From Deseret News archives:
Taxes soar in Highland
Residents are upset as property values have doubled in a year
That is, until the county's recent property assessment bumped the value of his land up by 307 percent and more than doubled his taxes.
"It kind of blows you away when you look at it," said Thurgood, a former Highland City Council member. "In Highland, they always made a big deal out of trying to maintain open space, and what they're doing to me is forcing me to sell my ground in order to pay my taxes."
Property values in 2005 — reflected in the county's '06 tax report — increased countywide, but nowhere more so than Highland, said Utah County Assessor Kris Poulson.
"There are areas of Highland where land basically doubled in one year," Poulson said. "We've seen sales of $125,000 jump up to $215,000 or $275,000 for the same property."
Home values in Highland really started to take off in 2004, he said, and the county's assessments didn't quite keep up.
The county's valuations for Highland in 2004 were about 10 percent less than they should have been based on market value, Poulson said, and that made the steep increase of assessed values for 2005 that much greater.
"Because we were already about 10 percent behind to start with, and then land prices doubled, that put us even more behind," he said. "That's what caused the spike in those values so much."
Even if the county hadn't been 10 percent low on Highland property values in 2004, landowners there still would have seen a drastic increase in their most recent valuations because of the sudden change in the market, Poulson said.
Thurgood said he owns approximately three acres of land that surround his house. Some of the land is used as a pasture, some for an orchard and hay. But Thurgood said none of the land is worth as much as the county says.
"It took 28 years for my taxes to double the first time, and it took one year for them to double again," he said.
The increase in property value — and therefore, property tax — puts Thurgood and others like him in a difficult situation. Thurgood is retired and relies on a fixed income to make ends meet.
City officials have encouraged Highland residents to take their complaints to the Utah County Board of Equalization for reconsideration. However, the appeals process often requires residents to obtain an independent appraisal. Those on a fixed income can't afford to pay for an appraiser, which can cost up to $350.
Several Highland residents have taken their complaints to the Board of Equalization, Poulson said, though the majority of them have been more upset with tax increases than property valuations.
