Hawkins MTT Response PDF.pdf
Cynthia A Hawkins, Petitioner V Township Of Marion, Respondent · 25-002993-TT
Text extracted from the reviewed PDF, organized by page. OCR and reading order may contain errors; confirm details in the PDF below.
Page 1
Response to the “Reason for Appeal” Sale of the vacant land occurred 1/20/2022. The uncapping occurred in 2023. PRE was placed on residence 7/5/2023. The home was determined to be at 50% completion for the 2023 roll as of 12/31/2022. The home was revisited on 8/28/2023 and determined to be at 100% completion for the 2024 roll. Approximately .18 acres of the total 3.15 acres are wetland according to the Livingston County Soil Survey Map and Nearmap aerial measurement added below. The home sits approximately 700 ft. off of W. Coon Lake Rd. A 40’ x 30’ pole barn was constructed and added to the 2025 roll as a “Farm Implement (Equipment Shop) Building. Total 2025 TCV: $29,734 The “Farm Implement/Equipment Shed” (Lean-to) is the concrete covered porch area of the barn measuring 40’ x 6’. We believe this is priced appropriately. The home was priced as a 1 story with walkout basement as seen on the 2025 record card previously submitted. “Gas” is an informational item in BS&A with no effect on value. Petitioner’s Comparable Sales 41 Sunset Pines: 27 years old 1.296 acres No outbuildings 2 story 2126 Norton Rd: A-Frame home C 10 Class 46 years old No outbuildings
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210 Darvale: 29 years old 2 acres No outbuildings C 10 Class 2888 High Meadows: 36 years old 2.6 acres No outbuildings C 10 Class The Petitioner placed a heavy emphasis on Price Per Square Foot. This method is not a reliable basis for comparison for the reasons listed below. All Petitioner’s comparable sales were of advanced age and only one with similar construction quality. Lot sizes were smaller, none had outbuildings, and two were not the same style (2 story and A-frame). There were also no adjustments made to any of Petitioner’s sales. Price per square foot limitations - It ignores land value. A $300,000 property with a $100,000 house and $200,000 of land does not have the same economics as a $300,000 property with a $300,000 house. - It treats every square foot as equal. A finished living area, unfinished basement, garage, porch, and low-quality addition do not contribute the same amount of value. - Larger homes often have a lower $/SF. A 4,000-SF house does not necessarily cost twice as much as a 2,000-SF house. - Quality differences can be enormous. Two 2,000-SF homes can have substantially different values because of construction quality, condition, age, remodeling, and amenities. - Location isn't captured. Waterfront, lake access, acreage, subdivision, neighborhood, views, and other location characteristics can have major effects on value. - It can hide differences in lot size. A 1,500-SF house on 10 acres and a 1,500-SF house on 0.25 acre can have very different market values.
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- Additions can distort the number. An inexpensive enclosed porch or basic addition increases square footage without necessarily increasing value proportionally. - Basements create a major problem. Above-grade finished living area generally contributes differently from finished basement area, even though both may be counted as square footage in some calculations. - Garages aren't equivalent to living area. Adding a 600-SF garage increases the property's physical area but doesn't mean the property's value should increase at the same $/SF rate as 600 SF of living space. - Condition matters. A completely remodeled 2,000-SF house and a severely outdated 2,000-SF house can have very different market values. - The denominator can be inconsistent. One sale may report 2,000 SF above grade while another includes a finished basement, making their $/SF figures appear comparable when they aren't. - It can produce misleading comparisons. Two properties with identical $/SF can have completely different land, improvements, quality, and market characteristics. - It is backward-looking when based on sales. The calculation describes what happened in particular transactions; it doesn't by itself establish what another property is worth. - It doesn't explain why the property sold for that price. A high $/SF might reflect waterfront, exceptional condition, a desirable lot, or simply an unusual transaction. - The average can be misleading. If you average $/SF from properties that aren't truly comparable, the resulting number can have little appraisal significance
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This aerial shows the home sits approximately 700 ft. from the road. The polygon measures about .18 acres of wetland that a driveway was constructed over.
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SOIL SURVEY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY .18 Acres of Tm (Tawas Muck) 2.97 Acres of FoC (Fox Sandy Loam) – Considered stable and well-draining soil. Suitable for building.