SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — It's been years since Lackawanna County property has been assessed, and many homeowners are unsure of where to turn when it comes to new rising property assessments.
Monday night was a chance to get some answers and maybe ease a bit of the anxiety that comes with this new process.
It's been more than 60 years since property in Lackawanna County has been assessed, but now that is changing.
County homeowners are receiving a reassessment, and county leaders looked to provide answers at a town hall meeting on Monday.
One man 28/22 News spoke with is still questioning a lot.
Property in Lackawanna County has not been assessed since 1968.
"If they are raising it the way they are saying, I'm leaving the county because I can't afford it," Clarks Summit resident James Cohen explained.
James Cohen lives in clarksummit and he bought his property in 2021.
He says the reassessment told him it was worth three times more than what he paid for it.
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"We need a new system. We need to maybe slow down and wait until they could get answers, and what's wrong with waiting another year to get the right answers, so it's fair to everybody," Cohen said.
A panel made up of Commissioner Chris Chermak, commercial and residential real estate attorneys, and an appraiser sat before those gathered, hoping to provide some clarification.
Chermak supports the reassessment but agrees with Cohen.
"I'm not on board throwing this switch in the fall and beginning this new process in the beginning of the year," Chermak explained.
He says if homeowners don't agree with their reassessment, they can appeal it.
Members on the panel highly suggested doing so on Monday evening.
Chermak says there is a 30-day appeal process at the county level, and a decision by the board will look to be made in October.
If there is still a disagreement about the reassessment, it will move on to the court of common pleas.
Officials say you should have your property compared to other properties, get it appraised, and potentially contact a realtor.
"My biggest concern is that there's no safety measures for senior citizens, people on fixed incomes," Chermak added.
And Cohen realizes the impact this will have on those in and beyond his community.
"I wish they would have more answers at this point. Again, we're talking about hundreds of thousands of people impacted by this," James Owen from Clarks Summit said.
Chermak says the county anticipates thousands of appeals to come through and have to be evaluated in a matter of three months.
He also shared programs people can join to better help in property reassessment guidance.
