Oh My Seems that the Folks in "The Place to BE" are plenty pissed off at LIEbranos N'esy Pas Premier Gallant???

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/tax-scandal-nb-gallant-higgs-renovations-invented-property-1.4049441

Property tax scandal leads to PC call for minister to resign

 146 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.


 
Daniel Rawlins

I cannot help but wonder if those involved in this organized scam to defraud New Brunswick home owners had hoped to receive a nice big performance bonus for increasing the property taxes on who really knows how many home owners. I believe criminal charges should very well be in order for these government employees.... they damned well would be charged if they were a private sector company/ employee.

Page was closed to commenting just as I clicked submit
David Raymond Amos
@Daniel Rawlins They think they are above the law because they work for the Crown. The sad part this is no April Fools joke. It is true and the malicious joke is pulled on us every day all day long.

The Crown and its corporate friends reap the benefit of the fraudulent tax assessments. Hence you can bet dimes to dollars the RCMP and all the politicians who swear an oath to the British Queen will NEVER act within the scope of their employment and protect the rights and interests of all the taxpayers who pay their wages and insure their gilded pension plans.

 Its just like the Pink Floyd song "Us and Them" none of this is new the wicked public corruption game is as old as man himself.

David Raymond Amos

Perhaps Mr Higgs and his pals who live in glass houses should recall my conversations with them then catch up with my comments over here.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/emails-service-new-brunswick-property-assessment-1.4048822

 
Lou Bell

Higgs is right. Now, about the 10 million dollars his party forgave to the many crab fishermen in northern N.B. ! I need a boat. Can I get a "loan" ???

Douglas James

@Lou Bell Yes, it seems all governments today are unethical. I agree there needs to be an investigation into this largely Conservative party affair.

Shawn McShane

@Lou Bell In 2016, the public learned that from 2000 to 2008, the New Brunswick government spent approximately $10 million to erase the debts of 15 fishermen. Bernard Lord and Shawn Graham. Former Liberal MLA Bernard Thériault believes that in these cases, the move to forgive the debts by the provincial government was justified. Liberal Tory same old story,

Ray Bungay

@Lou Bell Ok what about the $70 million Graham gave a bankrupt company, Atcon, or Gallant giving millions to a bankrupted or close to it a Quebec based ship building firm. All governments have or create baggage Lou!

Content disabled.

David Raymond Amos @Ray Bungay Never forget tomorrow is April Fools Day and the wicked old courtjester in me is signing a rather special motion to file on Monday.. Methinks the clowns in the Leg will also be busy tomorrow scheming and dreaming up a really big show for us in their their circus come Monday morning. However I still wonder if the latest Attorney General Serge Rousselle and his many minions even understand Rule 57 of the Federal Court Rules yet. Trust that I have been asking them since 2015 and they have continued to play dumb but May 24th is coming fast.

David Raymond Amos

@David Raymond Amos Why is it that I am not surprised to see CBC block that comment?

  

 Darryl Smith

At least McKenna tried to hide the corruption, Graham isn't bright enough to even see it

David Raymond Amos

@Darryl Smith Graham who?


 
Paul Bourgoin

Who is Bruce Higgs the savior or the axe men!

David Raymond Amos

@Paul Bourgoin Better yet who is Bruce Higgs?

 

Lewis Taylor

@David Raymond Amos
I thought it was Brain Higgs?

David Raymond Amos

@Lewis Taylor Good one.

 

David Raymond Amos

@Lewis Taylor We should name April Fools Day after the elusive Not So Honourable Brian Higgs and declare it a provincial holiday for all his overworked and underpaid bureaucrats N'esy Pas?

Paul Bourgoin

@Paul Bourgoin

Sorry Mr. Higgs

I meant Blaine, an error but I believe he will be called worse than Bruce by the end of his career.

