Noncompliance by assessors

Section 4. Whenever it appears to the commissioner that the property, or any part thereof, in any town is not valued for taxation according to the first paragraph of section thirty-eight of chapter fifty-nine, and that such failure to comply with the law is the result of failure of the city or town to meet the minimum standards prescribed by the commissioner under the provisions of section one, including but not limited to minimum standards for keeping records of valuation, classification and ownership, production and maintenance of tax maps, and use of the opinions guides, manuals or other information furnished the assessors under the provisions of sections one A and three by the commissioner, or is due to failure on the part of its assessors, or any of them, to properly examine the records of the registry of deeds and probate court, he shall forthwith direct said assessors to meet the minimum standards required, to make use of the opinions, guides, manuals or other information furnished by him, and to make such examinations of the records of the registry of deeds and probate court as he deems necessary to correct the failure of the town to value any or all of the property for taxation according to law. On failure by the assessors, or any of them, to comply with such directions of the commissioner, for any reason, he shall forthwith notify the mayor or the selectmen, in writing, of said failure and of any requirements which he deems necessary or expedient to insure proper performance, valuation and classification of property for taxation according to law. Such notice shall contain a statement that failure of the town to comply with such requirements will result in court action.

At the request of local assessors, he shall contract on behalf of the city or town for engineering, professional or technical services for the installation of such record keeping system, the production and installation of tax maps, the appraisal or reappraisal of property, or such other action as is required for the town to meet the minimum standards prescribed.