WORTHINGTON, Minn. - The Nobles County Board of Commissioners donned a different hat Tuesday night as it convened the annual Board of Appeal and Equalization meeting to address individuals contesting their 2016 property valuations.
The meetings were heavily attended at the township and city levels, but just two individuals presented their complaints to commissioners during the Tuesday night meeting. Meanwhile, nearly 80 parcels - nearly all of which are within the city of Worthington - were re-evaluated since the city’s board of appeal meeting and adjusted. Each of those parcels required approval from the county for the change to be implemented.
Appearing before the Board of Appeal Tuesday night were Brad and Sheryl Hoekstra, who reside in Bigelow Township. Brad Hoekstra said the $245,000 valuation placed on his 8-acre parcel was too high. He compared the value of his home to a home sold in Bigelow Township, and while his home is newer, it is located on a gravel road and he doesn’t have a hook-up to rural water. Also, he has two machine sheds that do not have cement floors.
Nobles County Assessor Valerie Ruesch said there was an across-the-board 8-percent increase on all homes and garages in Bigelow Township. The 8-percent increase did not pertain to any other outbuildings on a site, and on the Hoekstra property in particular, there were some outbuildings that decreased in value.
Ruesch said the 8-percent increase on homes and garages in Bigelow Township was necessary to get the township’s total valuation to within 90 percent and 105 percent of the market, which is required by the Minnesota Department of Revenue.
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Hoekstra said the value on his parcel rose to $238,000 in 2015, which he thought was high, but he didn’t complain to the township board of appeals.
Now, he said, “It’s gotten out of hand, I think.”
“The house is 15 years old, which isn’t old,” Hoekstra said. “I sure wouldn’t pay $245,000 for it, and I live there. I mean, I don’t want to sell it, and I don’t want to move.”
Bigelow Township opted not to make any reduction to the Hoekstra parcel’s value, and the Nobles County Board of Appeal followed suit with its decision to make no change to the valuation.
The board also opted to make no changes to valuations on two parcels owned by Keith Tordsen in Indian Lake Township. Tordsen requested the value of the parcels be reduced to what he paid for them, saying he paid 78 percent of what the land is now valued at.
Indian Lake Township had also opted to make no change in the valuation of either property.
Commissioners also approved the following changes in valuations, made after the owner appealed the value to its local board of appeals. Staff has completed inspection of all of the following parcels and recommended the changes.