  


Ray Bungay

From a story last week in the Telegraph-Journal Minister Doherty gave readers the impression he was not allowed to talk about the situation while referring comments to Minister Rouselle! If this is the case both those 2 should resign as well as the Premier for not being in charge of those Ministers in particular, claiming he knew nothing until this week as to what was happening. This for me as a resident and indirect tax payer through my rent, leaves me with no trust of those 3 Ministers. This is stupid as those senior MLAs should at least have a pulse as to what is going on in NB. Maybe the Premier should focus more on our have not province instead of having his head the PM sandy beach.

David Raymond Amos

@Ray Bungay Methinks the Premier should step down as well. After all the buck does stop with him. The young lawyer should quit touring the world and relying on the advice of his damage control dudes such as Graham's Ex Cabinet Ministers Jack Keir and Greg Byrne

 
Jeff Kennedy

Until we all come together to get rid of party politics, and the International banking cartel that owns the world, we will just argue and argue over these types of things, all the while they collect our lives and interest on the LOANS! Come on PEOPLE BANKING REFORM is what is needed!!!! Think about it this way, What corporations make the most money every year? I'll give you a hint, RBC, CIBC, TD, Scotia!!! Ok if we as Canadians took over this industry, I wonder how well we would be doing as individuals! FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

Jeff Kennedy

@Jeff Kennedy GO LOOK AT ICELAND after 2008!

David Raymond Amos

@Jeff Kennedy Perhaps you and other folks should listen to what I said about Iceland etc to the ERRE Committee In Fat Fred City on October 7th, 2016. It is recorded in the Parliamentary record both as part of the transcript and a webcast.

  

Harold Fitzgerald

It's stunning the Atcon 6 have not been jailed and continue to fleece the taxpayer

For the love of God! Where are the RCMP?

Why have these Liberal thrives not been charged and jailed?

Stunning that our tax supported broadcaster(CBC) has not called for swift justice

David Raymond Amos 

@Harold Fitzgerald As you no doubt know the CBC work for the same Queen the RCMP do. Furthermore all the politicians, cops, judges and lawyers swore an oath to that Queen. Trust that all the servants of the CROWN will NEVER prosecute themselves.

My humble opinion in a nutshell is that democracy and justice are myths. Methinks this "news" article is a sick sort of April Fools joke on the rest of us in order to make the pissed off taxpayers think they are being duly informed and that our rights and interests are being diligently protected. Yea right CBC tell us another one ASAP. Bernie Lord, Frank McKenna, the Queen, Premier Gallant and Mr Higgs et al know everybody enjoys a good laugh on April Fools Day EH?
  


Harold Fitzgerald

I can't possibly imagine why those Luberal tax dollar sucking asses at CBC blocked this comment before. Why would they? It meets their guidelines. Maybe they don't want to see their benefactors jailed! So, I'm posting it again and I'll be all over the Onbudsmzn if they drop my comment

s fraud, call the RCMP. Jail these bastards

David Raymond Amos 

@Harold Fitzgerald FYI CBC blocks me all the damned time and have done so for many years even though I always commenedt in my true name. So in response I create a blog and post all my comments warts and all and then send their lawyers, their bosses and certain politicians an email to prove it was done. After that I tweet about it immediately in order to show folks where to find the comments that CBC would not allow.

Hell CBC even denied that I ran for public office five times and that is definitely against its "Non-Partisan" mandate. Imagine if they had pulled such malicious nonsense against any member of a political party?

That said I must confess that its kinda fun poking holes in the stuffed shirts of CBC people using their own words, simple truths and legal documents for ammunition.

 
Dennis Colter Pugh

For all of you fine folks that voted for either Libs or Cons.... shame shame shame. why can't you understand that the only true democratic party will be the Peoples' Alliance Party???

By the way this government dos not seem to know the difference between renovations and maintenance!!

David Peters

@Dennis Colter Pugh

Can't blame the opposition for this mess...liberals need to own it.

David Raymond Amos

@Dennis Colter Pugh Dream on

David Raymond Amos

@Dennis Colter Pugh That your idea of an April Fools joke N'esy Pas?
 

 
Shawn McShane

Not only should Rousselle resign but so should Boudreau.

