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LOCK HAVEN -- Two property owners within Lock Haven's limits will be appealing real estate assessments at a hearing Friday morning.
Lock Haven City Council received notice of the hearing, which involves appeals from owners of CVS Pharmacy and Susque View Homes.
The owners of CVS -- Pennsylvania CVS Corp., LLC -- stated the assessment exceeded the property's fair market value. According to the city's tax roll, as of Friday, Oct. 6 its assessed value was at $2,568,900.
Meanwhile, according to documents sent to the county's Board of Assessment & Revision of Taxes, the owners of Susque View Homes -- SV Propco, LLC -- were not properly notified the property would no longer be tax exempt.
"The administrative breakdown was a failure to give proper notice of the change of assessment as well as the clerical error of giving the wrong effect date," according to the reason for appeal submitted by SV Propco.
SV Propco alleges the county "never gave proper written notice" of the change in status.
The company, in its appeal, is requesting the property remain tax exempt until Jan. 1, 2024 for the county, city and school district.
Councilmember Richard Morris said, while reading the appeal request, he understood SV Propco were also requesting two years of taxes to be refunded.
City Manager Gregory Wilson said the company paid transfer taxes but he wasn't sure if they'd paid 2023 taxes or were billed for them.
"They do state in the one part that they wanted to remain tax exempt through the end of 2023," Wilson said.
Morris questioned the company's statement it was not properly notified of the property's loss of tax exempt status was accurate.
"I find it almost impossible to believe that the assessment office did not do that," he said.
Councilmember Steve Stevenson agreed with Morris's statement.
"I couldn't believe that somebody would buy a property like that without checking to see if they were taxable or not," he said.
Wilson said he would not be able to attend the meeting, with Morris intending to do so on the city's behalf.
"They don't have to rule right away," Stevenson noted.
Mayor Joel Long, a former commissioner who served on the board, said sometimes the board can make a decision that day -- but that isn't always the case.
Morris further noted it's often "best practice" that an announcement isn't made the day of the appeal.