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Shelburne Board to inspect property after owners appeal $3.9 million reassessment
Summary
The Shelburne Board of Civil Authority formed a special committee to conduct an on-site inspection of 203 Pheasant Hill Lane after owners appealed a $3.9 million reassessment and requested a reduction to $2.8 million; the board deferred a final decision pending the visit.
The Shelburne Board of Civil Authority voted to form a four-member site-visit committee to inspect 203 Pheasant Hill Lane after residents Anne and Charlie Joseph appealed a reassessment that raised their property's value to $3.9 million.
Attorney Liam Murphy, representing the Josephs, told the board the valuation is disproportionately high compared with neighboring lakefront homes and asked that the assessment be reduced to $2.8 million, saying assessment methodologies and quality grading used for the parcel are outdated.
Town Assessor Courtney Brown defended the reassessment, saying it was triggered by a building permit and reflected an adjustment in classification from a detached garage with finished space to a secondary living space within a 3,200-square-foot home. Brown said the town's figures use accurate square footage, site grading and quality adjustments.
John Vickery, project manager for the town-wide reappraisal, provided context for the valuation, saying the Josephs' property totals more than 10,300 square feet and carries a quality rating of 8, compared with comparables rated 7 and substantially smaller, which he said supports a higher valuation.
Board members discussed broader equity concerns and noted the town relies on full reappraisals rather than sales-triggered localized reassessments; the town's Common Level of Assessment (CLA) is 54.4 percent, with new values expected in spring 2027. Member Lee Suskin asked Attorney Murphy to supply the Vermont statute and case references he relied on; Suskin will follow up and Clerk Diana Vachon will distribute any materials to the board.
Rather than render an immediate decision, the board approved a special committee of Mike Donohue, Judy Rosenstreich, Randy Rowland and Chair David Webster to conduct an official site visit and review the property's physical characteristics and quality grading. Clerk Vachon will coordinate the visit with the Josephs and the committee within 30 days. The board left the final assessment decision pending the site inspection and any legal precedent the parties present.
The committee formation was the formal action taken at the hearing; no vote tally for the committee motion was recorded in the minutes. The Josephs' appeal remains under review.
