VanNamen.pdf

Brent A VanNamen Petitioner V City Of East Lansing Respondent · 26-003905-TT

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RECEIVED 

AUG 21 2026 

MICHIGAN TAX TRIBUNAL 

TRY 

MICHIGAN TAX TRIBUNAL — SMALL CLAIMS DIVISION 

PROPERTY TAX APPEAL PETITION FORM 

VALUATION APPEAL 

MAHS DOCKET NO. 

Section 1: Petitioner's Contact Information 

First Name/Company Name 

Ml. 

Last Name 

Brent 

A 

VanNamen 

Mailing Address (No., Street, P.O. Box or Rural Route) 

819 

Blanchette Dr, 

City or Town 

State 

ZIP Code 

East Lansing 

mr | 48833 

Telephone Number 

Fax Number 

blg-Yé6o - -6 240 

E-mail Address 

brent yanaaraen 1% gma |, com 

Section 2: Petitioner's Attorney/Authorized Representative’s Contact Information 

First Name 

Last Name 

Fim Name (if any) 

Address {No., Street, P.O. Box or Rural Route) 

Clty or Town 

State 

ZIP Code 

Telephone Number 

Fax Number 

E-mall Address 

Section 3: Subject Property Information 

How many parcels are you appealing? 

If 

you are appealing more than one parcel, are they contiguous or adjoining? 

Yes 

No 

*If no, you must file separate appeals for each non- 

1 

contiguous of non-adjoining parcel. 

*Please use the attached multiple parcel from for information regarding 

any configugus parcels. 

Property Address {No., Street} [if multiple, list first property's address] 

314 

BlandheXte 

Oc

Section 4: Check which of the following you are appealing (check 

ail that apply) 

re Cash and Taxable Value 

[3 Taxable Value Only (calculation) 

[i] Uncapping of Taxable Value 

[i] Exemption from Taxation (other than the denlal of a principal residence or qualified agricultural exemption) 

[J classification 

[| 

Poverty Exemption 

Section 5: Please Explain the Reason for this Appeal 

Please see atfached 

dyped ‘Reason fr Appeal. Prod other 

\ 

aYrcned clocuments €or reuied Yo support the ceason. Than k you 

Section 6: Jurisdictional Issues 

pr 

Did you protest the assessment at a Board of Review? [i] Yes 

Mo 

If Yes, check which Board of Review you attended: J March 

[J 

duly 

[1 oecember 

If No, please check the applicable reason(s): 

Wf Assessment Change Notice was not property sent 

to Petitioner { of i$ wos 1 dy da’ + len ow b age col) 

[ml] Appealing a purported Clerical Error or Mutual Mistake of Fact 

O Appealing within 35 days of July or December Board of Review Decision 

Appealing within 38 days of State Tax Commission Order 

a Appealing within 35 days of receipt of Notice of Uncapping 

Did you request a poverty exemption at the Board of Review? [mW] Yes 

[i] No 

If Yes, check which Board of Review you attended: [| March 

[i] July 

[Wm] December 

If No, please explain:

Section 7: Valuation Information* 

Parcel Number; 

33-30-01 -12-108- 605 

Classification of Property: 

Real 

[I 

Personal 

[i] {check one) 

Agricuitural [] 

Commercial [| 

Industrial [| 

Residential NM 

imbor-Gutovor [| 

Developmental 0 

Utility 

[check one) 

Current Assessed Ҥ established by 

the Board of Review: 

36, 

800.00 

Current Taxable Valus as established by the Board of Review: 

$236,800 

What do you belleve 

is the fair market value? 

338 -350,600 

What do you befleve is the taxable value? ¥___ 

SY of olosce Bs7( 142, 850 

75,000) 

*if you are appealing multiple parcels, fill the multiple parce! form information for each contiguous parcel. Please attach the 

completed muttiple parcel form(s) to the completed petition form prior to submission. 

Signature: 

Petitioner's Signature: 

Ist 

Attorney or Authorized Representative’s Signature: 

Isl 

Fee Information: 

If you do not have a Principal Residence Exemption of at least 50% at the tims of the filing of this petition, you are required to pay a filing fee for the 

filing of this appeal. 

The filing foe Is based on the greater of State Equalized Value or Taxable Value in contention. 

if you are appealing more than one parcel, the parce! 

with the highest State Equalized Value or Taxable Value in contention will be used to determine your filing fee, plus $25.00 vill be added for each 

additional parcel being appeated, not to exceed a total filing fee of $1,000. 

