A realtor from the Cowichan Valley has lodged a complaint regarding BC Assessment with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia
Jason Anson, a realtor with eXp Realty, filed a Freedom of Information request with BCA in August to determine how many property owners in B.C. appealed their property assessments in 2023 and 2024, and how successful they were.
He said his FOI request was met by BCA with procedural delays, shifting definitions, and a fee estimate of $736.49 for the requested information, and he claims that BCA is demonstrating systemic non-compliance with the provisions of the province鈥檚 Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
鈥淚nstead of straightforward answers, I faced delays, roadblocks, and an unreasonable fee [from BCA],鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 calling for greater transparency in BCA鈥檚 appeals process. Despite BCA鈥檚 claim that 98 per cent of homeowners accept their property valuations without appealing, I鈥檓 arguing the public is being left in the dark about the actual outcomes of those who do challenge their assessments. [BCA] touts the 98 per cent figure, but what about the two per cent who appeal? How many win? What does that say about the system鈥檚 fairness?鈥�
Anson has successfully helped dozens of homeowners in the Youbou area appeal property assessments that they considered too high over the last couple of years.
He has said the continuous over-assessments by BCA year after year are not limited to Vancouver Island, but is a province-wide issue in all rural areas, especially for waterfront owners.
Anson said his work with the Youbou Appeals Group in 2023 revealed just how inaccessible the system is.
He said that of the 109 property owners in the province who saw their appeals reach a full written submission and decision by the provincial assessment appeal board, he was the expert witness in 25 of those cases, representing 23 per cent of all provincial appeals last year that went to a full board decision.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 109 decisions out of hundreds of thousands of assessments,鈥� said Anson. 鈥淢ost people can鈥檛 get that far. It鈥檚 clear the system isn鈥檛 designed to be accessible.鈥�
Anson鈥檚 efforts over the past two years have resulted in more than $15 million in reductions for property owners, but he believes broader accountability is needed.
鈥淧roperty taxes are one of the biggest annual expenses for homeowners, yet BCA doesn鈥檛 provide basic appeal data that would help property owners make informed decisions," he said.
"This isn鈥檛 just about me, it鈥檚 about public accountability.鈥�
Anson said this highlights a critical gap in the province鈥檚 property assessment system.
He said as homeowners prepare to open their new property assessments from BCA in early January, many may wonder that if they disagree with their assessments, is the appeals process worth the effort?
鈥淧eople deserve to know how often appeals succeed,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ithout transparency, we鈥檙e left to take BCA鈥檚 word for it, and that鈥檚 not good enough.鈥�
BC Assessment said in a statement that it does not comment on requests that are before the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner.
