Cameron Payne, a data collector for KRT Appraisal, inspects the interior of a house Friday in Auburn. Owner Larry LaRoche explains how an addition was built for more space. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

AUBURN — “They can assess my property from outside. No reason to see inside my house.”

That was among the first and most popular comments on the Sun Journal’s Facebook page when Auburn residents were asked whether they would allow inspectors into their homes as the city conducts a revaluation.

The same sentiment was repeated in several different ways, with many questioning the need for interior inspections. Others responded with downright anger‚ the general consensus being that the effort will lead to nothing but higher taxes.

“Reevaluating at the height of the market AND asking people to open their doors? I already pay an astronomical amount in property taxes … I’m good, thanks,” Kelly Archambault said.

Jerry Dubois said simply, “The government has lost its mind.”

“Folks are just plain tapped out,” another commenter said.

A few posted vague threats, like the very American idea of opening the door holding a firearm.

Others had a little more fun with it.

“My puppy will not let them. If they do come in, (I’ll) show them around while wearing my birthday suit.”

The Sun Journal’s query yielded more than 200 comments, and while social media isn’t known as a place of measured and thoughtful discourse, the overall response reflects an exhaustion with taxes, a lack of trust in government, and some misunderstanding of how property taxation works.

Cameron Payne, a data collector for KRT Appraisal, knocks Friday on the door of a home in Auburn. Ideally, appraisals include an interior and exterior assessment. However, when homeowners are not home or refuse entry, the appraisal is conducted from the outside. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Municipalities are legally required to make assessments whenever the ratio of market sales to assessed value changes, but many don’t conduct full revaluations more frequently than every 15 years. Auburn’s last revaluation was implemented in 2007.

While Maine’s real estate market has caused big jumps in value for many regions, revaluations don’t mean higher taxes for everyone. A revaluation almost always leads to a lower property tax rate — a town’s mill rate — but some property owners may pay more while others pay less, depending on the current values of their properties.

While many commenters seem to believe that cities are just trying to fill the coffers with more money, revaluations don’t generate additional revenue — they only redistribute the property tax burden.

Auburn’s data collection effort, which began early this month, includes having consultant KRT Appraisers conduct both exterior and interior inspections at residential properties. The city says it’s the most accurate way to assess properties and ensure equity among taxpayers, but Auburn — and municipalities across the state — face an uphill battle.

City Assessor Karen Scammon said so far her office has only received a few of calls from residents who received postcards about the process. The postcards are sent in swaths prior to inspectors arriving in a neighborhood. She said the data collectors from KRT and her office “have not reported any problems with property owners nor have we had any negative phone calls,” but it was also too early to have any hard data from KRT regarding the inspections.

When the effort was first announced, Scammon said they were hopeful, based on the city’s transparent process along with photos and information about the two inspectors from KRT. The city said the inspectors, Tyler and Cameron, will be “polite, professional, accurate and fair,” and will have city identification and “assessor” safety vests.

Doug Rollins, project supervisor and appraiser for KRT, said Friday that so far the “entry rate has been low” for interior inspections, but recent cold and snow hasn’t made it easier.

Rollins said it’s normal for people to be skeptical, but that they notice a “loosening up” once the team is working through neighborhoods and talking to residents.

“Word spreads that we’re not mean guys, and we’re not doing anything awful,” he said. “It usually eases up as you go along.”

Cameron Payne, a data collector for KRT Appraisal, inspects a house Friday in Auburn. Owner Larry LaRoche shows the tiny closets typical of homes built in the 1920s. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Appraisers in Lewiston were so unsuccessful in their effort to get inside people’s homes last year that the city announced in December that it was giving up, and sending out data mailers instead. The mailers ask property owners to confirm that the information on file is correct.

In Bangor, the same consultant working with Auburn has also had trouble with interior inspections. According to the Bangor Daily News, only 17% of properties inspected in December included an interior inspection. KRT said a majority of those were because the property owner simply wasn’t home, but that it did include residents who declined to allow inspectors inside.

In Lewiston, officials were clear about why they decided to shift to mailers.

“People didn’t feel comfortable allowing interior inspections of their home,” assessor Bill Healey said.

Mayor Carl Sheline put it simply: “It didn’t work out too well for us.”

Rollins said in his roughly 20 years in the role, KRT has never scrapped interior inspections entirely.

Portland City Assessor Elisa Marr said the city is taking a “technological approach” to its current revaluation by using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as well as data mailers.

Someone responded to the Sun Journal saying, “they should just use drones,” which isn’t far off from using GIS.

Marr said it’s the same method used in 2021 during that city’s previous revaluation. Following some intense sticker shock from some residents in response to the 2021 revaluation, city officials recommended staff conduct a reassessment every five years due to the rapidly changing housing market.

Many municipalities have been faced with revaluations — some after many, many years — because of rising real estate prices.

Cameron Payne, a data collector for KRT Appraisal, measures the exterior of a house Friday in Auburn. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

According to the Maine Association of Realtors, the median sales price in Androscoggin County rose by nearly 5% in 2024, up to $325,000 compared to $310,000 in 2023.

Scammon said the average assessed value of a single family home in Auburn is $217,733.

