The Listers job as described by the Vermont Department of Taxes:
The primary responsibility of the lister is to determine the fair market value of your property; all real property commonly known as real estate is assessed. Real property is defined as land and any permanent structures attached to it. This value is converted into an assessment, which is one component in the computation of real property tax bills.
General Lister Information
Homestead Declaration: Please remember that the due date to file your homestead declaration with the Vermont Department of Taxes (annually) is April 15th, regardless of any need to file an income tax extension. You may file the form online at myVTax.vermont.gov or you can find a paper form HERE.
Annual Grievance: The Grand List (the list of all parcels in the Town by owner and its assessed value) is set every year as of April 1st. When the abstract Grand List is lodged (generally in mid May or early June), all owners with a change in value of their property will be sent a notice detailing the change in value of the property along with details on how the property owner may grieve that value. We also send this notice as a courtesy to new owners, even though their assessed value is likely unchanged.
Property owners may request to grieve the value of their assessment at any time during the year; however grievance hearings are only held once a year (within 14 days after the lodging of the abstract of the Grand List). Those properties with changes in values (and new Fayston property owners) will receive written notice of when that hearing will be held. We also post the notification in three public locations and on this website (see ‘RECENT LISTER NEWS’ on the left/bottom of this page).
You may send a request to grieve to the listers at any time during the year – either by email to FaystonLister@madriver.com or by mail to 866 North Fayston Rd, Fayston VT 05660. By State statute, we are required to receive the request to grieve in writing. See below for a Request for Grievance form that can be mailed or emailed to us. The Listers will then notify you of the grievance hearing days and times and give you the opportunity to schedule an appointment to meet with the Listers.
Sales Verification Letters: When you purchase or sell a property in Fayston, you may receive a letter with a questionnaire requesting information about the sale or purchase of the property. Returning this questionnaire is voluntary. However, it is very helpful to the Listers in determining if your sale is “valid” in accordance with the annual State equalization study and as such if it should be part of the town equalization study which determines the CLA (common level of appraisal) for our Town. By eliminating sales that may NOT accurately reflect “fair market value” we can keep our CLA as close to 100% as possible, which in turn keeps our education tax burden as neutral as possible. It is a best practice that the state asks Listers to perform on their behalf each year.
Helpful Links and Documents:
What is the Common Level of Appraisal (CLA)?
What a Lister Does – Vermont Department of Taxes Informational handout