William Roberts

@Shawn McShane They should be charged with a criminal offense. Unless fraud no longer warrants criminal charges?

Ray Bungay

@Shawn McShane Any of the Atcon 6 Ministers should! The intertwined like a fish net!

David Raymond Amos

@Shawn McShane Methinks Premier Gallant should step down pending an investigation. After all the lawyer cannot deny that he oversaw everyone and the buck does stop with him. N'esy Pas?

Mel Faulkner

Minister should resign and there should be high level firings in the Department. this is theft and fraud.

Phil Peters

@Mel Faulkner

Apparently that should only happen because of historical convention. The opposition is fine with just scoring a PR victory here. You want to spend more millions investigating something that will lead to nothing?

Keith Jagger

@Phil Peters - Would you be a UdeM graduate by any chance?

Mel Faulkner

@Phil Peters No investigation, just firings.. you don't need to investigate proven facts.

Jeffrey Parker

@Mel Faulkner corruptaion and RCMP will not do their job's either!

William Roberts

@Mel Faulkner "Premier Brian Gallant blamed Service New Brunswick employees for what he called "a very troubling and very disappointing" situation revealed"
------------------
So come Monday Morning there is going to be a mass firing on SNB employees who are responsible???

Harold Fitzgerald

@Phil Peters

Take off the red Koolaid blinders Phil. It's finally come to light that your team are theiving crooks. Time to use critical thought and vote PANB

wayne guitard

@Phil Peters Historical convention ? No, they lied. And the inept ministers should be fired for not keeping up with their departments.

David Raymond Amos

@William Roberts Methinks come Monday Morning some top level bureaucrats will retire early with a golden handshake. Thats how such things are usually handled.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/emails-service-new-brunswick-property-assessment-1.4048822

'They did it on purpose': Province accused of deliberately overcharging homeowners on property taxes

233 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.


  
David Raymond Amos

Gee I wonder how the Attorney General and his minions define fraud?

 
Roger Edwards

How is this not criminal! Fraud, extortion, etc.... Someone there should be at the very least now unemployed. The level of corruption in this government never stops amazing me!

David Raymond Amos

@Roger Edwards I must say that I am impressed how so many folks thought of the word fraud and posted their indignation independently before the CBC moderators exposed what others had said using the same word.

 
Greg Miller

I'm not a lawyer but doesn't this sound something like institutionalized FRAUD?

David Peters

@Greg Miller

...or legalised theft.

David Raymond Amos

@Greg Miller Thanks to the slow CBC moderators I sound redundant

 

Max Burke

@Greg Miller - yes, it is FRAUD absolutely. They knowingly made false entries for properties for which they had no information. The RCMP should be investigating.

Think about this in another context - could this be happening in other Canadian Provinces and/or Municipalities?

David Raymond Amos

@Greg Miller I'm not a lawyer either but I have sued many of them. I have been wondering since 2015 if Attorney General Serge Rousselle and his many minions even understand Rule 57 of the Federal Court Rules yet. However we shall all know for sure by Victoria Day this year.

Craig O'Donnell

Gotta wonder how far up the chain this went, and who knew about it. There should be charges laid over this.

David Raymond Amos

@Craig O'Donnell Methinks the buck will stop with Doherty and he will play dumb as usual

David Raymond Amos 

@David Raymond Amos Everybody and his dog knows the coverup goes all the way to the top of the political food chain.

First thing in the morning on April Fools Day I hear the CBC reporting that the latest Conservative leader Blaine Higgs is demanding that the Attorney General Serge Rousselle and the Minister Ed Doherty resign. too funny indee. However I nearly choke on my coffee laughing as I listen to Brian Gallant the young lawyer/tourist and proud dog owner who is our current Premier claim that they didn't know and that he will get to the bottom of it.

Trust that I consider it that news report to be the first and quite likely the best April Fools joke I will hear today.

