Youbou realtor Jason Anson is releasing a book that promises to take readers through the tangled web of property assessments in British Columbia.
Anson, who is with eXp Realty which operates in the Cowichan Lake area, said his book, Over Assessed: The Fight for Fair Property Assessments in Small-Town BC, stems from his deeply personal experiences in the trenches of property assessment disputes in the Youbou area over the last year.
He said the book, which is his first, will be released on Amazon Kindle on Dec. 31, and a reading group of a dozen people are currently reviewing its chapters daily to meet the deadline at the end of the month.
In November, Anson announced he was bringing the knowledge he has gained successfully representing approximately 25 property owners in the Youbou area who appealed their 2022 assessments from BC Assessment to a series of YouTube videos, called “Ask a BC Assessment Expert”, that others in B.C. who plan to appeal their assessments from BCA can learn from.
RELATED STORY: YOUBOU REALTOR TAKES TO YOUTUBE TO EDUCATE ABOUT PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS
The book, his next step in informing the province’s property owners, details the struggles of a number of individuals who were faced with staggering increases in their property assessments, and how they fought to deal with it by navigating through the complex and often opaque world of property assessment appeals.
“From the frustrating intricacies of the Property Assessment Review Panel to the daunting legalities of the Property Assessment Appeal Board, Over Assessed exposes the systemic challenges and biases against residential homeowners,” the book’s opening page says.
“It sheds light on the broader issues of transparency and equity in the tax system, while offering an insider’s perspective on strategic approaches to challenging assessments. This book is not just a tale of individual plights; it’s a call to action for transparency and reform in property taxation.”
RELATED STORY: YOUBOU PROPERTY OWNERS FRUSTRATED WITH APPEAL PROCESS
The property assessments for 2022 released by BCA at the beginning of this year for the Youbou area revealed that the region saw the highest growth rates in residential values on Vancouver Island, and a number of the impacted homeowners were in an uproar over it as many had seen their property assessments increase more than 100 per cent in a two-year period.
Anson knew something had to be wrong, and a David-and-Goliath battle between everyday homeowners and the imposing authority of BC Assessment ensued.
Anson learned a lot in the process that he thinks every property owner in the province should know.
“The book is a must-read for anyone grappling with the intricacies of property assessments, and a compelling account for those interested in the dynamics of small-town advocacy against governmental processes,” he said.
“Prepare to be inspired, educated, and emboldened to think differently about the value of your home and your rights as a property owner.”
Anson said the book is born out of his desire to shed light on systemic issues in property assessment, and to empower homeowners with the knowledge and tools to challenge unfair valuations.