Municipal evaluation: "An essential role"
The Assessor must carry out two principal orders, the inventory of the properties on a territory of the municipality and the establishment of the actual value of these properties.
The assessment roll is the register in which figure the actual value of these properties. Furthermore, it is the basis of the fiscal share between the tax payers, hence the importance of it being precise and complete.
The making of the rolls is regulated by the Act respecting municipal taxation. The municipal assessor's task consists of making the assessment roll in accordance with said law and it's rules.
What is the actual value?
The Act respecting municipal taxation specifies that the actual value of the assessment unit is its exchange value in the free and open market.
This exhange value corresponds to the most likely price that can be paid during consensual sale between two parties. They are not obligated to sell or buy and have sufficient knowledge of the uses that can be made of the property
and its condition on the property market.
How does the assessor determine the actual value of your property?
The assessor can use various methods, in accordance to the type of property that he has to assess, and must consider, by correlation, more than one method.
He will use these methods according to their relevance: the cost of replacement, comparison and income.
The method of comparison involves analyzing the sales of properties that has similar characteristics.
The method of replacement cost is based on what it would cost today to build a property similar to yours, considering however its depreciation if it's is not entirely new.
The method of income depends on the income of industrial and commercial properties or multi-apartments to establish the actual value, considering the costs of operations (taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.) and capitalisation.
Maintenance of the assessment roll
The assessor must revise the assessment roll to consider certain events prescribed in the Act respecting municipal taxation. For example, fluctuations in the real estate market caused by economic forces, or building modifications (garage, swimming pool, basement finishing, demolition, etc.), which may affect the value of your property.
The values now modified will be retroactive to their establishment without however exceeding a year and the current year.
Les valeurs ainsi modifiées seront rétroactives au moment de leur avènement, sans toutefois excéder un an de plus l'année en cours.
Section 15 ARMT – Visit of the assessor
The assessor or his representative may, in the performance of his duties, visit and examine any property located in the territory of the local municipality, between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, except on holidays.
Identification of the assessor
He must carry an identification card bearing his photograph issued or certified by the clerk of the municipal body responsible for assessment, and must show it on request.
