The fleecing of municipalities

There is nothing in the Assessment Act that prevents one from appealing a valuation on someone else's property,  In my reviews of Environmental Assessments by the business-friendly Minister of the Environment, I noticed that the property valuations and taxes were surprisingly low.

So I started with a list of 56 Environmental Assessments completed from 2018 to 2023.  One was withdrawn.  I got values, tax and acreage from Viewpoint.  I probably wasn't perfect, but there's a pattern!  It was tedious, so I completed these 30 records.  Click a marker for more detail:

Here are some totals:

Projected Revenue per year	$805,829,500
Lifetime Revenue	$24,091,640,808
2% annual commercial tax	$15,737,922
Current Assessment	$102,032,249
Actual Current Tax	$160,209
Annual revenue loss	$15,577,713
Acres	160,274

The average commercial tax rate is more like 3.4%

I picked 5 and submitted my appeals:

Property Valuation Services Corporation gives you a month to submit your appeal.  Then you wait.

I asked in June:

Robert Andrews <RobertAndrews@pvsc.ca>
Thu, Jul 4, 11:59 AM

Mr. Reed.

Thank you for your note below which appears to have been cc’d to me.

I confirm that you can expect to receive correspondence respecting your appeals shortly.

Regards,
Robert W. Andrews, Senior Legal Counsel

Wow! Senior Legal Counsel!  Sounds like a big deal!

Waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting

Two more months.  I called last week and was told they'e still in process.  That inspired me to write the Federation of Municipalities, who are missing $15.7 million a year:

From: Warren Reed <wcreedh@gmail.com>

Date: Thu, Sep 5, 2024 at 9:29 PM
Subject: PVSC
To: Juanita <jspencer@nsfm.ca>
CC: <dcoffey@nsfm.ca>, <mlake@nsfm.ca>, <wpetite@nsfm.ca>

Dear Juanita,

A friend suggested that you might be interested in my appeal to PVSC on the improper method of valuation of properties that have an Environmental Assessment.  Truly, Municipalities are being hoodwinked on a major source of revenue.  My 5 appeals are attached, but there are hundreds more.  I have had no response........

Gus Reed

I guess I just added to the wait!