Will MPAC be reined in?

I've mentioned my experiences with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation previously. Apparently, I got off very lightly indeed in my dealings with them, according to this Toronto Star report:

After a five-month investigation, Ombudsman André Marin made 22 recommendations designed to help level the playing field for property taxpayers up against MPAC, which he says has a "superiority complex," engages in "cloak and dagger behaviour," and "cutthroat manoeuvring around property owners."

Oh, yeah. I certainly experienced that in my dealings with MPAC.

"Never in the 30-year history of this office have so many complaints been received in so short a period about a single public agency," Marin said, noting that more than 3,700 people contacted his office about MPAC.

His recommendations for change include:

MPAC should rely less on its mass appraisal computer system and more on what a specific property sells for to decide its value. (The report points to the example of a condo purchased for $503,000 yet being assessed at $617,000 the very next day.)

Our out-of-whack assessment wasn't that bad, but it was bad enough that we went to the appeals.

When a property owner appeals, it should be up to MPAC to prove why the assessed value is correct instead of the current system where the owner has to prove why it is wrong.

It was amazing what they MPAC adjudicator would refuse to accept in the way of evidence . . . one of the other appellants at our hearing had maps, photos, diagrams, etc., none of which was deemed to be relevant.

If, on appeal, the review board lowers a property's assessment then MPAC should use that new number as a base for future years, instead of returning to the original figure the following year, as has happened in the past.

Bingo. That's what happened with our assessment, too.

MPAC should provide taxpayers with more information about their property so they can spot mistakes, such as an assessment based on a three-car garage when the property has only one.

And MPAC's methods should be more transparent: for example, did you know that they assess your floorspace by measuring your house from opposite corners and then multiplying by the number of floors? Your house has much more square footage by that method than by the method your real estate agent is allowed to use. Which, of course, increases your tax assessment automatically.

Hat tip to Jon for the URL.