As the problem of high property taxes has become more apparent, local and state officials have taken notice and proposed a range of solutions, but some have caused more harm than good. Some Auburn seniors who had enrolled in the state’s tax stabilization program were hit with huge tax increases last year when the program expired after one year, coupled with valuation adjustments made by the city in response to area home sales prices.

According to WalletHub, Maine has the highest property tax burden in the country, and is ranked fourth in overall tax burden. The website calculates the property tax burden as a percentage of personal income.

The Auburn City Council earlier this month approved the framework for a tax relief program for seniors, but the scope of the program won’t be decided until budget season this spring.

Mayor Jeff Harmon has previously said the recent adjustments in valuation based on real estate sales have had an outsized impact on single-family and multifamily property taxpayers, and “there’s been an unprecedented structural shift in the way that the burden of property tax is being paid.”

But Harmon is also hopeful that the revaluation will right-size the tax burden on homeowners by establishing new data for other property classes, such as commercial and industrial.

Asked about the property inspections, Harmon said he understands some people aren’t comfortable with allowing an assessor into their home.

“They aren’t required to allow access and can answer an additional questionnaire if they don’t allow access,” he said. “Allowing access will provide a more accurate assessment and minimize the chance that the assessor overvalues the property.”

Cameron Payne, a data collector for KRT Appraisal, approaches a house Friday in Auburn. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Harmon said the city simply wants to “ensure that taxpayers are paying their fair share and are not under or overcharged based upon the current value of their property.”

For some people, it’s not just property taxes that are driving dissatisfaction, it’s the entire tax system at a time when the cost of everyday things is higher than ever.

“So they can tax us even more? Sorry, but we’re out of town,” Emma-Lee Frances said.

In response to the Sun Journal’s query, Jessica Proctor said she’d decline an interior inspection, but offered an explanation.

“When we receive our compensation, taxes are withheld, and when I purchase goods, taxes are applied,” she said. “In addition, we pay property taxes, and if we were to build or renovate, we would need to secure building permits, if permitted. As a result, they are already aware of my property’s details, including square footage, number of bedrooms, and bathrooms, which should be enough.”

Reached last week, Scammon said doing full interior and exterior inspections is the most accurate way to “value improvements.”

She said interior inspections are used to confirm what may or may not have changed since either the property was built or the last inspection was done, and verify information on the property record card.

“Most importantly the interior condition of the property changes over time either due to depreciation or improvements made,” she said. “To accurately assess what exists, an interior inspection is needed.”

Scammon said if the inspector does only an exterior inspection “they must make assumptions on the interior.”

If there’s new siding, windows, or other new features, it may be assumed there have been upgrades made to the interior, she said.

“This may or may not be accurate but without the interior inspection it is all the information that can be used to base the valuation on,” she said.

Cameron Payne, a data collector for KRT Appraisal, inspects the unfinished basement of a house Friday in Auburn as owner Larry LaRoche watches. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Robbins said he simply tells people at the door that he’s trying to make sure the property record card is “up to date and accurate.” He said sometimes people who have lived in a home for a long time don’t remember improvements they’ve made over the years, and if a revaluation hasn’t been done in some 20 years, that could change what they have on file.

When a photographer tagged along with inspectors on Friday, homeowner Larry LaRoche had no problem letting the appraisers inside, and they talked about an addition.

Some commenters also backed up the city, and its stance on interior inspections.

“If you don’t let them in, they will have to estimate, and it will probably be high,” Tammy Clavet-Bureau said.

Christine Fortier Reynolds said, “So they will guesstimate instead. You really think that will work better?”

One resident responding to the query said people who have not done many upgrades, or have an older, outdated home should make sure to let the appraisers in. Others joked that they might deliberately try to devalue their home.

“Hold on one second while I put some holes (in) some sheetrock and get rid of all my (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets,” Evan Curran said.

“If you don’t want them in your house, make sure the outside looks like crap,” another person said.

One commenter brought up the Creedence Clearwater Revival song “Fortunate Son,” which features the lyric, “But when the taxman come to the door, Lord, the house lookin’ like a rummage sale.”

Cameron Payne, a data collector for KRT Appraisal, speaks Friday with Doug Rollins, right, project supervisor and appraiser, before beginning property inspections in Auburn. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Others respondents said they’d have no problem with the inspectors.

“I am not going to make this difficult for them! It has to happen!” Patricia Prout said.

“We’ll let them in. We have nothing to hide and we’re not reactionary militants,” Kathy Williamson said.

Former Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque, who was mayor as the state housing market exploded, said he struggled with the idea of doing a full revaluation. He said he questioned the efficacy of it, and believes there’s fundamental problems with the current tax system that shifts more burden onto the individual.

“It’s a unique situation,” he said, which he believes is complicated by a lack of trust in all levels of government. “(Republican or Democrat), it doesn’t matter.”

Responding to the Sun Journal’s query, and specifically the amount of people saying they would decline an interior inspection, Jim Mentink said, “I’m seeing a trend in these comments.”

“People are increasingly private, individualistic and untrusting,” responded Dana Michael Young Coffin. “Can we ask for two weeks notice so that we can clean up first, before letting anyone see it?”