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Three-family homeowner contests recent assessment increases, cites needed repairs
Summary
A Syracuse property owner of a three-family house at 221 Avery Avenue told the Board of Assessment Review the home needs substantial interior renovation and questioned recent assessment increases tied to neighborhood sales.
David Jasper, owner of 221 Avery Avenue, appeared before the Syracuse Board of Assessment Review on Feb. 14 to contest a tentative assessed value of $108,000 and to explain why he believes the property’s market and assessed values should be lower.
Why it matters: For small landlords and homeowners, an increase in assessed value can translate to higher tax liability; owners can present condition problems and renovation plans to the board and supply comparative sales evidence.
Jasper said he bought the three-family in 2021 for roughly $36,000 and described lingering interior and structural issues. He told the board the property is a legal three-family, that he lives on the first floor in a one-bedroom unit, and that the upstairs unit required renovation. He described recent exterior work — new roof, painting and sidewalk repairs — but said interior work and some utilities remain in poor condition, including asbestos-wrapped pipes in the basement and old exterior siding that had been replaced.
The assessor’s representative said there are relatively few three-family sales in the immediate area; the comps the city provided clustered between roughly $165,000 and $180,000. Staff noted the owner’s purchase from a related party (his brother) is non-arm’s-length and therefore not used as a comparable sale. The city flagged existing sales and neighborhood changes as reasons for the higher assessment.
Board staff said they would review Jasper’s condition notes and any documentation he supplies and would compare those to the sales comps and field observations. Staff did not issue a final change at the hearing; they said the city will mail a written notice of the final determination in April.
Jasper said he plans to seek financing for interior renovations this summer and argued that the current condition should be reflected in the assessment. Staff responded that an interior-condition-based field adjustment could be warranted and will be evaluated during review.
No formal vote was taken at the hearing. The board said it would incorporate the owner’s submitted information into its assessment review and issue a written determination in April.
Quote: "When I purchased it, the assessed value was 88. That could have been because my brother had some sort of... certification," Jasper said, describing uncertainty about the property’s historic assessment history. The assessor replied: "The field reduction based on the interior condition is in order," indicating staff will consider condition-based adjustments.
