Property Assessment Department


Dean Peters	Assessor & Project Manager
Karen Loderbauer	Assessment Technician
Walter Hughes	Property Appraiser
Mark Verhyen	Personal Property Tax Specialist

The City Council has approved a full municipal revaluation for 2012. The need for a revaluation stems from significant changes in market conditions over the past several years. The purpose of the revaluation is to establish new assessed values, based on current market conditions, for all properties in the city as of January 1^st, 2012. Associated Appraisal Consultants, Inc., has been retained to conduct the revaluation and act as municipal assessor for the City of Watertown.

Assessment staff will be visiting all properties in the city over the next several months, beginning in November 2011. In order to make accurate assessments, it is necessary for the appraisers to conduct an interior and exterior review of all homes, apartments and businesses in the city. A brief interior walk-through is necessary for consideration of the features, quality, and condition of each residence or structure. These factors can significantly impact market value. In addition, the appraisers will be taking exterior photos of your property. Please note, the appraisers have no interest in your housekeeping or your personal belongings.

All staff members from Associated Appraisal will carry a letter of introduction from the city, a photo ID, and drive a red vehicle displaying the Associated Appraisal company name. If no one is home when visiting a property, a doorhanger will be placed on the main entrance with instructions on how to schedule an interior review. All courtesies and considerations shown the appraisers will be greatly appreciated.

Notices of assessment will be distributed when the property reviews are complete and new assessed values are determined for each property. Property owners will have an opportunity to discuss the assessed values with an Associated Appraisal representative at the Open Book session. After the Open Book session, property owners will have the opportunity to appeal an assessment to the Board of Review. The Notices of Assessment will contain the dates and times of the Open Book and Board of Review meetings.

The Assessor’s Office thanks you for your help and cooperation in ensuring a successful revaluation program.

Some of my neighbors have told me the only reason for the reassessment is to raise taxes. Is this true?

No. The reassessment has no impact on the total amount of taxes collected. However, it may change your property’s percentage share of total taxes collected.

There is no question that a reassessment inspection is an inconvenience. For that, we apologize. However, building size, age, features, quality, and condition, along with many other factors affect the market value of your property. The only way to ensure a fair market value is to collect current exterior and interior data for each property. We are not concerned with your housekeeping nor personal belongings. This information will not be recorded and will be kept confidential.

The Wisconsin Legislature recognizes the conflict between the right of privacy and the need for accurate information when establishing assessments. If an owner refuses entry into the property, the assessor sends a certified letter requesting a reasonable time for viewing the home. If no response is received, or entry is refused, the assessor is required, by law, to estimate the value of the home based on the best available information. The property owner maintains his right of privacy, but loses all rights of appeal to the Board of Review.

Wisconsin law requires that property assessments be based on fair market value. Estimating the market value of your property is a matter of determining the price a typical buyer would pay for it in its present condition. Some factors the assessor considers are: what similar properties are selling for; what it would cost to replace your property; the rent it may earn; and any other factors that affect value. It is important to remember that the assessor does not create assessed value, but rather interprets what is happening in the market place through real estate sales.

Even with the best of care and intentions, mistakes are possible. Inform the assessor of any problems that might affect market value. There will be an opportunity to discuss your assessment with the assessor at the Open Book. Should you feel your assessment is in error, bring to the Open Book any documentation that supports your opinion of value. Property owners will be notified of their new assessment when the project is completed. If the discussion with the assessor does not resolve your concerns, a Board of Review will be held where you can again present sales or other market value evidence that shows the assessment to be in error.

No, not necessarily. There are differences between individual properties and between neighborhoods. In one area, the sales may indicate a substantial decrease in value in a given year. Yet in another neighborhood for example, there may be no change in value, or even an increase in property values. Different types of properties within the same neighborhood may also show different value changes. For example, one-story houses may be more in demand than two-story houses, or vice versa. Older homes in the same area may be declining in value more slowly than newer homes. There are numerous factors to be considered in each property, which will cause the values to differ. Some of the factors which can affect value are: location, condition, size, quality, number of baths, number of bedrooms, finished basement, garages, overall condition as well as many others.

Revaluations are periodically required by state law and are designed to keep assessments current with prevailing market conditions. The real issue is whether your property is assessed at market value. After the revaluation, you should look at your final assessment. If it appears to be an accurate value when compared to sales of similar property, then it probably is a fair assessment. If, in your opinion, it does not reflect the market value of your property when compared to sales of similar properties, you should talk to our assessment staff. We may be able to provide information or take further actions to resolve your concerns.

The Property Assessment Department has the responsibility to discover, list and estimate the value of all taxable property as of January 1^st of each year, except for manufacturing property which is assessed by the Department of Revenue. It is the Assessor’s responsibility to ensure that all properties within the City are valued uniformly as market trends dictate.

The Assessor must maintain accurate maps identifying each parcel of land in the City.

The Assessor maintains close coordination with other City Departments to keep informed of building activity.

For personal property assessment, attention must be given to businesses which sell, move or relocate within the City to make sure all property is assessed.

The Assessor makes a separate appraisal card for each parcel within the City. The office records your mailing address, prepares a legal description and identifies your property on an assessor’s map by parcel number. The department also records property transfers and makes the necessary changes.

The Assessor values property by the three approaches to value: the cost approach, sales approach and income approach.

The personnel in the Assessor’s Office will be glad to discuss any questions you may have about your assessment. If you have evidence that the assessment is more than the actual fair market value of your property, we welcome the opportunity to review all pertinent facts. Taxes will not be discussed.

If after discussing your assessment with the assessor, you are still not satisfied with the value estimate, you may file a written or oral notice of intent to object to your assessment with the Clerk/Treasurers Office. This objection must be filed 48 hours before the first meeting of the Board of Review. Board of Review meets the second Monday in May or within 30 days thereafter.

The Property Assessment Department can provide you with the following information for all parcels of real estate within the city limits:

Some recorded easements
Additional information is available at the Building Safety & Zoning Department or the County Register of Deeds Office.

The trespass law in Wisconsin entitles the assessor to enter a property once during an assessment cycle unless the property owner has notified the assessor in advance to deny entry. Additional visits may be authorized by the property owner. Assessors are restricted to the following conditions when entering property:

● The reason for the entry must be to make an assessment on behalf of the state or a political subdivision.

● The entry must be on a weekday during daylight hours, or at another time as agreed upon with the property owner.

● The assessor must not open doors, enter through open doors, or look into windows of structures.

● If the property owner or occupant is not present, the assessor must leave a notice on the principal building providing the owner with information on how to contact them.

● The assessor may not enter the premises if they have received a notice from the property owner or occupant denying them entry.

● The assessor must leave if the property owner or occupant asks them to leave.

In 2009, Wisconsin Act 68 was enacted to amend Section 70.05(5)(b) Wis. Stats. and to create Section 70.05 (4m), 895, 488, 943.13 (4m)(d) and 943.15(1m) of the statutes; relating to: partially exempting an assessor and an assessor’s staff from liability for trespassing, creating immunity from civil liability, and changing the notice requirements relating to the revaluation of property by an assessor. Copies of the applicable statutes can be obtained at public depositories throughout the State of Wisconsin, and from the State of Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau website (www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/stats.html)