I your properly Is residential property (see MCL 205.762) and 

the State Equalized Value or Taxable Value In contention is: 

Filing Fee is: 

$100,000.00 and under 

$125.00 

$100,000.01 to $500,000.00 

$200.00 

$0ver $500,000.00 

$300.00 

If your property Is NOT residential property (see MCL 205.762) and 

the State Equalized Value or Taxable Value in contention is: 

Filing Fee is: 

$100,000.00 and under 

$250.00 

If your property is NOT residential property (see MCL 205.762) and the State Equalized Value or Taxable Value in contention Is $100,000.01 or 

greater the appeal does not qualify for Small Clalms therefore an Entire Tribunal petition must be filed. 

Does 

{he subject property have a principal residence exemption of at least 50% as of the date of the filing of this pelition? 

Yes 

[J No 

There is no fee for the filing of a poverty exemption appeal. However, if you are filing both a valuation and poverty exemption appeal, you must stilt 

pay the filing fee dus for the valuation portion of the appeal.

REASON FOR PETITION/APPEAL 

First of all, 

| want to thank you very much for taking the time to look this over as 

| know 

you may have many cases. 

| am a first-time homeowner and dealing with property taxes is new 

to me. After buying the home in early 2025, that year's summer property taxes was $5,453.76. 

This year it is over double that, at $11,183.33 (please see page 1 and 2 of document titled 

“Property tax bill information”). 

1 did not go before the March board of reviews because 

| did not know, until recently, that 

that was the first step to take. 

| also did not know my summer tax bili was this high until 

| 

received the tax bill in July. 

| am not sure if 

| received, or if | did 

| may have misplaced/not fully 

read the tax assessment given earlier in the year. 

| apologize for this and now going through the 

tribunal, Thank you again for your time. 

But to give now the reason for the appeal: my real estate agent (Erin Klinger, 16 years 

experience, Laforet Team at ReMax (616-389-7918)) has informed me, as well as another 

licensed real estate agent she knows who previously worked for the Michigan Tax Tribunal, that 

the calculation used to arrive at the 2026 summer property tax amount of $11,183.33 appears to 

be inconsistent with the taxable value limitations under Michigan law (please see attachment of 

page one of “MCL-Section 211.27 The General Property Tax Act". To read all of it please visit: 

www.legislature.mi.gov/laws/MCL 

?object name=MCL-211-27) 

The attached closing statement shows my purchase price of the home at 819 Blanchette 

drive, at $325,000, which is evidence of the property's true cash value, or a value close to the 

true cash value, as defined in the Michigan Property Tax Act. 

Based on a true cash value of $325,000, 50% of that for taxable value would be 

$162,500. The current taxable value shown on the assessment is $236,800, which exceeds 

50% of the purchase price. If I'm not mistaken the taxable value should be based on a figure at 

or near $162,500, rather than $236,800. 

My real estate agent said if you request it, she can also provide comparable sales or 

anything like that as well. 

For reference, 

| purchased the property for $325,000, and taxes were a consideration 

with my housing search. With this home knowing ahead of time what they might be close to. In 

2024, the year before 

| bought the house, it was around $5,290 for summer taxes), and so 

| was 

not expecting anything near over double that amount of what it is now at $11,183.33). Again 

| 

have attached the closing documentation supporting that purchase amount, to which, according 

to The Michigan Property Tax Act, the true cash value and thus from that the 50% of it the 

taxable value, should be at or close to that amount. 

| please respectfully and kindly request that the taxable value and resulting summer 

property tax calculation be reviewed. Thank you very much for your time and consideration. 

Lastly, as a minister of a church in Lansing, may Jesus, Who died on the cross for our sins, was

819 BLANCHETTEDR 

EAST LANSING, MI 48823 

& 

-» 

Parcel #33-20-01-12-108-005 

Property Owner: VANNAMEN BRENT ALLEN 

Fopecy 

Owner and Taxpayer Information 

VANNAMEN BRENT ALLEN 

Owner 

819 BLANCHETTE DR 

EAST LANSING, MI 48823 

Taxpayer 

SEE OWNER INFORMATION 

Amount Due 

Current Taxes: $11,188.33 

Legal Description 

LOT 96 PINECREST #2 

Tax History 

Year Season 

Tot 

PL Tndrmation 

Total Amount 

Total Paid Last Paid 

2026 Summer ~~ 

$118833 

$0.00 , 

General Information for 2026 Summer Taxes 

School District 

[Taxable Value 

33010 

Property Class 

401 - RESIDENTIAL-IMPROVED 

PRE/MBT 

100.0000% 

S.E.V. 

