News release

Proposed 2004 Property Assessment Notices - Eastern Region

Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations (Oct. 2000 - March 2014)

SERVICE N.S./MUNICIPAL RELATIONS--Proposed 2004 Property Assessment Notices - Eastern Region


Proposed property assessment notices are now in the mail to some property owners in eastern Nova Scotia.

Notices are being sent only to those property owners whose assessments are expected to increase by more than three per cent in 2004.

"Proposed notices give owners the opportunity to contact Assessment Services with their questions before formal assessment notices are sent in January," said Skip MacKenzie, regional manager of the Eastern Regional Assessment Office, which serves municipalities in Antigonish, Cape Breton, Guysborough, Inverness, Richmond and Victoria counties.

"We want property owners to have as much information as possible so that they can make an informed decision about whether or not their property assessment is a reasonable estimate of market value. Since the proposed assessment notices were introduced eight years ago, we've seen a 50 per cent drop in the number of appeals filed during the formal appeal period in January," said Mr. MacKenzie.

About 147,000 -- or 27 per cent -- of Nova Scotia property owners will receive proposed assessment notices this year.

"About half the notices will go to Halifax Regional Municipality and another 23 per cent to the South Shore. The residential real estate market in those areas is still very strong," said Mr. MacKenzie. About 10,000 notices will go to property owners in eastern Nova Scotia.

The total combined value of commercial and residential property assessments in eastern Nova Scotia for 2004 is approximately $7.2 billion, up slightly from 2003. Eastern residential property assessments total just over $4.8 billion, an increase of 1.2 per cent, while total commercial assessment is holding steady at $2.4 billion. Property assessments for 2004 are based on market value at Jan. 1, 2002.

"Market value is widely accepted as the most equitable approach to property assessment," said Mr. MacKenzie. " Every province in Canada uses this approach as do 128 other countries. Assessors apply the same principle to every property in Nova Scotia. When the local real estate market is strong, assessment values reflect that."

Nova Scotia property owners can check their 2004 proposed assessment on the Internet by going to www.nsassessment.ca and clicking on Online Property Assessment Information. This year, property owners who live in the Town of Port Hawkesbury and the counties of Inverness, Victoria and Richmond will be sent a Personal Identification Number (PIN) with their proposed assessment notice.

"This is part of a pilot project, developed in response to Nova Scotia property owner requests for more information online," said Mr. MacKenzie. "The PIN number will enable property owners living in pilot areas to access detailed information about their property on the Web site."

Mr. MacKenzie said property owners who don't have Internet access can have assessment questions answered by calling the toll free information line at 1-800-667-5727.