Greenwich Begins Preparations For Property Revaluation

GREENWICH, CT — Looking to get a jump on what will take years to complete, Greenwich officials are preparing to launch the 2020 property revalution in the coming weeks, according to the town's Assessor's Office.

"State law requires that all classes of property be revalued at least every five years so that assessments for property tax purposes reflect fair market value – what the property would sell for in that year’s market," wrote Greenwich Tax Assessor Lauren Elliott in a statement. "A physical inspection of each property also must be made at least every ten years."

The 2020 revaluation is expected to take three years, during which time all of the town's parcels, which total more than 22,000, will be inspected.

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Those properties help make up the town's Grand List, which Greenwich then uses to set its taxes, or mill rate. As of 2015, the most recent year posted on the town's website, Greenwich's gross Grand List was $32,542,870,721, which includes real estate, automobile and personal (business) property.

According to Elliott, an inspection of each property "requires verification of its exterior measurements, as well as interior information."

"A residential appraiser wearing a Town of Greenwich identification card will arrive at each property and ask an adult on the premises for permission to inspect the interior of the home and any other buildings," wrote Elliott. "If no one is home, all accessible buildings will have their exteriors measured and the results recorded on the Town assessment record cards. Inspections should take between 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the property."

Anyone with questions or concerns about this process should contact the Assessor’s Office at 203-622-7885.

Elliott stresses that all residents and businesses "should feel free to ask to check the residential appraiser’s identification card before admitting him or her into their homes."