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Resident complains of delays at Board of Equalization, building-inspection lapses tied to higher taxes and mold
Summary
A homeowner who has challenged property tax assessments for three years told commissioners she experienced long delays and poor communication from the Board of Equalization, and separately described concerns about building inspections that she says left construction defects and black mold in her attic.
Jessica Grubb, a Thurston County realtor and homeowner, told commissioners Feb. 18 she has been pursuing a property-tax appeal with the county's Board of Equalization for three years and described repeated procedural lapses and communication failures by the BOE office.
Grubb said she submitted challenge materials in person and by the stated deadlines but waited years for a hearing date. When a hearing was finally scheduled for March 12, the hearing packet mailed Feb. 7 included an "additional evidence" deadline of Feb. 10, a date by which Grubb said she could not reasonably submit new materials. She asked the board to allow the county to accept additional evidence and to provide written confirmation of receipt because the mailed deadline effectively left no time to respond after a years-long wait.
Grubb also described concerns with the assessor's valuation process: she said the county assigned a higher quality rating to her home's interior finishes than was accurate and that no county appraiser had ever inspected the home's interior. She submitted photos and said the assessor made only a small correction for the most recent year. She suggested a remedy: have appraisers accompany building inspectors on final inspections to document interior finishes.
Separately, Grubb said a mechanical inspector signed off on an HVAC inspection even though a kitchen exhaust vent was not properly vented outside as required by code; she called the county's routine inspection program "spot inspections" and said inspectors are not necessarily on site daily. Grubb said the construction defect now has resulted in black mold in her attic and estimated remediation costs at about $3,500.
The county did not take action on the floor. Staff indicated members of the public may submit documentation in writing to the county manager for follow-up; Grubb requested that the county accept her additional evidence despite the mailed date and provide written confirmation of receipt.
