Calling their property assessments following last year’s town-wide revaluation “grossly excessive, disproportionate and unlawful,” 13 property owners separately have filed lawsuits against the New Canaan Board of Assessment Appeals, according to documents at the Town Clerk’s office.
140 Main St., New Canaan. Credit: Michael Dinan
The tally—eight residential properties plus five commercial—marks a significant drop since the last revaluation, said New Canaan’s highest elected official.
“What lawsuits we have are more than 50 percent less than in 2008,” First Selectman Rob Mallozzi said.
On the residential side, the lawsuits Information on the properties in question can be found below.
Mallozzi and Assessor Sebastian Caldarella declined to comment on the lawsuits specifically, citing the active litigation.
Caldarella said that in 2008, the Board of Assessment Appeals received lawsuits from 23 residents and 12 commercial properties.
He said the 2013 reval marked the first “full” assessment of all real property in New Canaan—that is, where officials inspect or try to inspect every single property, rather than conducting targeted inspections in different parts of the market—since 1999. State law requires an update every five years, he said.
The appraised value of residential properties whose owners are filing suit range from $750,000 to about $4 million. Two of them are located on Beacon Hill Lane, the little dead-end off of 106 near East School. Here’s more information:
| Address | Filed | Fair Market Value | Assessed Value | Reduced? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 272 Elm St. | May 21 | $3,710,800 | $2,597,560 | No |
| 94 Elm St. | May 21 | $4,305,000 | $3,013,500 | No |
| 279 Old Stamford Road | June 10 | $1,808,900 | $1,266,230 | No |
| 65 Parker’s Glen | June 11 | $3,986,000 | $2,709,200 | No |
| 75 Pheasant Drive | June 12 | $1,109,500 | $776,650 | Yes |
| 36 Elm St. | June 18 | $3,959,400 | $2,771,580 | Yes |
| 106 Main St. | June 18 | $4,244,200 | $2,970,940 | Yes |
| 140 Main St. | June 23 | $2,508,100 | $1,755,670 | No |
| 83 Beacon Hill Lane | June 27 | $3,043,100 | $2,130,170 | Yes |
| 51 Norholt Drive | June 27 | $1,432,200 | $1,002,540 | Yes |
| 1185 Smith Ridge Road | June 27 | $2,750,000 | $1,925,000 | Yes |
| 53 Beacon Hill Lane | June 27 | $3,875,700 | $2,712,990 | Yes |
| 118 Fox Run Road | July 2 | $750,000 | $525,000 | Not sure |