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Portland board finds jurisdiction to hear Colleen Clark’s tax abatement appeal for 461 Granite Street
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Summary
The Board of Assessment Review voted 3-0 on March 11 to accept jurisdiction over a property tax abatement appeal filed by Colleen Clark for 461 Granite Street; Clark argued the home was assessed at roughly 132% of its purchase price versus 71–89% for comparable properties.
The Portland Board of Assessment Review voted 3-0 on March 11 to find it has jurisdiction to hear an abatement appeal filed by homeowner Colleen Clark concerning 461 Granite Street.
Chair Larson opened the hearing and the board confirmed it had received and reviewed the parties’ filings. Chair Larson moved the board had jurisdiction under Title 36 to hear the appeal; the motion was seconded and the board approved it unanimously.
Colleen Clark, the appellant and property owner, told the board she believes the assessor’s valuation was not applied uniformly. "Right now, the ratio is about 132% of our property value when we bought the home," Clark said, noting that the comparables in the record ranged between roughly 71% and 89 percent. Clark pointed the board to Exhibit G and other submitted exhibits as support for her uniformity argument.
Board counsel and the chair reviewed the procedural record, including filing dates and the assessor’s communications. Counsel summarized the timeline the board reviewed: the abatement application and subsequent responses, and an assessor action in the record noting a $35,000 abatement amount dated October 31. The chair and counsel discussed the board’s jurisdictional checklist under Title 36, including statutory timeliness windows for filing and responses.
There was a short exchange about which documents were formally in the hearing record. The applicant acknowledged a January 7 letter containing an appraisal but indicated it could be struck as moot; the board confirmed it would proceed with the materials in the packet for this hearing while recognizing the parties could note other documents.
Michael Goldman, corporation counsel representing the assessor’s office, began questioning the applicant about factual matters, confirming the property sold in June 2021 for $702,000 and that the valuation date at issue was April 1, 2025. The hearing was in the evidentiary phase at the close of the posted record and the board indicated it would hear the assessor’s presentation and any rebuttal before deliberation.
Votes at a glance • Motion to approve March 10 minutes — passed, 3-0. • Motion that the Board has jurisdiction to hear the appeal — passed, 3-0.
Next steps The assessor’s office is expected to present its valuation evidence and respond to the applicant’s comparables and exhibits. The board will hear questions and rebuttal before closing the evidentiary record and moving to deliberation.
