Owner disputes high town valuation of landlocked Greenfield lots; appraiser lists one parcel at $5,500

At a Jan. 23 hearing, a Fairfield property owner challenged the town’s valuation of two vacant strips behind her home, saying the parcels have no road frontage and are effectively unbuildable.

The appellant said the town’s roll lists those lots as worth much more than the market — but the private appraiser and field review concluded the parcel had “no market value” and the appraiser placed one lot at $5,500. “It’s a tiny strip of land that has no road,” the appellant said; the board member responded that the assessor’s field card and a map will be needed to confirm access and classification.

Board members asked the appellant to submit the appraiser’s full report and the field cards used in the assessor’s valuation. The board noted it has accepted private appraisal evidence in prior cases when it is supported by clear comparables and field documentation; here, the board said staff would verify whether the assessor had recorded the lots as surplus, unbuildable, or as taxable parcels with road frontage.

No vote was taken at the hearing; the appellant will provide the requested documentation for board consideration during upcoming deliberations in March.