What's Next

See Single Family Residential Guide for more guidance.

Note:

Use this Guide if you have a Residential property (house, townhouse, condominium, or recreational property).  We have a different Guide if the Board has advised you that we will use Online Dispute Resolution.

See the Online Dispute Resolution Guide for more guidance.

Note:

Use this Guide if you have a Residential property (house, townhouse, condominium, or recreational property) and the Board has advised you that we will use Online Dispute Resolution

What are the first steps to try and reach agreement?

What happens at an Appeal Management Conference?

What are the first steps to try and reach agreement?

(a) Review your acknowledgment letter from the Board:

The Registrar will send you a letter confirming your appeal has been received. This letter should arrive around May 15 to 31st. Review the attached report to ensure we have accurately entered your information – especially your contact information including your day-time phone number. If you have email, this method may be the quickest way for the Board to communicate with you.

(b) Do some preliminary research:

In order to have fruitful discussions in the first stages of your appeal, you should do some preliminary research on the issues. 

If you appealed because you believe your assessment is too high (i.e. the market value of your property was below your assessment on the Valuation Date) then you should do some market research on the sales of similar properties around the Valuation Date.

If you are concerned that your property has not been fairly assessed compared to the assessments of similar properties, then you have an appeal on what is called “equity”. You should research your property’s assessment relative to it market value and compare this to a group of similar properties.

Other issues (such as the property classification) will require different preparation.

We have found that parties are more successful in resolving their appeals if they come to the table with support and research to back up their opinions on the issues. Even if you are not successful in settling your appeal, your time and research will assist you in preparing your case to submit to the Board for a decision.

(c) Talk to your local BC Assessment office:

Don’t assume that BC Assessment knows why you are dissatisfied with your assessment and will disagree with you. Even though you have already gone through the first level of appeal, we recommend you and BC Assessment have further discussions. It is best to not delay speaking with BC Assessment, as these discussions will often result in the settlement of your appeal.

BC Assessment may want to inspect your property to confirm your facts and the condition of your property.

If BC Assessment can successfully explain to you the accuracy or fairness of your assessment you may write to the Board indicating that you wish to withdraw (or discontinue) your appeal.

Sometimes, BC Assessment will agree with you that the assessment should change. BC Assessment will then complete a Recommendation form which you will both sign. They will then send the Recommendation to the Board for approval.

If your appeal is not resolved during these preliminary discussions, the Board will arrange a telephone appeal management conference. See what happens at an Appeal Management Conference for more details.

What happens at an Appeal Management Conference?

As the first main step in the appeal process, the Board will schedule a telephone appeal management conference with you, a BC Assessment representative, and the Board’s appeal manager.

The two main purposes of the teleconference are:

(a) To attempt to resolve your appeal – many are settled right during the teleconference;

(b) If your appeal is not resolved, set the next steps.

During the conference call, we will discuss the issues and ask you and BC Assessment to summarize the evidence each of you have to support your positions. This is why it is important that you do some preliminary research before the teleconference.

You can, if you wish, provide written materials beforehand to the Board and BC Assessment. If the appeal is not resolved during the teleconference, you can submit the same or different evidence in the next stage.

The Board’s appeal manager may provide a non-binding opinion to assist you and BC Assessment to re-evaluate your positions. If the appeal proceeds to a hearing or written submissions, the appeal manager will not be the Board member making the decision in your appeal.

If the appeal is not resolved, the Board will set the next steps, such as:

giving the parties more time to discuss the appeal;
setting dates for the parties to submit their case in writing. The Board then decides the appeal solely based on these written submissions. See how does the written submission method work;
setting dates for the parties to attend an in-person hearing. Note: the parties still must submit, in advance, all documents that they want to rely on in the hearing. See what happens if a hearing is scheduled.

What are the first steps to try and reach agreement?

What happens at an Appeal Management Conference?

What are the first steps to try and reach agreement?

(a) Review your acknowledgment letter from the Board:

The Registrar will send you a letter confirming your appeal has been received. This letter should arrive around May 15 to 31st. Review the attached report to ensure we have accurately entered your information – especially your contact information including your day-time phone number. If you have email, this method may be the quickest way for the Board to communicate with you.

(b) Do some preliminary research:

In order to have fruitful discussions in the first stages of your appeal, you should do some preliminary research on the issues. 

If you appealed because you believe your assessment is too high (i.e. the market value of your property was below your assessment on the Valuation Date) then you should do some market research on the sales of similar properties around the Valuation Date.

If you are concerned that your property has not been fairly assessed compared to the assessments of similar properties, then you have an appeal on what is called “equity”. You should research your property’s assessment relative to it market value and compare this to a group of similar properties.

Other issues (such as the property classification) will require different preparation.

We have found that parties are more successful in resolving their appeals if they come to the table with support and research to back up their opinions on the issues. Even if you are not successful in settling your appeal, your time and research will assist you in preparing your case to submit to the Board for a decision.

(c) Talk to your local BC Assessment office:

Don’t assume that BC Assessment knows why you are dissatisfied with your assessment and will disagree with you. Even though you have already gone through the first level of appeal, we recommend you and BC Assessment have further discussions. It is best to not delay speaking with BC Assessment, as these discussions will often result in the settlement of your appeal.

BC Assessment may want to inspect your property to confirm your facts and the condition of your property.

If BC Assessment can successfully explain to you the accuracy or fairness of your assessment you may write to the Board indicating that you wish to withdraw (or discontinue) your appeal.

Sometimes, BC Assessment will agree with you that the assessment should change. BC Assessment will then complete a Recommendation form which you will both sign. They will then send the Recommendation to the Board for approval.

If your appeal is not resolved during these preliminary discussions, the Board will arrange a telephone appeal management conference. See what happens at an Appeal Management Conference for more details.

What happens at an Appeal Management Conference?

As the first main step in the appeal process, the Board will schedule a telephone appeal management conference with you, a BC Assessment representative, and the Board’s appeal manager.

The two main purposes of the teleconference are:

(a) To attempt to resolve your appeal – many are settled right during the teleconference;

(b) If your appeal is not resolved, set the next steps.

During the conference call, we will discuss the issues and ask you and BC Assessment to summarize the evidence each of you have to support your positions. This is why it is important that you do some preliminary research before the teleconference.

You can, if you wish, provide written materials beforehand to the Board and BC Assessment. If the appeal is not resolved during the teleconference, you can submit the same or different evidence in the next stage.

The Board’s appeal manager may provide a non-binding opinion to assist you and BC Assessment to re-evaluate your positions. If the appeal proceeds to a hearing or written submissions, the appeal manager will not be the Board member making the decision in your appeal.

If the appeal is not resolved, the Board will set the next steps, such as:

giving the parties more time to discuss the appeal;
setting dates for the parties to submit their case in writing. The Board then decides the appeal solely based on these written submissions. See how does the written submission method work;
setting dates for the parties to attend an in-person hearing. Note: the parties still must submit, in advance, all documents that they want to rely on in the hearing. See what happens if a hearing is scheduled.