Auburn is among a few Maine cities that have received requests from the Lowe’s home improvement stores for property tax abatements.

According to the Bangor Daily News, the requests for abatements, filed this week on behalf of Lowe’s by the Newark, N.J.-based law firm of McCarter & English, seek to cut the assessed value of their stores by millions of dollars.

In Auburn, the Lowe’s store on Turner Street has an assessed value of $12.5 million — $3.8 million more than the company thinks it is worth, according to City Assessor Karen Scammon. The company is seeking to have the store’s value reduced to $8.6 million, cutting property taxes about $81,692. That request was filed with the city Tuesday.

Scammon said she now has 60 days to review the company’s request. If she decides against Lowe’s proposed valuation, they can appeal it to the city’s Abatement Review Board and to the Maine Board of Property Tax review.

Scammon said she has not received abatement requests from other Auburn retailers for this year.

According to the Bangor Daily News, the company has asked for abatements in Thomaston, Bangor, Brewer and Scarborough. Its Ellsworth store closed in October 2011.

According to published reports, this is not the first time Lowe’s has sought abatements. Abatements have been granted in New Jersey and Indiana.


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