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Appeals/Grievances

In Vermont, appeals are in the form of grievance hearings held with the Board of Listers and/or the Assessor. They typically start the beginning of June, at least 2 weeks after notices of new values are mailed to property owners. Since only property owners with assessment changes receive these notices, taxpayers who wish to appeal should contact our office no later than May to request notification of the exact date the hearings will begin and obtain any necessary paperwork.

You may grieve in one of 3 ways; in person, by representation (with the written permission of the owner), or by mail. In all cases, you must contact our office for a grievance application form, or you may download one by clicking here: grievance/appeal . Appointments should be made by the first day of grievance hearings, and mail grievances should be postmarked by that date.

It is the policy of the Listers to conduct interior inspections of all properties under appeal, even though this is not a statutory requirement. Without this interior inspection, the grievance will typically be denied. For vacant parcels of land, no inspection appointment is necessary, unless a taxpayer wishes to accompany the Listers. It is important to note that at the next local level of appeal, the Board of Civil Authority, an interior inspection is required by law prior to a change in the assessment.

Notices of Grievance Results will be mailed two weeks after the hearings are closed. This notice will contain information regarding the procedure for appealing the decision of the Listers to the Board of Civil Authority. Appeals beyond the local level go to either the Vermont Superior Court or to the Director of Property Valuation and Review. Each level of appeal must be completed before the next can be scheduled.