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Residents press assessor and contractor over door‑to‑door property inspections
Summary
At a Clifton City Council session, residents raised complaints about reassessment inspectors’ procedures and perceived errors; the assessor and Appraisal Systems explained inspection rules, appeal steps and data sharing with city staff. Key figures: 3,932 exteriors inspected so far, 40.23% interior entry rate; total residential properties cited ~21,381.
Clifton’s tax assessor and a contracted appraisal firm faced a packed public Q&A Monday as residents objected to recent door‑to‑door property reassessments and how inspectors reached interior estimates.
Matt Rinaldi, Clifton’s tax assessor, introduced representatives from Appraisal Systems and invited the public to ask questions about the ongoing reassessment. Several residents described encounters with inspectors they called abrupt or mistaken — for example, claiming an inspector marked a basement as “finished” after seeing only a couch and television. Resident Joseph Siano said he does real estate in town and has fielded many complaints about inconsistent inspections.
Appraisal Systems’ on‑site representative (unnamed in the record) said inspectors perform an exterior inspection first and return for an interior inspection when the homeowner is present. If no one is home, the company leaves an estimate card that lists the outside evaluation; homeowners may call the assessor’s office to schedule a follow‑up interior inspection. The firm said a finished basement is typically defined by two of three elements — floor, walls and ceiling — and that valuations use square footage and templates rather than bedroom counts alone.
Rinaldi said the reassessment has proceeded in phases and is on schedule. The firm reported it has completed 3,932 exterior inspections and currently records an interior entry rate near 40.23 percent; the assessor’s office said the overall residential inventory to be inspected totals about 21,381 properties. Rinaldi urged homeowners to contact the assessor directly, noting the formal appeal and reinspection process remains available before preliminary values are finalized.
Council members pressed the company for greater transparency after residents said some inspectors did not leave appointment cards or declined to show documentation at the door. The company said inspectors carry templates and property record cards and that valuation work is reviewed by senior staff and certified appraisers before preliminary value letters are sent. The assessor added that preliminary letters will be reviewed internally and by a commercial valuation expert the city has retained before notices go out.
Multiple residents asked the city to post clearer neighborhood schedules and inspector‑assignment lists online; speakers said they had difficulty adjusting work schedules to be home for inspections. The assessor and company said they will publish inspection locations and offer virtual inspection options (FaceTime/Zoom) when needed.
The council did not take formal action on the reassessment at the meeting. Officials encouraged residents to submit specific addresses and evidence (photos, video, inspection cards) so staff can open corrective reviews rather than address hypotheticals.
