Resident appeals Fairfield assessment for 20 Homeland Street, seeks cut from $680,500 to $520,000

A Fairfield resident formally appealed the town's $680,500 assessment for her home at 20 Homeland Street on April 2, asking the Board of Assessment Appeals to lower the valuation to $520,000.

Laura O'Brien, who handled the intake, read the assessed value and administered the oath for testimony. O'Brien said she will include the appellant’s materials in the packet she presents to the full board for review.

The homeowner told the panel she purchased the property in 2021 to keep her children in the local school district and described multiple deferred-maintenance problems she said reduce market value. "My house when I bought it, I had no choice. I had to keep my kids in Fairfield," she said, adding the interior is "like an old grandmother house" with wood paneling, single-pane windows and dated bathroom tile. She also said the house needs a new roof, updated bathrooms and replacement doors and that the garage is too small to fit a standard car.

To support her appeal the homeowner cited a nearby sale: she said a house two doors down sold July 14, 2025, for $560,000 and noted that property has a two-car garage and air conditioning. "There's no way that my house is worth 680," she said, arguing the sale is a more appropriate comparable.

O'Brien described how the town’s appraisal firm uses comparables of similar size and age within the same area and encouraged the appellant to supply photos that show defects "inherently attached to the property" — such as damaged hardwood, warped flooring or missing closet doors — rather than removable items. She suggested bringing any additional photos to the assessor's office so they can be added to the appeal package.

O'Brien provided the appeal file number, 946, and asked the appellant to include the street address on any additional submissions. She also advised not to delay submitting evidence because the office had already begun reviewing properties.

No decision was reached during the intake. O'Brien said she will present the appellant’s packet to the full Board of Assessment Appeals for consideration and that the board will review the materials at a later date.