Board to tackle assessing flaw on lakefront lots

LEBANON - Selectmen next year hope to have a disparity in the assessing formula for Lebanon’s lake homes resolved.

It recently came to selectmen’s attention that some of the lot assessments on some lake homes is based on a flat rate of $42,000, while others are based on shoreline frontage.

Selectman Ben Thompson, who recently completed an assessing course earlier this month, said on Monday that selectmen hope to have uniform assessments in place by the time the fiscal year 2015 tax rate is set.

He said in the majority of cases it is expected that the lot owners who pay the flat rate will likely see their assessments rise.

He said there are probably more than 100 lakefront homes in Lebanon, including Milton Three Ponds and Spaulding Pond and he will be reviewing all the tax documents to ensure any inequities are corrected as soon as possible.

He said as of now the majority of lake homes in town are paying taxes using the flat lot rate of $42,000.

Selectmen were unsure how the disparity in tax assessments evolved and how long it had been in place.