Leslie Flemming

The appellants appealed the property assessment of their 1.25-acre waterfront lot on Rebecca Lake for the 2014 and 2015 taxation years.

The property was assessed at $256,000, which MPAC recommended reducing to $128,000.

The appellants argued the property was unbuildable due to environmental restrictions and lacked road access.

The Assessment Review Board found that MPAC's comparable sales were not truly comparable as they were buildable and had road access.

Relying on a comparable sale of an unbuildable property provided by the appellants, the Board determined the current value of the subject property to be $56,000 and reduced the assessment accordingly.

The appellant appealed the 2013 property assessment of a rural residential property.

MPAC had originally assessed the property at $759,000 but revised it to $697,000 following an inspection.

The appellant sought a further reduction to the 2009 value of $570,000.

The Assessment Review Board reviewed comparable sales provided by both parties and determined that the median value of the most comparable properties supported MPAC's revised assessment.

The Board found no evidence to support an equity adjustment and reduced the assessment to $697,000.

The appellants appealed the 2014 property tax assessment of a single-storey commercial building in Barrie, originally assessed at $848,000 and revised by MPAC to $830,000 using the cost approach.

The appellants argued that the income approach was more appropriate for the property, proposing a value of $546,000 based on market rent and an 8.0% capitalization rate.

The Assessment Review Board agreed with the appellants, finding the income approach to be the best gauge of current value given the property's age and location, and reduced the assessment to $546,000.

The Board declined to make a further equitable adjustment due to insufficient evidence.

The appellants appealed the current value assessment of a 3.99-acre former school property in Wasaga Beach, assessed at $692,000 for the 2013 and 2014 taxation years.

The appellants argued the 2011 purchase price of $430,000 established the current value.

MPAC argued the sale was akin to a forced sale and that the highest and best use was multi-unit residential development, supporting the higher assessment.

The Assessment Review Board found MPAC's highest and best use analysis speculative, as the property was zoned institutional and no steps had been taken to amend the zoning.

The Board concluded the 2011 sale was the best evidence of current value and reduced the assessment to $430,000.

No equity reduction was applied.

The appellants appealed the property assessment of their vacant residential land in Collingwood, which was assessed at $263,000 for the 2013 and 2014 taxation years.

The appellants argued the value was adversely affected by its proximity to a wetland and development restrictions, suggesting a value of $100,000 to $120,000.

MPAC presented comparable sales evidence supporting the assessed value.

The Assessment Review Board found the appellants provided insufficient evidence to undermine MPAC's valuation and confirmed the current value at $263,000.

As no equity evidence was presented, no adjustment was made under section 44(3)(b) of the Assessment Act.

The Appellants appealed the municipality's choice of comparable properties under section 331 of the Municipal Act, 2001, regarding the assessment of a former community hall.

The Appellants proposed several alternative properties as comparables.

The Assessment Review Board found that the subject property was in the commercial tax class, while the Appellants' proposed comparables were in the residential tax class.

The Board concluded that only the property proposed by the municipality, which was in the commercial tax class at the relevant time, was a valid comparable property.

The appeal was dismissed.

The appellant appealed the property assessment of a 30.4-acre waterfront property, specifically contesting the valuation of the 29.4-acre managed forest portion.

The Assessment Review Board found that the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation incorrectly assessed the managed forest portion based on its potential use as waterfront recreational property rather than its current use as a managed forest.

Applying the prescribed land band values under O. Reg. 282/98, the Board reduced the assessment of the managed forest portion to $66,300, resulting in a total property assessment of $866,800 for the 2013 and 2014 taxation years.

The appellants appealed the property assessment of their single-family detached home in Collingwood for the 2013 and 2014 taxation years.

MPAC assessed the current value at $327,000, while the appellants argued for a value of $260,000.

The Assessment Review Board analyzed comparable sales provided by both parties and determined the current value to be $315,000.

The Board found no evidence to support an equity adjustment.

The assessment was reduced to $315,000, and the decision was deemed to apply to the 2015 taxation year as well.