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Resident warns reassessment labeled detached garages 'hangars,' may complicate mortgages for subdivision owners
Summary
A Merlin Meadows resident told the commission county reassessment staff relabeled some accessory structures as "hangars," which could trigger secondary-market mortgage review and complicate future sales; commissioners and staff noted the issue and said they would investigate.
A resident of Merlin Meadows told the planning commission that a recent reassessment categorized accessory structures in his subdivision as "hangars," a classification he said is creating mortgage complications for sellers and buyers.
Paul White, identifying himself as a Merlin Way resident in District 5, described the concern: "In the last property reassessment, the accessory structures were changed to be called hanger, which unfortunately, in the residential mortgage market, that term obviously has a commercial use because the hangar is on an airport, which is where business is operated and all sorts of stuff. And so to obtain a standard residential mortgage that meets secondary investor qualifications, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac... the lender has to get special approval." White said several homeowners in his subdivision, many of them older, could face difficulty when trying to sell if lenders treat their detached garages as commercial hangars.
Commissioners asked for details and staff said the reassessment language change came from the commissioner of the revenue's office and the contractor that handled reassessment. The commission asked staff to note the issue and explore whether a terminology correction or clarification could be made with revenue staff to avoid unintended mortgage-market consequences for property owners.
The commission did not take formal action at the meeting but acknowledged the problem and encouraged the resident to provide documentation, including a lender letter he referenced, so staff could follow up with the commission of the revenue and the reassessment contractor.
