An assessor must hold off taking these actions if the secretary notifies him that he has agreed to a hearing on the claimant's application. In this case, he must wait until the secretary sends him the notice of final determination. The bill explicitly authorizes the secretary to review applications for benefits under this program, but only after a town submits a claim for reimbursement. The bill allows claimants to appeal directly to the secretary when he makes decisions affecting their exemptions. Under current law, they can appeal to the secretary an assessor's decision affecting their applications, but not a decision the secretary made after auditing the town's claim for reimbursement.
Claimants can still appeal the assessor's decision to the town's board of assessment appeals.
Current law gives them the option of appealing the assessor's decision after he completes the grand list or appealing to the board in February. Under the bill, claimants can appeal to the secretary after he acts on a town's claim for reimbursement in July. Totally Disabled Person's Property Tax Exemption Current law provides no procedure under which claimants can appeal a decision the secretary makes regarding their exemption. It allows the secretary to review claims towns submit for state reimbursement and allows them to appeal his decisions regarding these claims. The bill eliminates the towns' right to appeal these decisions.