Both the Petitioner and the Assessor’s Representative will each have an opportunity to provide oral testimony to support their opinions of value. Because the Board members review all the information submitted by both the Petitioner and the Assessor in advance of the hearings, the time allotted for each appeal is brief. The Petitioner and the Assessor’s Representative each have 10 minutes to present their case for a single-parcel residential appeal. The Board hears most residential appeals in a shotgun start format, like traffic court. Several petitions are scheduled for the morning or afternoon session without being assigned a specific time. Petitions are heard in the order that Petitioners check in with the Clerk. For a single-parcel commercial or industrial appeal, the Petitioner and the Assessor’s Representative will each be given 15 minutes for testimony. The parties are encouraged to concentrate on the salient points at the hearing. The Board members often question or seek clarification from both the Petitioner and the Assessor’s Representative during the hearing.
The BOE hearing is informal and designed to enable Petitioners to represent themselves. However, Petitioners have the right to be represented by a friend or relative, or by a professional such as an attorney, accountant, realtor, real estate appraiser, or property manager. If you wish to designate someone to represent you, you must submit a Power of Attorney form or complete the appropriate section of the petition form prior to the hearing.
The BOE offers teleconference hearings for Petitioners who are out of the county or who need reasonable accommodation due to an illness or disability. Please contact the BOE Clerk to request a teleconference hearing.
Most of the BOE’s hearings are held in Building 1, Room 152 of the Courthouse, located at 2000 Lakeridge Drive SW in Olympia. Room 152 is equipped with an assistive listening system and is wheelchair accessible. To request disability accommodations, please call the Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator at least 3 days prior to the meeting at 360-786-5440. Persons with speech or hearing disabilities may call via Washington Relay: 711 or 1-800-833-6388.