18-125 C.M.R. ch. 208 — Rule 208. Guidelines for Professional Assessing Firms that Provide Revaluation Services to Municipalities

18
DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES
125
MAINE REVENUE SERVICES
Chapter 208: GUIDELINES FOR PROFESSIONAL ASSESSING FIRMS THAT PROVIDE
REVALUATION SERVICES TO MUNICIPALITIES
SUMMARY: This rule explains the requirements for professional assessing firms that provide
revaluation services to municipalities in Maine.
Outline of Contents:
.01
Definitions
.02
Requirements
.03
Failure to meet requirements
.04
Revaluation by municipality
.01
Definitions
A.
Assessor. "Assessor" means a sworn municipal assessing authority, whether an
individual assessor, a board of assessors, or a chief assessor of a primary assessing area.
With respect to the unorganized territory, "assessor" means the State Tax Assessor.
B.
Municipality. "Municipality" means any city, town, plantation, or that portion of a
county in the unorganized territory.
C.
Professional assessing firm. "Professional assessing firm" or "firm" means a person (an
individual, a group of individuals, or any other entity) that contracts to provide
revaluation services for one or more municipalities in Maine. For purposes of this rule, a
"professional assessor," as defined in 36 M.R.S. § 306(5), is not considered a
"professional assessing firm" or "firm" except when providing revaluation services for a
municipality that does not regularly employ the professional assessor.
D.
Revaluation services. "Revaluation services" means the development of new assessed
values within a municipality through the creation of new land or building pricing
schedules, reflective of market value on April 1 of the year in which the revaluation is
implemented. "Revaluation services" includes both (1) a full revaluation, where new
assessed values for all property in the municipality, including all taxable property and any
exempt property subject to reimbursement by the State, are established and (2) a partial
revaluation, where smaller changes such as updates to grading and pricing schedules or
updates to assessed values for one or more types of property in the municipality are
established. "Revaluation services" does not include factoring, i.e., adjusting the existing
values by a specific percentage.
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.02
Requirements
A.
Each firm must employ at least one individual with a Certified Maine Assessor ("CMA")
certification as described in Maine Revenue Services ("MRS") Rule 205 (18-125 C.M.R.,
ch. 205).
B.
A firm must notify MRS of the intent to conduct a full revaluation of all property within a
municipality before that revaluation begins. In addition, the firm must meet with the
assessor of the municipality for which the revaluation services are to be performed before
beginning the revaluation and must provide the assessor with the following:
1.
Samples of grading and pricing schedules, including land pricing formulas, used
for the revaluation and may be needed for a future revaluation;
2.
An explanation of the usage of the grading and pricing schedules referred to in
paragraph 1 of this subsection;
3.
A written description of the personal property pricing methods the firm will use,
if applicable, including depreciation schedules and a written description of the
inventory and valuation format that the firm will present to the municipality once
the revaluation is complete; and
4.
An estimated timeline and cost for the revaluation services.
C.
Each firm must file with MRS by April 1 of each year a resume for the firm that includes
the names and qualifications of people regularly employed by the firm and a list of the
municipalities where the firm has provided revaluation services within the five previous
years.
D.
A firm, while engaged in performing revaluation services in Maine, must allow periodic
visits from MRS as requested to determine the scope of work being performed. MRS
may schedule field visits to, among other things, observe measuring and listing, and visits
to the firm's office or place of business to observe data analysis.
E.
Upon completion of a revaluation, a firm must present the municipality with
documentation that the municipality can use to follow through with implementation of
the revaluation and to make any future value adjustments. This documentation includes,
but is not limited to:
1.
A complete set of property record cards, either printed or electronic, detailing the
construction for each building, for all property within the scope of the
revaluation; and
2.
All grading and pricing schedules used and documentation of any methods and
procedures associated with the revaluation.
.03
Failure to meet requirements
A.
MRS maintains a list of all firms providing revaluation services for municipalities in the
State of Maine. This list is posted to the MRS Property Tax Division website. If a firm
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fails to comply with this rule, MRS reserves the right to remove that firm from the list.
MRS will notify any firm if removal from the list is intended.
B.
When MRS removes a firm from the list referred to in subsection A of this section, MRS
will notify the firm by mail, explaining the reason for removal. A firm removed from the
list by MRS may appeal that determination subject to the provisions of 36 M.R.S. § 151.
A firm that has been removed from the list may later request to be added back to the list
at any time by providing evidence of compliance with this rule.
.04
Revaluation by municipality
If a municipality conducts its own revaluation and uses a grading and pricing schedule different
from what was used in that municipality's prior revaluation, the municipality must provide MRS
with a copy of the new grading and pricing schedule upon request.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: 36 M.R.S. §§ 112, 328, 330, 331
EFFECTIVE DATE:
October 21, 1987
EFFECTIVE DATE (ELECTRONIC CONVERSION):
May 1, 1996
AMENDED:
March 24, 2015
REPEALED AND REPLACED
August 24, 2022 - filing 2022-154