A MESSAGE TO ALL HOME AND COTTAGE OWNERS IN ONTARIO FROM COALITION AFTER PROPERTY TAX REFORM AND WATERFRONT RATEPAYERS AFTER FAIR TAXATION

September 25, 2008

Over the next few months, all Ontario property owners will receive their 2008 assessment notices.

The impact of any assessment-related increase or decrease in property tax will be reflected in the second half of your 2009 tax bill. When you open your assessment notice, you will learn what your increase is, and how it compares to the average increase for your municipality.

By going to the Municiapl Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) website, www.mpac.ca, you can now get a detailed profile report on your property as well as that of your neighbours. If there are errors in the profile report or if you simply believe your assessment is too high, you may want to file a Request for Reconsideration (RFR). This must be done by March 31, 2009. (The deadline is unfortunately before you know the tax impact of the new assessment.)

The deadlines for filing both RFRs and appeals have changed. Also you must file an RFR if you subsequently want to file an appeal to the Assessment Review Board. If you are unsatisfied with the response to the RFR and decide to appeal this must be done within 90 days of receiving MPAC's response to your RFR.

Read more at:

http://www.wraft.com/news/2008-09-25_message.html

WRAFT Annual Meeting

WRAFT will hold its Annual Meeting at 3:00 PM on November 22, 2008, at the Sheraton Parkway North Hotel (Highway 7 and 404) immediately following the FOCA Annual Meeting at the same location. You will have received your assessments by then. At the meeting, we plan to strongly express our views about the inequities in the system. Please plan to attend.