Last fall I noticed an error in my property assessment through the online B.C. Assessment.
The Regional District of Nanaimo which conducts the yearly assessments for Qualicum Beach ($38.77/year fee on your tax notice) had mis-measured my retirement house back in 2000 and I have been paying for nearly 300 square feet of house I do not own.
Since the property detail was not available until B.C. Assessment put the information online in 2015, I had no reason to suspect an error since building plans had been submitted prior to construction and I assumed that the on-site assessor doing the actual measurement verification would compare his/her results to the plans.
As per the RDN office in Nanaimo in October 2016, this was not the case back when paper plans were submitted for permits (electronic-only since 2014). I went to the RDN office and they found their error and corrected their records and Qualicum Beach gave me a tax adjustment refund of nearly $200 for 2016. Attempts to recover overpayments back to year 2000 are being ignored.
The RDN claims Qualicum Beach could be placed in financial distress having to pay back for 15 more years.
The town was approached and they said they would pay as long as the official re-assessments were done.
Next, the RDN claims a provincial law prevents back assessments of more than one year from being done.
When I asked to see this law, I was stonewalled.
Repeated calls to MLA Michelle Stilwell finally got some action in pressing Minister Peter Fassbender, but to date more stonewalling. It’s your error, make it right.
We pay B.C. Assessment to do the job correctly, but they cannot even use a tape measure properly. Sloppy work and I am out more than $2,000! Who is working for who here?
Don Kerstens
Qualicum Beach
