Tips for Equity-Based Submissions

  1. Finding information from BC Assessment on the assessments and attributes of similar properties:

You can obtain information on other properties from BC Assessment. It is up to you to identify which properties you feel are similar to yours. You can find on the BC Assessment website the total assessment on any number of other properties and the sale price if the property sold. You can also ask BC Assessment to send you the following details on up to four properties:

Building
• general description
• total finished area
• year built
• effective age
• number of bedrooms
• number of bathrooms
• basement finished area
• carport or garage

Land
• land size

Sale
• if the property sold, sale date and price
 

  • If you require details on more properties, it is recommended you contact your local BC Assessment office. If BC Assessment does not want to send this to you, you can either:
     
  • Go to the local BC Assessment office and view their records (without a charge); or
     
  • Contact the Board for assistance. If your request is reasonable, the Board will require BC Assessment to provide you with the information, without a charge.
     
  1. IMPORTANT: In your equity appeal discuss how your assessment relates to market value. This requires a reasoned and supportable market value estimate for your property.
     
  2. IMPORTANT: Obtain evidence of how your property’s level of assessment relates to that of: (a) the jurisdiction; (b) your neighbourhood; and/or (c) similar properties.
     
  3. If you are relying on only a few similar properties to demonstrate your property’s inequitable assessment, then you must be able to show why they are unique and should be distinguished from the rest of the properties in the neighbourhood or taxing jurisdiction. If you are unable to distinguish this smaller group, the Board may find it is more appropriate to compare all properties in the neighbourhood or jurisdiction.
     
  4. The Assessment Act does not allow equity comparisons across different municipalities or taxing jurisdictions. You may only use similar properties from within the same jurisdiction.
     
  5. The Board rarely considers rate of increase in assessed value for one property compared to others to be compelling equity evidence. Without good evidence to show otherwise, the Board may assume the increase in assessed value is justified by market value increases or is simply correcting an error from the previous year.