$236,800 

/Assessed Value 

$236,800 

[Tax Bill Number 

01625 

Last Payment Date 

No Data to Display 

Last Receipt Number 

No Data to Display 

Number of Payments 

0 

Base Tax 

$11,077.56 

Admin Fees 

$110.77 

Interest Fees 

$0.00 

[Total Tax & Fees 

$11,188.33 

Base Paid 

$0.00 

Admin Fees Paid 

$0.00 

Interest Fees Paid 

$0.00 

Total Due 

~ $1,188.33

Pa: A 

Year Season 

Total Amount 

Total Paid Last Paid 

~ 

Total Due 

Taxing Authority 

Millage Rate 

Amount 

Amount Paid 

CITY LIBRARY 

1.980400 

$468.95 

$0.00 

LAN COMM COLLEGE 

3.755000 

$889.18 

$0.00 

STATE ED TAX 

6.000000 

$1,420.80 

$0.00 

INGHAM CO SUMMER 

6.754800 

$1,599.53 

$0.00 

ELPS OPERATING 

18.000000 

$0.00 

$0.00 

ELPS B&S 

0.985200 

$233.29 

$0.00 

ELPS DEBT 

6.300000 

$1,491.84 

$0.00 

1ISD OPERATING 

. 

0.198900 

$47.09 

$0.00 

1ISD SPECIAL ED 

4.726400 

$1,119.21 

$0.00 

1ISD VOC ED 

1.287800 

$304.95 

$0.00 

1ISD DEBT 

0.550000 

$130.24 

$0.00 

Admin Fees 

$110.77 

$0.00 

Interest Fees 

$0.00 

$0.00 

64.780400 

$11,188.33 

$0.00 

2025 Winter 

$1,098.36 

$1,098.36 01/09/2026 

$0.00 

2025 summer ~~ 

$545376 

7 

$5453.76 08/29/2025 

$0.00 

2024 Winter 

$1,059.75 

$1,059.75 12/05/2024 

$0.00 

2024 Summer 

$5,290.79 

$5,290.79 08/09/2024 

$0.00 

2023 Winter 

$892.02 

$892.02 12/06/2023 

$0.00 

2023 Summer 

$5,039.08 

$5,039.08 07/31/2023 

$0.00 

2022 Winter 

$849.54 

$849.54 12/12/2022 

$0.00 

2022 Summer 

$4,833.25 

$4,833.25 08/19/2022 

$0.00

MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE 

Michigan Compiled Laws 

Complete Through PA 20 of 2026 

Senale adjourned until Wednesday, August 

12, 2026 10:00 AM 

House adjourned until Tuesday, August 

11, 2026 

1:30 

PM 

Home 

Legislature 

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Sign Up 

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MCL - Section 211.27 

Download Section 

Chapter 211 

Act 206 of 1893 

206-1893-ASSESSMENT-ROLL. 

4 Previous Section 

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p 

THE GENERAL PROPERTY TAX ACT (EXCERPT) 

Act 206 of 1893 

considered normal repairs, replacment and pe fananen: 

exclusions from real estate sales data; classification as agricultural 

real property; "present economic income" defined; applicability of 

subsection (5); "nonprofit cooperative housing corporation” 

defined; value of transferred property; "purchase price" defined; 

b 

additional definitions; "standard tool" defined. 

33 1S 

Sec. 27. 

auction sale pm as otherwise provided in this section, or at forced sale. The

American Land Title Association 

Final ALTA Settlement Statement - Borrower/Buyer 

Adopted 05-01-2015 

Greater Lansing Title & Escrow 

ALTA Universal ID: 

1755 Abbey Rd 

East Lansing, MI 48823 

File No./Escrow No.: 

GLT-24-07779 

Print Date & Time: 

January 07, 2025 2:21 pm 

Officer/Escrow Officer: 

Sarah Jacobs 

Settlement Location: 

1755 Abbey Rd 

East Lansing, MI 48823 

Settlement Date 

: 

Disbursement Date 

: 

ries iy 3 

Property Address: 

819 Blanchette Drive 

East Lansing, MI 48823 

Buyer: 

rent Allen VanNamen 

270 Hagg Rd. 

Lansing, MI 48911 

Seller: 

Michael Venyah and Tamika Venyah 

819 Blanchette Drive 

East Lansing, MI 48823 

Lender: 

Description 

Buyer 

Debit 

Credit 

Financial 

Prorations/Adjustments 

Summer Taxes 

173.94 

01/01/25-01/12/25 

Winter Taxes 

34.84 

01/01/25-01/12/25 

Title Charges and Escrow/Settlement Charges 

Recording Processing Fee to Greater Lansing Title & Escrow 

15.00

Acknowledgement 

. 

Well have carefully reviewed the ALTA Settlement Statement and find it to be a true and accurate statement of all receipts and 

disbursements made on my account or by me in this transaction and further certify that 

| have received a copy of the ALTA 

Settlement Statement. We/l authorize Greater Lansing Title & Escrow to cause the funds to be disbursed in accordance with 

this statement. 

1" Bud Ut Li fr 

Brent Allen VanNamen 

Deanna Zdunic 

Escrow Officer

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