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Open Space Committee flags expired Chapter 61 parcel; assessor and landowner contacted
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Summary
Committee members reported one Chapter 61 parcel renewed (71 acres) and one 15.6-acre parcel near the Berkley line that appears to have expired in 2021. The assessor's office and Mass DCR service forester have informed the landowner and the committee will follow up next month.
At the Nov. 6 meeting, the Town of Lakeville Open Space Committee reported two Chapter 61 follow-ups found during a review of town- and privately owned parcels.
One parcel (approximately 70–71 acres) was confirmed to have an updated forest-management plan and a new Chapter 61 enrollment effective 2025–2034. The committee recorded that parcel as current.
A second parcel of about 15.6 acres near the Berkley line appears in assessor records as having its Chapter 61 coverage expire in 2021. Joan said she contacted the assessor’s office and the Mass DCR service forester (Jim Rasman), who visited the consultant for the forest-management plan and reached out to the landowner; the owner has been notified that the matter needs correction. The committee expects an update at the December meeting.
Committee members noted the practical consequence if a parcel remains unenrolled: the land would be assessed at its full development value rather than under Chapter 61 preferential tax status. Joan attributed the omission to a town-administration transition and an assessor changeover that likely prevented an assessor’s notice from being issued at the time of the expiration.
Next steps: assessor to confirm whether tax-year adjustments are required and whether the Chapter 61 enrollment can be renewed; committee to track when the owner responds and to report any tax adjustments or formal steps required.
Provenance: discussion on Chapter 61 parcels began at 00:09:35 (parcel-status report) and follow-up assigned by 00:12:34.
