Title: Wennar v. Town of Georgia

State: vermont

Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court

Document:

ENTRY_ORDER.93-007; 161 Vt. 632; 641 A.2d 101

[Filed 27-Jan-1994]

                                 ENTRY ORDER

                       SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 93-007

                             DECEMBER TERM, 1993


 Martin H. Wennar                  }          APPEALED FROM:
                                   }
                                   }
      v.                           }          Franklin Superior Court
                                   }
                                   }
 Town of Georgia                   }
                                   }          DOCKET NO. S270-90Fc


              In the above entitled cause the Clerk will enter:


      Taxpayer appeals from a decision of the Franklin Superior Court setting
 the 1990 assessed valuation of two lots with frontage on Lake Champlain in
 the Town of Georgia, as well as frontage on Georgia Shore Road, a public
 highway.  One of the lots includes the taxpayer's residence.  We affirm.

      The first issue relates to the appraisal of the taxpayer's residence.
 The town bases house valuations on 1980 construction cost figures updated by
 a time-location factor, which was set at 1.8 for lakefront property.
 Taxpayer argues that the town's adjustment factor results in impermissibly
 valuing the house above its replacement value.  Underlying this argument is
 taxpayer's assertion that a house must be valued the same wherever it is
 located.

      Our precedents clearly reject taxpayer's position.  The governing
 statute, 32 V.S.A. { 3481(1), requires valuation to be based on fair market
 value.  See Sondergeld v. Town of Hubbardton, 150 Vt. 565, 567,