Assessing Department

ASSESSING DEPARTMENT

Dave Hynes is the Contract Assessor for the Town of Rye. It is a part time position hired by the Selectmen. The Town also employs Joanne Drewniak as the Assessing Clerk. Their Assessing Department is located on the second floor of the Town Hall at 10 Central Road. The Assessor’s primary responsibility is to estimate the fair market value of Rye property at least once in every five years, as well as to try to maintain assessment equity between neighborhoods during the interim years so that taxpayers contribute a fair share of support for the community services they receive. For these services to continue, other agencies, as well as the town, must levy taxes. State laws define the powers of these taxing agencies and the kinds of properties that are exempt from taxes, such as schools, churches and charitable organizations. The Assessing Department oversees all Town tax exemptions and credits, and assists the public with inquiries into the public records for property descriptions, abutter lists, maps, owners, and copies. The Assessing Department also re-measures 20% – 25% of the town every year. The State of New Hampshire Department of Revenue [DRA] calls this a Cyclical Review. It eliminates the need to do a full revaluation every 5 years.

The assessed values for properties in Rye may be found at Visionappraisal.com. A property’s market value is defined as “the most probable sale price of a property in terms of money in a competitive and open market, assuming the buyer and seller are acting prudently and knowledgeably, allowing sufficient time for the sale, and assuming that the transaction is not affected by undue pressures.” (Property Appraisal and Assessments Administration, IAAO, Copyright 1990) The Department of Revenue then compares the assessed value against  the  sales  price  to  provide  us  with  our  yearly  ratio.  The  Assessing

Department assists the DRA with any questions they may have with a recently sold property.

The 2011 Rye tax rate was $10.60 per $1,000 of assessed value. The Town portion of this tax rate was $3.24 per $1,000.00. Also included in the $10.60 tax rate are School [$3.90], for Rockingham County [$1.04], for State of New Hampshire [$2.42]. Precinct and Water District taxes are in addition. The annual tax rate is set in the fall of each year prior to the second tax billing during a meeting of the Selectmen with Department of Revenue Administration officials. The outcome determines the Town, as well as the Precincts’ and Water District’s portions of the tax rate for that year.

The following are tax exemptions available to Rye residents. More information about these exemptions is available on the Rye website or at the Assessing Department. All exemption requests must be filed on or before April 15th of the same year for which the exemption is being requested.

  • The ELDERLY EXEMPTION RSA 72:33 is available to Rye residents over 65, who have been residents of New Hampshire for at least three consecutive years, and who meet certain income and asset criteria.
  • A BLIND EXEMPTION RSA 72:37 is available to Rye residents meeting statutory qualifications, and who have been New Hampshire residents for at least one year prior to April 1st.
  • A VETERAN’S CREDIT RSA 72:28 is available to Rye residents who meet certain statutory qualifications, and who have been New Hampshire residents for at least one year prior to April 1st. This credit is also available to veteran’s surviving spouses.
  • A DISABLED EXEMPTION RSA 72:37-b is available to Rye residents who are on Social Security for Disabled Persons under Title II or XVI of the Federal Social Security Act, and who have been New Hampshire residents for at least one year prior to April 1st.
  • OPEN SPACE. Land dedicated to Open Space may qualify for Current Use Taxation RSA 79-A or for a Conservation Easement RSA 79- B. This application must be filed by April 15th.
    • A DISCRETIONARY PRESERVATION EASEMENT RSA 79- D encourages

the owners of historic barns and other farm buildings to maintain and repair their buildings by granting them specific tax relief and assuring them that assessments will not be increased as a result of new repair work. There are strict rules that must be followed. The applicant should read the rules carefully and be fully aware of them prior to applying. Applications available at the Town Hall must be submitted by April 15th. Information and the requirements for eligibility are available online at:     http://www.nh.gov/nhdhr/programs/barn_property_tax.html.

  • A SOLAR ENERGY HEATING AND COOLING EXEMPTION

RSA 72:62 may be available to property owners in Rye.

The tax year in Rye is April 1 – March 31. Two tax bills are sent to property owners each year: one that is payable by July 1st, and the second that is payable by December 1st. Because the official tax rate is not set by the State Department of Revenue Administration until the fall of a given year, bills for the first half of the annual property taxes are based upon an estimate, using half of the previous year’s tax rate. After the official rate is issued, the full year’s taxes are calculated. To calculate the second tax bill, the estimated first half bill is subtracted from the full year’s taxes, and the balance is billed for payment, usually by December 1st. Abatements RSA 76:16 can only be filed after the final bill has been issued, which

is the fall bill. Taxpayers have until March 1st to file with the Assessing Department. The Department also reviews (re-measures) Twenty to Twenty-five percent of the town properties each year which is called the Cyclical Review by the Department of Revenue.

If you have questions about your assessment, call (603) 964-5523 x 10 or visit the Assessing Department at the Rye Town Hall, Monday-Friday between 8

a.m. and 4:30 p.m. You can also visit the Rye website (http://www.town.rye.nh.us) for more detailed information about how the Rye tax rate is established each year, for access to the Assessor’s Database, and for forms for several of the exemptions listed above that may be downloaded.

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