 

Jonas Smith

This is why elected officials should NO say in who is hired by the public service. We get incompetent managers whose only qualifications is either being the offspring of someone having donated a large sum of money to a political party or they themselves were political aids. New Brunswick needs a public service commission that hires independently from elected officials.

David Raymond Amos

@Jonas Smith Yes but guess who would appoint the commissioners?

 
Ralph Green

This government has no bottom on how low they can go, since we can't comment on rte 114 ill ask my question to who ever might have an answer. How come there is all kinds of money for the causeway and highway 11 and nothing for this major route to this part of the province???

David Raymond Amos

@Ralph Green Methinks the folks along Route 114 should ask Dominic Leblanc and his buddy Brian Gallant if the delay has anything to do with which polls vote for their political party

 
Wally E. Bamberger

It is beginning to sound like our Green Party friends had best roll up their sleeves. They might actually have a shot at the top come next election.

David Raymond Amos

@Wally E. Bamberger FYI there is another political party that the media has failed to mention

 
Rick Given

Fire and arrest every damn person who had knowledge of this!!! Oh wait this is NB, we will just shuffle the deck chairs and move on. Are all you Lib supporters happy with your choice now? Oh I didn't forget you PC supporters you are all just as bad...Stupid is as stupid does.

Vote People's Alliance

David Raymond Amos

@Rick Given Naw Methinks I would vote for the KISS of NB

Jay Boucher-Langlais

@Rick Given ; NOPE! NEVER!

David Raymond Amos

@David Raymond Amos FYI

http://www.electionsnb.ca/content/enb/en/parties_assoc/rpp.html

Dennis Colter Pugh

@Jay Boucher-Langlais Why, is it simply because you are of French heritage? If so you should go to a PANB meeting and meet these people.

 
Darryl Smith

Apparently the CBC doesn't like either "criminal behaviour out of Fredericton" or banana republic. I wish there were some sense to what gets a comment disabled. Considering the CBC also lives off our tax dollars it's a bit of a slap to be sensored while complaining about taxes

Anne Bérubé

@Darryl Smith Welcome to the Trudeau World.

David Raymond Amos

@Darryl Smith I am constantly amazed at the comments of mine that CBC has blocked for no reason I will ever understand particularly in light of the fact that they allow many very nasty comments to stand which are written by obvious Trolls with fictitious names

 
Shawn Wylie

No use making a sensible comment about this CBC will just censor it for no reason.

David Raymond Amos

@Shawn Wylie I resemble that remark



Doug Leblanc

CBC needs to do some actual tough investigative reporting and finish what they start.

The minister must have been aware and approved this action. This explains his silence on the issue during question period. He should resign today.

Perhaps this culture at service NB also allows a campground to have a reduced assessment immediately after construction of an expensive additional walking path along the wetlands. Service NB misinformed the public the other day and said it decreased as it was vacant land. It's been vacant since the queen gave it to the church, but had major improvement in 2015. In any other world that would cause an increase.

There needs to be a public inquiry into the Parlee beach scandal and the property tax scandal.

This story suggests we have been misinformed or worse by elected officials. The minister in charge must speak to this today or resign and go home.

Anne Bérubé

@Doug Leblanc CBC is protecting anybody with a liberal scent, wears a red tie, drives a red car, red shoes, etc, etc. nobody else counts.

David Raymond Amos

@Anne Bérubé I agree

  

Hank Hanrattay

We need to stop electing incompetent, corrupt people or NB is domed!

Phil Peters

@Hank Hanrattay

Nope. Not the answer at all. All jurisdictions are suffering the same fate, and it is not because there exists an evil variety of human that pulls the wool over people's eyes that we are forever electing.

We have problems largely because people have forged an identity on a guiding narrative that is impossible to satisfy. Who and what we "are" fundamentally has been laid out and accepted to be: people who want more in a world we assume to be without expansionary limits (proud and unapologetic unfettered capitalists). Enough people strive for the very thing that causes what is being done to them. In a sense, many dream of being the hustler pulling this sort of thing off for themselves. That's the dream, isn't it? You too can have it all if you just work hard enough at it. That's the promise. It soon becomes a game of seeing what the next guy is willing to do and how you have no choice but to be that very same thing.

