Ask A Lawyer – My property assessment is too high – What can I do?

If you have been a property owner in NB for any length of time, you are accustomed to receiving a tax bill around March 1^st of each year and having a few weeks to appeal the assessment.  While waiting for the assessment to happen, you would have been obligated to pay the existing bill in the event that the reassessment was not completed by May 31^st – the deadline for paying the March 1^st bill.

Starting in October, 2020, most property owners will now receive a property assessment notice for 2021.   This is not the tax bill – but just notification of what the assessment amount will be for your property when the invoice is issued in March, 2021.   If you agree with the assessment, nothing needs to be done at this time.  You would wait for the normal March 1^st tax bill.  There will be no ability to appeal the March 1^st invoice for the 2021 tax year.

If you do not agree with the assessment, you can call 1-888-762-8600; or file a Request for Review (RfR) online at www.myNBpropertyassessment.ca.   You only have until Monday, November 2^nd to request this review. 

While most property owners will receive this notice in early October, there will be a second cycle of assessment notices that will be mailed to certain property owners in January 2021. These would be properties that have had changes such as a change in ownership (selling or buying) or new construction later in 2020.  You will have 30 days to file a request for review once this assessment is received.