Real estate assessment lawsuit to be heard Oct. 1

Augusta County property owners will have their day in court.

Judge Victor Ludwig of the Augusta Circuit Court handed down a date of Thursday, October 1, 2009, at 2 pm, to decide whether to hear the lawsuit brought by Churchville attorney Francis Chester against Augusta County. Augusta County has made a motion to have the lawsuit dismissed.

The lawsuit asked that the 2009 real estate assessments be rolled back to 2005 values and included questions about assessments performed by Blue Ridge Mass Appraisal Company, contracted by the county.

In January, Francis Chester responded to citizens upset about huge real estate assessments at a time when the economy turned downward, hundreds of jobs had been lost in the Staunton-Waynesboro-Augusta County area, and real estate prices crashed.

A townhall meeting was held in February with a packed crowd of 600 attending, the beginning of Augusta Citizens Against Unfair Assessments. Petitions were circulated and 10,500 signatures were collected.

In March, 1,000 citizens turned out for a Board of Supervisors meeting to express their concern over assessments.

There is a townhall meeting on June 2, 2009, at 7:00 pm, at Memorial Baptist Church in Staunton. Francis Chester will be there to update residents about the lawsuit and other information.

Together, Augusta ... we can make a difference!