Please do pay attention this year when the country spends a lot of money trying to build you an identity based in a historic narrative that will have been crafted for the purpose of placing you in the perfect philosophical place to be useful.

David Raymond Amos

@Phil Peters HUH???

  

Frank Knowles

Red or Blue it's all the same corrupt legacy in NB.

David Raymond Amos

@Frank Knowles YUP

 

Shaun Smith

I just filed my appeal. My assessment went up by 3k, but the tax bill went up 888.00, which is a 40% increase! I have been trying to sell the house for well over a year, and hired a professional to come and assess it...He assessed it at 40k lower than what the province has...What a joke!

David Raymond Amos

@Shaun Smith That is a strange one. Its the reverse of the proposed Boudreau campground assessment. That went down just 31 grand but the taxes were cut in half? Perhaps some overpaid political science professor will figure out the government's math and explain it to us real slow in simple English and French.

 
Roberta Norwood

Fraud is a criminal offense , I truly hope this guy pay's for what he has done. He should loose his job , and anyone else who had anything to do with this ,, So Disgusted! Our property also had a very large increase , Nothing has been done to our property since we bought our house. If anything I would have to say it decreased in value. Bet the ones involved property taxes did not change ,,,,,, Unreal!

David Raymond Amos

@Roberta Norwood Seems that we are on the same wave length

This is a direct output of the culture of SNB since the new merger and new president showed up. The government has a lot to answer for here of course, but that includes the installment of a known schemer and failure as president of SNB.

Pierre LaRoches

@Pierre LaRoches looks like that loser moved on to treasury board already. Once a Liberal friend, always a Liberal friend.

Jay Boucher-Langlais

@Pierre LaRoches; nothing to do with the party. This is the works of high ranking civil servants.

David Raymond Amos

@Jay Boucher-Langlais Yea right tell me another one

 

Carl Shulgin

Taxation is theft, unlawful, and only "legal" for legal fictions.

Are you a legal fiction?

Marc LeBlanc

@Carl Shulgin factions?

Roger Drisdelle

@Carl Shulgin get out of here.. Taxation isn't theft in itself.

David Raymond Amos

@Carl Shulgin I am the political Ghost of Christmases' Past whose legal documents are definitely not fiction

 
Georgina Kaye Gibson

Someone can contact me! I had my property tax go up 450% last year here in Saint John and I haven't received any help with it and only got ignored and I wrote again this year and nothing...How do I get help with this? Yes, thats not a typo...450%! Please help!

Morgan Moogle

@Georgina Kaye Gibson I think a lawyer might be your best bet.

David Raymond Amos

@Georgina Kaye Gibson The obvious question is how does one contact you?

 
Paul Bourgoin

Calculated mistakes of deliberately overcharging homeowners on property taxes would distract Joe Public of all their other BLUNDERS!!

David Raymond Amos

@Paul Bourgoin Good point sir


  
Hank Hanrattay

Its always lies and corruption when the Liberals are in power. One question, why would anyone ever vote for them again?

Richard McNamara

@Hank Hanrattay These are Public Servants, they do not change with the government, same guys were there when the Tory's were in.

David Raymond Amos

@Richard McNamara YUP and those mindless minions just do what they are told to do.

 
Marilyn Carr

and all the $$$ wanted on all the reassessments will be more of a burden on NB ..Thanx LIBERALS...TG we can get rid of you soon ...its Peoples alliance all the way...

David Raymond Amos

@Marilyn Carr I would not trust PANB as far as I could throw them if they ever won a mandate.

Dennis Colter Pugh

@David Raymond Amos Mr. Amos one question.... Why??

Shawn McShane

@Dennis Colter Pugh Because he is gunning for a new party called KISS, he said he would vote for them. PANB is the competition.

David Raymond Amos

@Dennis Colter Pugh I crossed paths with their leader in 2010 before he founded the party and was NOT impressed. Nothing has happened since to change my original impression of him and his cohorts.

