JAY — The town’s Board of Assessment Review voted Tuesday to deny Verso Androscoggin LLC’s appeal of the town Board of Assessors’ April 13 denial of a tax abatement for the tax year 2014.

The town received Verso’s appeal of the assessors’ April 13 decision to deny an abatement of at least $193.79 million in value on May 20. The decision stated that “although a lower valuation was cited, it was not supported by any data and as a result, the abatement was denied for failure to meet the burden of proof.”

The company claims the mill and property are substantially overassessed and should be assessed at no more than $400 million for that year.

The town’s assessed value of the property for the April 1, 2014, tax year was about $593.78 million. It consists of an assessed value of $179.1 million of real property and about $414.6 million of personal property. Verso also has $74.7 million in tax-exempt property.

Based on the review board’s findings of fact and conclusion, the written application, supporting materials and information submitted for the 2014 tax year appeal, the board found that Verso had not shown that the original assessment is manifestly wrong and denied Verso’s appeal, according to the review board’s order.

In a letter dated June 24, Verso submitted a summary appraisal report of the just value of the real and personal property of the Androscoggin Mill, dated Aug. 23, 2013, prepared by Duff & Phelps, the company’s hired appraisers. 

“The summary appraisal submitted by Verso was the same appraisal submitted in the recent appeal involving the 2013 property tax year. According to Verso, ‘its value conclusions are relevant to the April 1, 2014 value as well,'” the order states.

The town responded to Verso’s submission on June 24, stating that the 2013 summary appraisal report should be disregarded because it did not include a sworn affidavit as required by the board’s May 27 order.

The town also stated that the value is flawed, lacks reliability and provides no information to support the alleged reduction in value between April 1, 2013, and April 1, 2014. 

The review board concluded that the summary appraisal report submitted by Verso offers the opinion that the value as of April 1, 2013, is $460 million. Verso’s Feb. 12 application indicates that the value is no higher than $400 million. However, no new or additional information was provided by Verso to support a reduction in value. In accordance with the town’s ordinance under the section of burden of proof, “To obtain an abatement, a taxpayer must show the original assessment is manifestly wrong.”

The town’s assessed value of the property for the April 1, 2014, tax year was about $593.78 million. It consists of an assessed value of $179.1 million of real property and about $414.6 million of personal property. Verso also has $74.7 million in tax-exempt property.

In the 2013 tax year case, Verso applied for a tax abatement with the Board of Assessors in February 2014. Verso claimed its property should be valued at $460 million. Selectpersons reduced the value on the mill on Jan. 6 from $815.4 million to $591.9 million and granted Verso an $829,258 abatement.

The Board of Assessment Review denied Verso’s appeal of the town’s assessor’s 2013 tax year decision in April.

Verso has taken that case to the state Board of Property Tax Review.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net

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