Parcel mix-ups lead to property assessment errors

Have Seattle home prices finally breached the Cascades and lifted Spokane real estate? No. That sticker shock from the Spokane County Assessors Office that arrived in the mail this week is in error. Some of the 195,000 valuation notices sent this week by a third party vendor the assessor’s office hired have mismatched parcel information, said a note from county Assessor Vicki Horton. Accurate assessment information can be viewed on the assessor’s website. Horton said her office has used the vendor, Master’s Touch, for years without any problems. While some home valuations were lower, others were higher. Property owners will get a new assessment notice in the mail soon. It will be printed on colored card stock rather than the white paper normally used. Furthermore, homeowners will have more time to appeal disputed assessments. Despite the errors, Horton reported that Spokane County housing is rebounding from the crash. The total taxable value of the county will surpass the 2009 assessed value high of $38.7 billion. Of the 124,981 single family homes in the county, however, 95,607 continue to be assessed below their 2009 value. The uptick in value is attributed to new construction and the rise in state assessed values.