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2023 Appeals - Click Here!

Deadline to submit an application was March 20, 2024.

Statement

Know that the BAA is a group of unpaid volunteers. We are independent of the Town Assessor’s role and exist as a first opportunity for townspeople to appeal property assessments prior to taking a legal route. Our body legislatively exists to correct errors in assessments that may occur (errors can be by the Town’s Assessor and/or the third-party revaluation firm that the Town uses to perform the regulatorily mandated revaluation every 5 years).

Our hope is to handle all appeals in a manner that is fair to both the appealing property owner and to the town (who are, by definition, all other property owners in Wilton).

The burden of proof for a successful BOA Appeal lies with the property owner.  The instructions provided below are intended to provide informal guidance regarding what the current board members believe a good appeal may include. This stated, it is 100% the property owner’s discretion as to what information they decide to provide the Board in their appeal. The Board’s intent in providing the instructions below is to be helpful to the appealing residents in our town.

We want to reiterate – the burden of proof is on the property owner. The property owner must perform and provide a thorough, evidenced-based submission to the Board to have the possibility of a successful appeal.  Appellants that appear in front of the Board with no evidence are unlikely to succeed in their appeal for an appraisal adjustment.

High Level Instructions

Please complete the Board of Assessment Appeals application form in its entirety, including your email address.  It must be received by the Assessor's Office at Town Hall by Wednesday, March 20th at 4:30 pm.  Appeal forms are available from March 1, 2024, to March 20, 2024 online at www.wiltonct.org/assessors-office or by visiting the Assessor's Office.

If there is more than one owner of the property and not all owners are available for the appeal, the person available must have a letter of authorization from the non-available owner/owners. In addition, anyone appealing for the owner/owners must have a letter of authorization from all owners on record.

Failure to have the appeal form returned to the Assessor's Office at Town Hall by 4:30 pm, March 20th, 2024, or an improperly completed form, will not be granted a hearing, in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes S12-117. Additionally, note that POSTMARKS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. It is best to hand-deliver your appeals.

Once the completed form is returned, notification of appointments will follow soon after the deadline date.

The Board of Assessment Appeals hearings will be held starting April 8, 2024 and completed by the end of April, 2024. Appeal results will be sent soon after.

BAA - Detailed Suggestions

The burden of proof for a successful BOA Appeal lies with the property owner. The suggestions provided below may be helpful in presenting a strong appeal.

Supporting documentation should be attached to the application but can be brought to hearings if necessary. If supporting documentation is brought to the hearing, 4 copies of such documentation is required. Examples of supporting documentation include the following:

  • Comparable Sales from October 1, 2022, to October 1, 2023. This is the period used in the revaluation by Vision Government Appraisals for the revaluation.
    • Wilton VGI Link to search for comparable:  https://gis.vgsi.com/wiltonct/Sales.aspx 
    • Notes:
      • When using comparable properties obtained from the data set, DO NOT select only favorable comparables. Please use ALL comparables resulting from the criteria used in your search.
      • Some sales are not considered usable in the appeal process as they do not depict true market values. Examples include: FORECLOSURES / SHORT SALES / DISTRESSED SALES / ESTATE SALES / ETC.
  • Field Cards required of all comparables. These can be obtained by using the following web-site: Vision Government Solutions (vgsi.com)
  • Property Maps from Town of Wilton Map Site: https://wilton.mapxpress.net/  (if applicable)
  • Photos (if applicable)

Appeals pertaining to Wetlands & Topographical

Many of the Town’s properties contain streams, marshy areas, uneven terrain, etc. Most land value in your appraisal is based on the simple ability to build a home on a 1- or 2-acre lot in Wilton. Benefit is inferred with having a 1- or 2-acre parcel of land in our town. Additional, but not substantial, value is added for excess land above the minimal lot size.

The above stated, excess wetlands on a property can provide a limitation that can adversely impact market value. If you have evidence of denial of property use due to the wetlands or topographical challenges (e.g. Town declined ability to build pool, etc.), such may be useful to your appeal.

If you are bringing a claim based on wetlands, the BAA suggests that your supporting documentation include:

  • The GIS Map from:  https://wilton.mapxpress.net/
  • The detailed map denoting your flagged wetland or topically challenged area, which can possibly be obtained from the Wilton Environmental Affairs Department  (Please note that this information will only be available if you, or a previous property owner has submitted it to the Wilton Environmnetal Affairs Department for the permitting purposes.)
  • Evidence of denial of use of property due to the wetlands or other such property quality (if applicable).

Thank you,

Board of Assessment Appeals