David Raymond Amos

@Shawn McShane What is it you think you know about me?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/tax-scandal-nb-gallant-higgs-renovations-invented-property-1.4049441

Property tax scandal leads to PC call for minister to resign

Premier praises SNB whistleblower, says government learned of 'invented' renovations through CBC

By Jacques Poitras, CBC News Posted: Mar 31, 2017 12:26 PM AT

Blaine Higgs repeated his call for Brian Gallant to extend the Friday deadline for assessment appeals, and said the government should scrap a proposed three-week adjournment of the legislature until April 25. (Legislative Assembly)

The New Brunswick Legislature was in an uproar Friday morning over revelations that more than 2,000 property assessments were based on "invented" renovations.

Premier Brian Gallant blamed Service New Brunswick employees for what he called "a very troubling and very disappointing" situation revealed by CBC News.

"The elected officials of our government were not aware of what had transpired," he said. "We were made aware yesterday."

• 'They did it on purpose': Province accused of deliberately overcharging homeowners on property taxes

Gallant said he only learned of the fictional renovations when the CBC contacted the government about them.

'Major scandal,' says Opposition

But Opposition Leader Blaine Higgs said that wasn't good enough, pointing out the Liberals promised weeks ago to investigate huge assessment increases.

"Not being aware means nothing was happening to protect the citizens of the province. Not being aware is not an excuse," said the leader of the Progressive Conservatives. "No one was looking.  No one cared."
He called the made-up renovations "a major scandal for this government."

Premier Brian Gallant blamed Service New Brunswick employees for what he called "a very troubling and very disappointing" situation revealed by CBC News. (Legislative Assembly)

An internal Service New Brunswick email showed that officials invented renovations for 2,048 homes because they didn't have time to have professional assessors check if those houses had them or not.

Each of the homes had assessment increases of more than 20 per cent, and because they were deemed to be renovated, a law that caps increases at 10 per cent didn't apply.

Service New Brunswick adopted a new automated assessment system this year that uses aerial photography to look for major renovations, but results came too late to be double-checked by human assessors.

Premier discouraged by lack of SNB response

During a stormy question period, Gallant said the assessments "were done hastily and improperly by Service New Brunswick."

The premier also said he was "discouraged" that the Crown corporation didn't tell him and other elected leaders of the issue. "We would like to have found out from the department's employees," he said.

• Legislature goes to the dogs: Premier goes after Higgs on tax appeals
• A picture of confusion: No clear explanation for wonky tax bills
• 'It doesn't make sense': Large property tax hikes defy law

Higgs reminded Gallant that in the British parliamentary tradition, "individual ministers' responsibility is a constitutional convention. … In our system a cabinet minister bears the ultimate responsibility for actions."

Higgs said Environment and Local Government Minister Serge Rousselle, who has fielded questions on the assessment issue, should resign. "At some point you have to take ownership," he said.

Rousselle answered only one question from Higgs Friday and said "you can imagine my disappointment" about the revelations, which he said he learned of late Thursday afternoon.

Praise for whistleblower

Higgs also repeated his call for Gallant to extend the Friday deadline for assessment appeals, and said the government should scrap a proposed three-week adjournment of the legislature until April 25.

"We have a scandal in front of us now," Higgs said. "The right thing to do is not to run and hide."
Gallant rejected both suggestions, and pointed out assessment errors aren't subject to today's appeal deadline.

The premier also took the unusual step of praising the Service New Brunswick employees who leaked the email to CBC News.

"We had an employee of government who did the right thing and made this public," he said. "We would have liked to have been made aware of this situation a long time ago. … Fortunately an individual took it upon himself or herself to be a whistleblower."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/emails-service-new-brunswick-property-assessment-1.4048822

'They did it on purpose': Province accused of deliberately overcharging homeowners on property taxes

10% property tax cap skirted by fabricated renovations

By Robert Jones, CBC News Posted: Mar 31, 2017 7:00 AM AT

This email, obtained by CBC News, shows senior provincial government assessment officials invented renovation amounts for 2,048 homeowners with large assessment increases this spring. (CBC)

An internal Service New Brunswick email obtained by CBC News shows senior provincial government assessment officials invented renovation amounts for 2,048 homeowners with large assessment increases this spring, allowing the province to evade a legal 10 per cent cap on the homes' property tax bills.

