26-001115.pdf

Jupiter Land Management LLC Petitioner Vs. Township Of Metamora Respondent · 26-001115-TT

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RECEIVED 

Metamora Township Assessor 

730 W. Dryden Rd. 

SEP 09 2026 

Metamora, MI 48455 

MIC 

(810) 678-3828 

Fax (810) 678-3209 

HIGAN TAX TRIBUNAL 

Michigan Tax Tribunal-Entire Tribunal Division 

September 1, 2026 

PO Box 30232 

Lansing, MI 

48909 

Docket # 26-001115 

Re: Jupiter Land Management LLC v. Township of Metamora 

Enclosed please find the Respondent’s Answer to Petition submitted by the Township of Metamora 

regarding this appeal. 

Service by first class mail has been made upon the Petitioner on this date to the address of record. 

Kaili E Ropp 

Metamora Township Deputy Assessor

STATE 

OF MICHIGAN 

MICHIGAN 

TAX TRIBUNAL 

Jupiter 

Land Management 

LLC 

PETITIONER, 

-V- 

MTT 

Docket No.26-001115 

METAMORA TOWNSHIP, 

Parcels 

#44-015-029-002-10 

RESPONDENT. 

ANSWER 

TO 

PETITION 

NOW COMES Respondent, 

Metamora Township, 

by 

and through 

its 

deputy assessor, 

Thomas 

Schlichting, 

and 

in 

response 

to 

the 

PETITION 

in 

this 

cause, 

sets 

forth 

to 

this Honorable 

Tribunal 

as 

follows: 

1. 

Respondent 

admits 

the allegations 

contained 

in paragraph 

no. 

1. 

2. 

Respondent 

admits 

the allegations 

contained 

in paragraph 

no. 

2. 

3. 

Respondent 

admits 

the allegations contained 

in paragraph 

no. 

3. 

4. 

Respondent 

admits 

in part 

the allegations 

contained 

in paragraph 

no. 

4. 

The March 

Board 

of Review 

on 

appeal 

changed the 

subject parcel 

2026 classification 

from Residential 

to Agricultural. 

Petitioner's 

belief 

that 

the parcel 

“was 

designed 

to 

be 

used 

for 

industrial 

purposes” 

has 

no basis 

in 

fact. 

The 

prior owner 

intended 

the property 

as 

a 

cemetery, 

which 

was 

never developed, 

and 

the property 

has 

never 

been 

zoned 

for commercial 

or 

industrial 

use. 

5. 

Respondent 

admits 

in part 

the allegations 

contained 

in paragraph 

no. 

5. 

Petitioner 

has 

stated 

a dispute 

relative 

to 

the value 

of 

the 

property.

7. 

Respondent denies 

the allegations 

contained 

in paragraph 

no. 

7. 

AFFIRMATIVE 

DEFENSE 

Respondent 

states, 

without 

limitation, 

the 

following defenses: 

1) 

The petitioner's 

December 

2025 purchase 

of 

the property 

for 

$1.35 million 

supports 

a 

true 

cash value much 

higher 

than 

the 

$809,000 

reflected 

in 

the 

assessment. 

2) The 

assessments 

approved 

by 

the March 

Board 

of Review reflect 

a 

very conservative estimation 

of market 

value. 

3)For 

2026 

the taxable 

value 

was properly uncapped the 

year after 

sale 

to equal 

the assessed value. 

There 

were 

no reported 

or 

calculated additions 

or 

losses 

from 

the 

prior 

year. 

4)Petitioner submitted 

a division plan and received approval 

for 

residential divisions 

on 

the property during 

2026. 

The MDOT 

approvals 

of driveways 

for 

these divisions 

support 

the 

value 

reflected 

in 

the 

2025 purchase 

of 

the property. 

The assessment 

included very 

little allowance 

for possible driveway approvals. 

WHEREFORE, 

Respondent 

prays 

that 

this 

Honorable Tribunal 

determine 

the 

fair market 

value 

of 

the 

subject property, 

increase 

the 

assessed 

and taxable values 

from those approved 

by 

the March Board 

of 

Review 

and 

award Respondent 

costs, 

attorney 

fees 

and 

any other relief 

that 

this 

Honorable Tribunal 

may deem appropriate. 

Sti 

Thomas 

E. 

Schlichting 

Metamora Township 

DATE: 

August 

20, 

2026

STATE OF MICHIGAN 

GRETCHEN WHITMER 

DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS 

MARLON I. BROWN, DPA 

GOVERNOR 

LANSING 

DIRECTOR 

JUPITER LAND MANAGEMENT LLC 

, 

MICHIGAN TAX TRIBUNAL 

Petitioner(s) 

v 

MTT Docket No.26-001115 

TOWNSHIP OF METAMORA 

| 

Respondent(s) 

PROOF OF SERVICE 

KAILI E ROPP 

states that on 09/01/2026 

he/she 

[Name of person serving/mailing petition] 

[date of service] 

served a copy of the ANSWER TO PETITION 

relative to the above-captioned matter upon: 

[Provide name and address of the party/people being served] 

AARON M FALES 

330 HAMILTON ROW, STE 350 

BIRMINGHAM, MI 48009 

Pod 

& 

[Signature of person’who is serving/mailing copy] 

KAILI E ROPP 

[Print/type name of person serving/mailing copy]

730 W. Dryden Road 

ES 

4 

Metamora, MI 48455 

Metamora Township 

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£5 

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§ 000.780 

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SEP 

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