Section 14 Notice to assessors; hearings - Massachusetts Statutes

Section 14. The commissioner, not later than June 1 of each year in which he makes such a determination, shall notify the assessors of each city or town where the commonwealth owns, or the county commissioners hold, land for the purposes stated in this section, of his determination of the value of such land in such city or town. He shall hold a public hearing on such valuation on or before June 10 next following and shall include notice of the public hearing in the notification of his determination to the assessors. The commissioner may, on the basis of any new information furnished to him at the hearing or otherwise, change the valuation of any such land in a city or town. Notice of any such change shall be sent to the assessors of the city or town on or before July 20 next following. A board of assessors aggrieved by a determination of the value of any land as valued under section 13 or 15 may make a written application for a correction to the appellate tax board on or before August 10 next following, setting forth the grounds for correction. Not later than January 20 of the year next following the year in which it is filed, the board shall, upon the basis of such application or after the assessors’ hearing, as the board may determine, make a finding whether the commissioner acted in accordance with section 13. If the board finds that the commissioner failed so to act, it shall thereupon make a determination of value in accordance with section 13 and shall notify the board of assessors and the commissioner of its determination, and its decision shall be conclusive.

With respect to the determination of the value of land held by the division of watershed management in the department of conservation and recreation for the purposes named in section 5G of chapter 59, the commissioner shall send the notice of such valuations required by this section to be sent to the assessors of each city or town where such land is held to the division and the division may, if aggrieved by a determination of the value of such land, also apply for a correction to the appellate tax board. Any application by the assessors and division for correction of the valuation of land held for the purposes named in said section 5G of said chapter 59 shall be made and acted upon in the manner provided in this section, except that every application shall name as appellees the commissioner of revenue and all parties, other than the appellant, to whom notice of valuation was required to be sent. Any notices issued by the appellate tax board shall be sent to the appellant and all named appellees.