Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Taxes Assessments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Minnetonka local board sets disputed Lynn Terrace parcel at $50,000 after homeowners protest
Summary
At a reconvened Local Board of Appeal and Equalization meeting April 21, the board voted to accept the assessor’s recommended $50,000 valuation for a landlocked parcel at 15001 Lynn Terrace after owners argued the lot had been mischaracterized and paid taxes as buildable.
The Minnetonka Local Board of Appeal and Equalization on April 21 voted unanimously to adopt an assessor-recommended value of $50,000 for a contested parcel at 15001 Lynn Terrace, a change the property owners said will not undo taxes they paid when the lot had been treated as buildable.
That decision came after homeowners Mary Lillibridge and Amy Ruzick told the board the parcel, which they purchased in 2021, was represented to them as buildable and that title paperwork and a prior buyer conversation suggested development potential. “We bought the property in 2021,” Lillibridge said. “The title company insured over the encumbrances,” and the owners said the parcel also has flooding and access issues that affect usability.
Assessing staff told the board they had changed the parcel’s classification to nonbuildable after a 2024 questionnaire and a planning review; the assessor’s office had communicated a recommendation to raise the assessed value to $50,000 before the meeting. “We did communicate with the property owner that we would recommend an increase to $50,000,” Assessor Melanie Putz said during the hearing, and she noted the owners retain the right to appeal to the county.
City legal counsel also described a recorded restrictive covenant and a past council action that, the city said, conveyed certain development rights and placed conditions on the parcel. City attorney Matt Nelson described a 2000 plat action and a February recording that, he said, left the property with limited development rights.
Why it matters: assessment changes drive property tax bills and can affect owners’ ability to sell or finance land. The owners argued the earlier higher assessments had been unfair and said they plan to pursue remedies through the county level if they continue to disagree. The board said its legal authority is limited to the current-year assessment; it cannot act on or change prior-year assessments.
The board heard other, mostly uncontested assessment items and adopted assessor or adviser recommendations for multiple properties as part of its business. The board read and approved the assessor’s recommended values for 13 properties in Section A, accepted an adviser recommendation for a property on Sanctuary Drive, and approved other Section C items that had been reviewed at the April 7 meeting.
Votes at a glance - Adopt assessor recommendations for Section A (13 properties listed on the agenda, including 5125 County Road 101 and 12727 Wood Court Lane): Motion by Councilmember Wilburn; second by Councilmember Calvert; roll-call vote recorded as unanimous “Yes.” Outcome: approved. - Adopt adviser recommendation for 17412 Sanctuary Drive (adviser recommended value $813,000): Motion by Councilmember Schack; second by Councilmember Foster Bolton; roll-call vote recorded as unanimous “Yes.” Outcome: approved. - Adopt assessor recommendation for 2634 Crosby Road (assessed at $5,981,500): Motion by Councilmember Romilly; second by Councilmember Calvert; roll-call vote recorded as unanimous “Yes.” Outcome: approved. - Adopt assessor recommended value of $50,000 for 15001 Lynn Terrace (contested parcel): Motion by Councilmember Calvert; second by Councilmember Schack; roll-call vote recorded as unanimous “Yes.” Outcome: approved.
What comes next: Property owners were told they may appeal to the Hennepin County board of appeal and equalization. The county office must be contacted prior to May 21 to make an appointment; the county board will meet June 16.
