Board of Civil Authority Meeting Minutes: 08/25/2020

Present: Priscilla Cotton, Carol Hesselbach, Steve Levine, Sandra Dadik. Daniel Pellino, property owner, representing himself, and Doris Knechtel and Frank Suponski, representing the Listers. After the first hearing, Daniel Pellino left and Charles Mallory and Jessica Fogg appeared by speaker phone as representatives of the 2nd property owner.

Priscilla Cotton, chair, called the 1st hearing to order at 5:00 p.m. and introduced those present.

The Chair administered the oath to the Appellant, Daniel Pellino, and Listers.

The Chair explained the process for the hearing.

Doris Knechtel described the property owned by Daniel Pellino, the history of the values of the property and the results of the grievance hearing.

Priscilla then invited Mr. Pellino to describe his position. He explained that he had not made any changes to the property after the 2017 reappraisal and considered the property completed. He has no plans to make any further improvements. He provided a copy of photos he had taken showing the kitchen and the crawl space floor. After looking at the Exhibits the Listers handed them to the BCA.

The Listers gave brief comments regarding the increase in the assessment in 2018. There was no inspection of the house, it was marked complete.

BCA members asked questions regarding the house and whether any improvements had been made after the 2017 reappraisal. The answer was no. Questions were asked regarding the crawl space because the Lister Card shows a concrete floor but Mr. Pellino said that it is not concrete. The floor is covered with a vapor barrier but he believes it is just gravel below it. When he had a water leak he slashed an opening in the vapor barrier and the water drained away. Also, it feels like gravel when he crawls on it.

Priscilla Cotton recessed the hearing to a date to be determined for the BCA deliberative session at 5:35 PM.

Priscilla called the 2nd hearing to order at 5:47. She administered the oath to Charles Mallory and Jessica Fogg by speaker phone.

Doris and Frank provided information regarding the appraisal of the property owned by Four Columns Acquisitions and the results of the grievance hearing.

Mr. Mallory and Ms. Fogg spoke to the income and profit issues facing the Inn and Restaurant. They provided 2 comparable recent sales of inns to show the price that had been paid. They also indicated that the Windham Hill Inn had been for sale for 2 years in the high $1 millions but had not sold.

The Listers spoke and said that both comparables were bank sales, therefore, not considered true arms-length sales. Also, the Four Columns had been purchased from a bank so the price paid at purchase did not actually represent market value of the property. The Listers stated that the Town does not appraise any property based on the income and expense method and it did not seem fair to them to do that for the Four Columns. They did, however, adjust the value after the grievance hearing by applying an economic income adjustment of -5%, which lowered the value by $64,000. Also, a large portion of the property was recently put into current use which reduces the tax impact for the owner.

There was discussion between the appellant, the Listers, and the BCA members regarding the property.

Priscilla Cotton recessed the hearing to a date to be determined for the BCA deliberative session at 6:15 PM.

Respectfully submitted by,

Carol Hesselbach
Recording Clerk of the BCA