and supplied comparable sales and additional evidence they said showed inconsistent and inequitable land valuations around Secaucus Lake. Janet Deshaies described the situation as “so arbitrary and inequitable,” saying some nearby cottages had similar waterfront frontage but very different land charges and that her property lacks year-round amenities such as heat.
J.E. O'Donnell, the assessor who provided the town’s valuation schedules, told the commissioners the office applies a mathematical schedule that adjusts per-square-foot land values as lot size changes and applies judgmental discount factors for odd lot shape, steep frontage or other physical constraints. “But we aren't arbitrary. We do make judgment calls with adjustments,” he said, and he acknowledged the department applies occasional discretionary discounts that can be confusing when examined property-by-property.
O'Donnell told the commission he provided nine lake properties sold since early 2023 as references and said many waterfront parcels are unique; he said one parcel — 34 Emory Corner Road — had a discount applied that, on review, he would remove going forward. The Deshaieses argued the assessor’s office altered one comparable’s land value to match a sale price and that the office had not applied a clear, consistent methodology to all lots.
Commissioners reviewed the submitted comparables and commission-calculated averages. Commissioner Chenette told the panel she had averaged seven comparable lots and found the Deshaieses’ per-square-foot land charge was lower than the sample average and said she could not, based on the material before her, find sufficient grounds to lower the county valuation for the Deshaieses’ parcel. Other commissioners expressed concern about the isolated discounted parcel at 34 Emory Corner Road but agreed that a single anomalous neighbor did not demonstrate a pattern of discrimination across the assessment roll.
The board directed staff to draft findings of fact based on the hearing testimony and documents; those findings will return for formal approval at a subsequent meeting and then be issued to the parties. No change to the Deshaieses’ assessment will take effect unless the commissioners adopt amended findings on a future agenda.
Ending: The commissioners denied the abatement and said county staff will prepare written findings of fact for the panel’s next meeting; any corrective changes would be reflected there rather than in tonight’s verbal ruling.
