REDUS Redmond OR Land, LLC v. Marion County Assessor

CourtOregon Tax Court
DecidedSeptember 4, 2013
DocketTC-MD 130141D
StatusUnpublished

This text of REDUS Redmond OR Land, LLC v. Marion County Assessor (REDUS Redmond OR Land, LLC v. Marion County Assessor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
REDUS Redmond OR Land, LLC v. Marion County Assessor, (Or. Super. Ct. 2013).

Opinion

IN THE OREGON TAX COURT MAGISTRATE DIVISION Property Tax

REDUS REDMOND OR LAND, LLC, ) ) Plaintiff, ) TC-MD 130141D ) v. ) ) MARION COUNTY ASSESSOR, ) ) Defendant. ) DECISION

Plaintiff appeals the Marion County Board of Property Tax Appeals (BOPTA) Orders,

dated February 21, 2013, setting the real market value of Plaintiff’s 34 separate tax accounts1

(subject property) for tax year 2012-13. A trial was held on Monday, July 22, 2013, in the

Oregon Tax Courtroom, Salem, Oregon. James Poliyanskiy (Poliyanskiy), appeared on behalf of

Plaintiff. Robb Witters (Witters), Marion County Appraiser, appeared on behalf of Defendant.

Plaintiff’s Exhibit 1 and Defendant’s Exhibit A were received without objection.

I. STATEMENT OF FACTS

The parties agreed that the subject property, identified as Angel’s Peak subdivision and

located in Turner, Oregon, comprises 34 undeveloped lots ranging in size from 7,500 to 15,565

square feet. (Ptf’s Ex 1 at 2; Def’s Ex A at 1.) Poliyanskiy testified and Witters agreed that the

average buildable area per lot was 8,404 square feet. (Ptf’s Ex 1 at 2.) Both parties agreed that

without regard to a lot’s actual size the real market value of each lot is the same.

Witters’ appraisal report described the subject property as “[a] neighborhood[] comprised

of primarily single family residences. The area has convenient access to shopping, schools, as

///

1 The 34 account numbers are: R341678, R341680-R341683, R341685, R341687, R341692-R341709, R341711, and R341715-R341722.

DECISION TC-MD 130141D 1 well as Interstate 5 and State Highway 22. Turner is a small town located within a few miles of

the city of Salem and has a population of approximately 1,850 residents.” (Def’s Ex A at 1.)

Both parties relied solely on the sales comparison approach to determine the subject

property’s real market value. Poliyanskiy reviewed his appraisal report, testifying that he

identified six comparable properties located in Salem. (See Ptf’s Ex 1 at 10.) Poliyanskiy

testified that he chose the comparable properties based on lot size and proximity to Turner. (Id.)

Poliyanskiy testified that he adjusted each comparable property’s sale price for location, size,

topography and view. (Id.) Poliyanskiy concluded that the adjusted sale prices of the six

comparable properties ranged from $29,000 to $34,000, and stated that if “the outliers” are

ignored, the real market value of each lot was $30,000 or the subject property’s total real market

value was $1,020,000 as of January 1, 2012. (Ptf’s Ex 1 at 2.)

Poliyanskiy testified that he was aware some of his comparable sales, Plaintiff’s Sale

Nos. 1, 2, and 4, were bank-owned properties at the time of sale. (See Ptf’s Ex 1 at 18, 19, 21.)2

He concluded that “nothing about any of the sales suggested that the property was sold for less

than a competitive price.” Poliyanskiy testified that the bank, like the average seller, would be

interested in maximizing profits. Poliyanskiy testified that, because each of the comparable

properties was listed for sale in the real estate multiple listing service, each property was

adequately marketed and each completed sale transaction reflected market value. The parties

agreed that Plaintiff’s Sale No. 3 was incorrectly listed on Poliyanskiy’s report as “level

topography.” (See Ptf’s Ex 1 at 10.) Poliyanskiy agreed to a five percent upward adjustment of

2 The parties clarified at trial that, even though the Plaintiff’s Sale No. 2 was not owned by a bank at the time of sale, a bank facilitated the sale because the bank owned the adjacent property. (See Ptf’s Ex 1 at 19.)

DECISION TC-MD 130141D 2 Plaintiff’s Sale No. 3 sale price.3 Poliyanskiy admitted that Plaintiff’s Sale No. 5 “occurred

between relatives,” but stated that he found nothing that suggested the sale was “anything other

than arm’s-length dealing” because, like all of the sales in his comparable sales analysis, the lot

was “exposed to the market.” (See Ptf’s Ex 1 at 22.)

Witters reviewed his appraisal report, testifying that the sale of four comparable

properties bracketed the assessment date of January 1, 2012, occurring four months prior and six

months after the assessment date. (See Def’s Ex A at 3). Witters testified that his primary

selection criteria for comparable properties was lots located in “similar neighborhoods with

similar draws [appeal].” (Id.) Witters testified that Salem is a different market than Turner and

he did not select any comparable properties from Salem. (See id.) Witters testified that

Defendant’s Comparable Sales Nos. 1, 3 and 4 are located in “south county good neighborhoods,

identical to [the] description of [the subject property lots].” Witters testified that Comparable

Sale 2 is “actually only south county average” and that it was a bank-owned property at the time

of sale, but he included that property to “represent the lower end of the real market value range.”

Witters testified that he found no need to adjust the sales for time. (See Def’s Ex A at 2.)

Witters testified that, because the comparable properties are similar in quality and size, and are

located in neighborhoods similar to the subject property, no adjustments were made. (See id.)

Witters testified that he “gave the most weight to Comparable Sales 1 and 3, because

Comparable Sale 1 sold close to the assessment date and Comparable Sale 3 was located less

than one-half mile from the subject property. Witters testified that the adjusted sales prices of

Comparable Sales 1 and 3 support his 2012-13 real market value that each lot was $50,000.

3 Poliyanskiy also noted an error with Plaintiff’s Sale No. 1, which listed the comparable property as “Salem/Average.” (See Ptf’s Ex 1 at 10.) Poliyanskiy testified that Plaintiff’s Sale No. 1 is “Salem/Superior.”

DECISION TC-MD 130141D 3 In response to questions, Witters acknowledged that Comparable Sale 1 is roughly 4,000

square-feet larger than the average lot in the subject property. (See Ptf’s Ex 1 at 2, Def’s Ex A

at 2.) Witters testified that he did not adjust the sale because “the subject property has variably

sized lots, and that an adjustment to the comparable sale price for finding the one value of lots of

an entire subdivision did not make sense.” Poliyanskiy asked Witters whether he was aware that

two days after the reported sale of Comparable Sale 3 (a vacant lot), the same lot with an

improvement (a single family house) was recorded. Witters responded, stating that he was aware

that a “permit for a house” was approved “in December of the same year,” but he was not aware

that the lot with improvement was recorded two days after Comparable Sale 3 closed.

II. ANALYSIS

The issue before the court is the 2012-13 real market value of Plaintiff’s subject property.

Real market value means the

“amount in cash that could reasonably be expected to be paid by an informed buyer to an informed seller, each acting without compulsion in an arm’s-length transaction occurring as of the assessment date for the tax year.”

ORS 308.205(1)4 The assessment date for the 2012-13 tax year was January 1, 2012. There are

three methods of valuation that are used to determine real market value: 1) the cost approach,

2) the sales comparison or comparable sales approach, and 3) the income approach. Allen v.

Dept.

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REDUS Redmond OR Land, LLC v. Marion County Assessor, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/redus-redmond-or-land-llc-v-marion-county-assessor-ortc-2013.