Tax Realty Consultant

Penalties include receiving a written reprimand, losing assessor credentials or having them suspended for one year, according to Cheryl Musgrave, DLGF commissioner.

Friedman said assessor Carol McDaniel has “jumped over every hoop placed in her way.”

“She will certainly provide the 2007 pay 2008 assessment data by the Dec. 10 deadline,” Friedman said. “But it’s important that the public know she’s working hard at this even with distractions like the Wendt lawsuits and has gotten approval from the state twice on our 2006 pay 2007 assessments.”

Long Beach resident Bill Wendt has filed a lawsuit challenging the county’s reassessment numbers.

The 2007 property data for 2008 tax bills were originally due Oct. 1 but the deadline was extended to Nov. 15. Musgrave said she wants to produce timely county-wide property tax bills for 2007 taxes payable in 2008.

Friedman defended McDaniel by saying the DLGF has “diverted and preoccupied Ms. McDaniel with yet a third review of the same 2006 payable 2007 data they had approved twice earlier this year.”

DLGF’s request for a written defense of the county’s 2006 payable 2007 data, due Dec. 8, came after Wendt filed a petition with the DLGF claiming inaccuracies in the county-wide assessment data. His claim was based on analysis of county records by independent tax consultant Bob Denne, hired by Wendt.

Friedman claims Denne is using data identified as preliminary at the time it was given to Wendt.

Wendt filed a lawsuit against McDaniel in January to obtain county-wide property assessment records for 2006. Representing McDaniel in court, Friedman said the county would not provide Wendt with records containing sensitive information and needed to know precisely which records he wanted. The case has yet to be settled.

Friedman said the DLGF approved La Porte County’s 2006 pay 2007 data first on March 16, and again on Sept. 6, when Musgrave did not ask for a reassessment of the county’s property at the time when other counties, notably Marion County, were requested to conduct reassessments.

“Now the assessor is having to provide a hugely detailed response for the third time regarding 2006 pay 2007 assessments in response to yet another flawed study submitted by Mr. Wendt to the DLGF,” Friedman said. “At some point, the DLGF needs to stick to its guns and not require further justification for work they have previously approved.”