Do the assessor records always match what exists on the property site? The answer is that sometimes the records can deviate from what exists on a parcel.

This could include the bedroom, bath and room count, the amenities and square footage of the home and land. When a property is improved, the city or town building department will share the information with the county. But sometimes the information is not communicated properly or input correctly.

Recently, I had a home listed that is 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1,051 square feet per an appraisal, and was built in 1955.  The assessor records had this as a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 776 square feet and built in 1925.  I had gone to the city building department to pull the permit records and found that the home had been moved onto the site from the parcel next door in 1988.  That home was built in 1955 and simply moved onto a new foundation next door on the parcel I was representing.

I collected that data and called the assessor’s office to let them know what I had found out and if they could please update their records.  The assessor’s office emailed me back in 48 hours with the corrected data and that made the buyer of the home very happy that it matched!

The best advice is to check what the city or town has in their records and then compare it to the county records. It is possible to have the county update their records.  Just contact the assessor in your county for more information.