The email, written on Feb. 9 by SNB's residential co-ordinator Matthew Johnson, to 11 mid-level and upper-level assessment officials, says because there was not enough time to have professional assessors find out what, if any, renovations the properties might have undergone before tax bills were issued March 1, it was decided to invent renovation amounts for each home.

Stephen Ward, New Brunswick's director of property valuation, is one of the names on the email. (CBC)

"The decision was made by HO (Head Office) to add a certain amount of NCMIC (New Construction or Major Improvement Change) to each of these accounts. Although it would have been optimal to have had the assessors identify the NBMIC amounts to be added it unfortunately wasn't possible given the time constraints imposed by fast track."

The 2,048 homes had triggered interest inside SNB because their assessments had increased by at least 20 per cent and $20,000. It was decided to treat all of them as though they had undergone major upgrades and Johnson provided a formula about how those renovation amounts were calculated.

By law, Service New Brunswick is required to cap annual property tax increases to homeowners at 10 per cent unless there have been major renovations to the property.

By declaring all 2,048 of the homes to have undergone major improvements, the 10 per cent limit could be exceeded.

Increases not a mistake

 

Jamie Watling's house was one of 157 in Quispamsis that saw its assessment jump more than 20 per cent this year, compared to just four homes the year before. (CBC)

To date the provincial government has blamed so many homeowners being charged increases more than 10 per cent on innocent errors.

"We have identified miscalculations for 2017 that will be corrected," Service New Brunswick Minister Ed Doherty said in a press release on March 14.

But one SNB employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, says the email makes it clear the increases were deliberate, not miscalculated.
"They didn't make a mistake, they did it on purpose and now they don't want to get caught for it. So now they have to make it look like a mistake."

New system in place

This year SNB introduced a new highly automated assessment system in major urban areas in a deployment it called "fast track".

The new system uses aerial photography and identified a large number of properties as being significantly undervalued.

• A picture of confusion: No clear explanation for wonky tax bills
• 'It doesn't make sense': Large property tax hikes defy law
• Saint John, Rothesay homeowners debate high property assessments

But results came too late to be double checked by human assessors so a decision was taken to deem large assessment increases on many houses to be the result of renovations by homeowners.

Two weeks ago CBC News identified 1,186 homes in six New Brunswick communities that had received both assessment and tax increases above 20 per cent.

Most of those would be among the 2,048 properties referred to in the email, although many of the homeowners contacted by CBC News deny undertaking any renovations.

Jamie Watling of Quispamsis shows one of two new laundry room windows that raised his property assessment by almost $60,000 this year. (CBC)

Jaime Watling of Quispamsis said he did install two $300 laundry room windows in his house last year, but according to the formula outlined in the SNB email he was credited with $40,990 in renovations to justify the 31.9 per cent increase in his tax bill. 

 Watling said if that is how Service New Brunswick generated his tax bill it is a fabrication.
"It's completely false," said Watling.

"I'm not overly surprised they would try something like it. I don't have a lot of faith in government."

Province responds

Watling's property tax account — and four neighbours who also got tax increases between 25 and 31 per cent — have not been adjusted and Watling says he still has not received a notice from the province it made a mistake.

Service New Brunswick spokeswoman Judy Cole acknowledges the department did declare homes to have been renovated when they had not been.

"The properties in question were determined to have been new construction or undergone major capital improvements when, in fact, that was not the case," Cole wrote in an email to CBC News.

"Assumptions were made regarding the percentage of new construction and renovations included in these properties."

Cole also said the department is backing away from a commitment to issue corrected bills to homeowners by April 1, pushing the date back more than nine weeks to June 1.