The clock is ticking for New Brunswick property owners who still have to pay their inflated tax bills while the province continues the appeal process.
In the past five months, many people throughout the province have had their appeals heard, and their bills lowered by Service New Brunswick.
Last year, the Sooley family’s property was assessed at $132,400. This year, over $100,000 was added, with the new assessment coming in at $236,200.
“The assessment has dropped significantly and the tax rate has dropped, which is better for us,” said homeowner Christene Sooley in April.
So far, 17,500 people have appealed their bills, 42 per cent of those, about 7,300, have been processed.
Apartment building developer Willy Scholten is the exception, his company appealed 26 of 42 property bills. He now tells CTV News an assessor is just getting to them.
For those still not sure if they should appeal, they have less than a week to get their paperwork in order. The deadline is August 1.
“So if you're not happy with your assessment, you should still get it in there and have it looked at, because 17,500 people can't be wrong,” says PC leader Blaine Higgs.
The opposition maintains the situation could have been avoided had the Brian Gallant government used the2016 assessments.
“How much were they supposed to save in this process at the end of the day? It's got to be completely consumed, or will be by the time it's finished,” says Higgs.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Brown.
