Appraisals drawing heat from North Salt Lake residents

NORTH SALT LAKE — If you live in a home in Foxboro, an 800-home subdivision in North Salt Lake, the land you live on is worth $100,000, according to the Davis County Assessor's Office.

Never mind whether you live on a .1-, .15- or .2-acre lot.

"Where is the equity in this?" asks North Salt Lake Mayor Shanna Shaefermeyer, who is urging residents to appeal their property values if they feel values aren't accurate.

This year's valuations have caught some heat from residents of southern Davis County, and Bountiful especially, which saw a 30.5 percent increase in the value of the average home, while the county as a whole saw a 19.5 percent increase.

North Salt Lake saw a 27 percent increase on the average home.

Utah's hot housing market may be partly to blame, but Shaefermeyer says values placed by the county just don't seem right.

"In some cases, this has pushed a .10-acre of property value above an assessed valued property of .50 (acre) in other parts of the city on the east bench area," Shaefermeyer said.

"That's unfortunately the case," says Davis County Assessor James Ivie.

But because Foxboro has become a desirable and popular place to live, a one-tenth-acre lot could sell for $100,000, he said.

And even though it seems inequitable, the land values alone don't matter as much as the combined value of buildings and land.

"We think the overall values are correct," Ivie said.

That's the case with Melissa Plowman, who moved into Foxboro in June 2006.

Plowman recently had her home reappraised, and the county's valuation was just $7,400 shy of the appraisal Plowman paid for.

But she was surprised the county placed a $100,000 value on her .15-acre lot.

"$100,000 is inaccurate on the residential land value, but the overall value is pretty accurate," she said, and wondered if it saves time for the appraiser to give a blanket value to each parcel of land in a subdivision.

Ivie said no.

"That's already cut and dried," he said, adding that the county already has correct property measurements in the recorder's office.