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Homeowners told the Fairfield appeals board: unique features, high bills and poor comps drove up assessed values
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Summary
Multiple appellants told the board that assessor comparables and standard valuation methods missed house‑specific downsides — art studios, wetlands, sloping lots, unfinished attics and high heating costs — and asked for targeted reductions.
Several homeowners at the Fairfield Board of Assessment and Appeals hearing described property‑specific reasons their homes should be valued below the town's assessments.
At 963 Hollis Highway, Thomas Formach told the board the house’s 2018–2019 studio and two‑story storage "is the part that's the problem" and that the workshop and barn space reduced curb appeal. "The studio is a really nice part of the house," he said, then added that potential buyers are deterred by concrete floors, hoist requirements and uneven heating.
Formach quantified running costs and deferred work as part of his argument: he said last year the household paid about $1,000 per month for electricity and $1,000 per month for natural gas and that updating old radiators and windows would be expensive. He asked the board to recognize those physical burdens when weighing comparable sales.
Other appellants emphasized similar mismatches between the assessor’s comparables and the subject properties. Alexander Schaffer pointed to conservation easements on more than two‑thirds of his parcel and said he purchased the home in October 2023 for $1.6 million, arguing the assessor's higher figure did not reflect those constraints. An attorney for another appellant asked the board to compare a ranch house on a sloping lot with split‑level homes rather than more desirable nearby sales.
Board members generally responded by asking appellants to submit a short list of geographically close, recent sales and field cards showing condition and special circumstances; Daley said she would present the files to the full nine‑member board for deliberation and encouraged appellants to email evidence to the assessor before the board meeting.
What the record shows: appellants offered a mix of quantitative (sale prices, purchase dates, monthly utility costs) and qualitative (condition, unusual layout, psychological impacts of prior events on a property) evidence. The board did not make determinations during the hearing and asked staff to include supplemental evidence in the files for deliberation.
The hearing underscored two recurring issues for homeowners: whether assessor‑selected comparables accurately reflect unique uses or constraints, and how to capture condition and operating costs as adjustments to market value.
