Brighton is one of the most active new-build areas in the city, with mixed density and commercial arriving alongside the housing, which means a Brighton assessment can be built on comparables that do not actually resemble the specific house being taxed. Reading the assessment notice the day it arrives, rather than the week taxes are due, matters because the appeal deadline printed on it is strict.
An appeal is an argument about value, not about the size of the tax bill or how the rate compares to a neighbour's, and what persuades the Board is sold comparables around the relevant date and a clear explanation of why the assessed figure is too high. A market value opinion from an agent is not a formal appraisal, and for a complex property the Board may find an Appraisal Institute of Canada report more persuasive.
Joel's report is built from comparable sales and a walkthrough of the property, which cuts both ways, since public records can just as easily overstate a Brighton home as understate it, and an assessment that has never seen inside the house is worth testing either way.
Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.