18 DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

125 MAINE REVENUE SERVICES

SUMMARY: This rule explains the requirements for professional assessing firms that provide revaluation services to municipalities in Maine.

Outline of Contents:

.01 Definitions

.02 Requirements

.03 Failure to meet requirements

.04 Revaluation by municipality

.01 Definitions

1. A. Assessor. “Assessor” means a sworn municipal assessing authority, whether an individual assessor, a board of assessors, or a chief assessor of a primary assessing area. With respect to the unorganized territory, “assessor” means the State Tax Assessor.
   1. B. Municipality. “Municipality” means any city, town, plantation, or that portion of a county in the unorganized territory.
   2. C. Professional assessing firm. “Professional assessing firm” or “firm” means a person (an individual, a group of individuals, or any other entity) that contracts to provide revaluation services for one or more municipalities in Maine. For purposes of this rule, a “professional assessor,” as defined in 36 M.R.S. §306(5), is not considered a “professional assessing firm” or “firm” except when providing revaluation services for a municipality that does not regularly employ the professional assessor.
   3. D. Revaluation services. “Revaluation services” means the development of new assessed values within a municipality through the creation of new land or building pricing schedules, reflective of market value on April 1 of the year in which the revaluation is implemented. “Revaluation services” includes both (1) a full revaluation, where new assessed values for all property in the municipality, including all taxable property and any exempt property subject to reimbursement by the State, are established and (2) a partial revaluation, where smaller changes such as updates to grading and pricing schedules or updates to assessed values for one or more types of property in the municipality are established. “Revaluation services” does not include factoring, i.e., adjusting the existing values by a specific percentage.

.02 Requirements

1. A. Each firm must employ at least one individual with a Certified Maine Assessor (“CMA”) certification as described in Maine Revenue Services (“MRS”) Rule 205 (18-125 C.M.R., Ch. 205).
   1. B. A firm must notify MRS of the intent to conduct a full revaluation of all property within a municipality before that revaluation begins. In addition, the firm must meet with the assessor of the municipality for which the revaluation services are to be performed before beginning the revaluation and must provide the assessor with the following:
      1. 1. Samples of grading and pricing schedules, including land pricing formulas, used for the revaluation and may be needed for a future revaluation;
      2. 2. An explanation of the usage of the grading and pricing schedules referred to in paragraph 1 of this subsection;
      3. 3. A written description of the personal property pricing methods the firm will use, if applicable, including depreciation schedules and a written description of the inventory and valuation format that the firm will present to the municipality once the revaluation is complete; and
      4. 4. An estimated timeline and cost for the revaluation services.
   2. C. Each firm must file with MRS by April 1 of each year a resume for the firm that includes the names and qualifications of people regularly employed by the firm and a list of the municipalities where the firm has provided revaluation services within the five previous years.
   3. D. A firm, while engaged in performing revaluation services in Maine, must allow periodic visits from MRS as requested to determine the scope of work being performed. MRS may schedule field visits to, among other things, observe measuring and listing, and visits to the firm’s office or place of business to observe data analysis.
   4. E. Upon completion of a revaluation, a firm must present the municipality with documentation that the municipality can use to follow through with implementation of the revaluation and to make any future value adjustments. This documentation includes, but is not limited to:
      1. 1. A complete set of property record cards, either printed or electronic, detailing the construction for each building, for all property within the scope of the revaluation; and
      2. 2. All grading and pricing schedules used and documentation of any methods and procedures associated with the revaluation.

.03 Failure to meet requirements

1. A. MRS maintains a list of all firms providing revaluation services for municipalities in the State of Maine. This list is posted to the MRS Property Tax Division website. If a firm fails to comply with this rule, MRS reserves the right to remove that firm from the list. MRS will notify any firm if removal from the list is intended.
   1. B. When MRS removes a firm from the list referred to in subsection A of this section, MRS will notify the firm by mail, explaining the reason for removal. A firm removed from the list by MRS may appeal that determination subject to the provisions of 36 M.R.S. §151. A firm that has been removed from the list may later request to be added back to the list at any time by providing evidence of compliance with this rule.

.04 Revaluation by municipality

1. If a municipality conducts its own revaluation and uses a grading and pricing schedule different from what was used in that municipality’s prior revaluation, the municipality must provide MRS with a copy of the new grading and pricing schedule upon request.

   STATUTORY AUTHORITY:

   36 M.R.S. §§ 112, 328, 330, 331

   EFFECTIVE DATE:

   October 21, 1987 – filing 87-372 (titled “Revaluation Guidelines”)

   EFFECTIVE DATE (ELECTRONIC CONVERSION):

   May 1, 1996

   AMENDED:

   March 24, 2015 – filing 2015-048

   REPEALED AND REPLACED

   1. August 24, 2022 – filing 2022-154 (titled “Guidelines for Professional Assessing Firms that Provide Revaluation Services to Municipalities”)