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NOT. IN THE SECTION OF GENTILLY WOODS WHERE WILLIAMS’ PROPERTY SITS, LAND VALUES WERE INCREASED TO 3 DOLLAS PER SQUARE FOOT. FOR THE ASSESSOR, AND FOR EVERYONE ELSE IN THE SAME BLOCK, THAT CAME TO A 35% VALUATION INCREASE. BUILDING VALUES IN THE SAME BLOCK REMAINED UNCHANGED FROM THE PREVIOUS ASSESSMENT FOR EVERY HOUSE BUT ONE, THE WILLIAMS PROPERTY, WHICH RESUMES -- WHICH WAS REDUCED TO .8%. WHEN COMBINED WITH THE LAND VALUE, THE TOTAL ASSESSED VALUE FOR WILLIAMS’ PROPERTY INCREASED LESS THAN 1%. COMPARE THAT WITH OTHER PROPERTIES IN THE SAME BLOCK, WHERE INCREASES WERE IN THE RANGE OF 3% TO 8%. THAT WOULD MEAN A TAX INCREASE TOTALING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR HOMEOWNERS IN THIS WORKING-CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD. WILLIAMS SAYS THE CONDITION OF THE HOUSE HE OWNS JUSTIFIES THE LOWER VALUE. >> FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I THINK THAT’S A FAIR ASSESSMENT ON THAT PROPERTY. MATTER OF FACT, IT’S PROBABLY HIGHER THAN I CAN GET FOR IT IN ITS CONDITIO REPORTER: THE ASSESSOR SAYS T HOME’S VALUE, $211,600, IS FAR MORE THAN IT WOULD SELL FOR, TO ATTRACT A BUYER, WILLIAMS SAID HE WOULD NEED TO SPEND UPWARDS OF $60,000 TO REPAIR TERMITE DAMAGE AND FIX OTHER PROBLEMS. WHEN THE ASSESSOR’S OFFICE INSPECTS A PROPERTY, THEY CANNOT GO INSIDE TO CHECK ITS CONDITION. THE LOWER VALUE FOR WILLIAMS’ PROPERTY IS BASED SOLELY ON AN EXTERIOR INSPECTION. REMEMBER THAT NO OTHER PROPERTY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SAW ITS BUILDING VALUE INCREASE OR DECREASE. WDSU INVESTIGATES LOOKED AROUND THE BLOCK TO SEE THE CONDITIONS OF SURROUNDING HOMES. THEN WE USED GOOGLE STREET VIEW TO SEE HOW MUCH THESE HOMES HAD CHANGED OVER THE YEARS. MOST HAD CHANGED VERY LITTLE, BUT ONE NEARBY HOME HAS CLEARLY FALLEN INTO DISREPAIR. HERE’S WHAT THE HOUSE LOOKED LIKE 5 YEARS AGO. HOWEVER, IT’S BUILDING VALUE WAS UNCHANGED, AND ITS LAND VALUE INCREASED 33%. ITS TOTAL ASSESSED VALUE WENT UP NEARLY 6%. REMEMBER, WILLIAMS’ PROPERTY VALUE INCREASED LESS THAN 1%. AS FOR WILLIAMS PRIMARY RESIDENCE NEAR BAYOU ST. JOHN, HIS LAND VALUE INCREASED 20%, THE SAME AMOUNT AS HIS NEIGHBORS. WILLIAMS SAID HIS DEPUTIES INITIALLY CAME BACK WITH A LOWER VALUE FOR HIS ACTUAL HOME, BUT HE HAD THEM INCREASE IT BECAUSE HE SAID THE STRUCTURE IS PARTICULARLY -- PRACTICALLY NEW. THAT LEFT HIS BUILDING VALUE $526,000, UNCHANGED FROM A YEAR AGO. HIS OVERALL ASSESSMENT IS INCREASING NEARLY 7%. >> IT MEANS ANOTHER $900 FOR ME. BUT I WANT THE HOUSE. I WANT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. I WANT THE PROBLEMS THAT GO WITH IT. I’M GO

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High property assessments have rankled many New Orleans residents who are bracing for higher taxes. Assessor Erroll Williams stands behind the method his office uses to place values on homes and commercial buildings in the city. But how did he value the properties he personally owns? The assessor owns two houses in New Orleans – his primary residence near Bayou St. John and a home in Gentilly Woods. It’s that second house that stands out because, according to information from the assessor’s website, its building value has been lowered while those of surrounding properties were not.In the section of Gentilly Woods where Williams’ property sits, land values were increased to $3 per square foot. For the assessor – and for everyone else in the same block – that came to a 35% valuation increase.Building values in the same block remained unchanged from the previous assessment for every house but one: the Williams property, which was reduced 2.8%. When combined with the land value, the total assessed value for Williams’ property increased less than 1%.Compare that with other properties in the same block, which saw their total assessments increase from 3% to 8%. That could mean a tax increase totaling hundreds of dollars for homeowners in this working-class neighborhood.Williams says the condition of the house he owns justifies the lower value.“From my perspective, I think that’s a fair assessment on that property,” the assessor said. “Matter of fact, it’s probably higher than I can get for it in its condition.”The assessor says the home’s value, $211,600, is far more than for what it would sell. To attract a buyer, Williams said he would need to spend upward of $60,000 to repair termite damage and fix other problems.When the assessor’s office inspects a property, they cannot go inside to check its condition. The lower value on Williams’ property is based solely on an exterior inspection. No other property in the neighborhood saw its building value increase or decrease based on its outward appearance.WDSU Investigates looked around the block to examine conditions of surrounding homes. Photos from Google Street View were used to document changes in their appearance over the years.Most had changed very little. But one nearby home in the 4500 block of Mark Twain Drive has clearly fallen into disrepair and nearly been swallowed by overgrown grass. Its building value, however, was unchanged, and its land value increased 33%, like most other properties in the neighborhoods. Its total assessed value increased nearly 6%, a notable increase when compared with the value bump of less than 1% for Williams’ property.As for Williams' primary residence near Bayou St. John, his land value increased 20% -- the same amount as his neighbors' comparable properties. Williams said his deputies initially came back with a lower value for his home, but he had them increase it because he said the structure is practically new. That left his building value, $526,000, unchanged from a year ago. His overall assessment is increasing nearly 7%.“It means another $900 for me, but I want the house, I want the neighborhood and the problems that go with it,” Williams said. “I’m going to pay the taxes and go along with that.”Williams said he stands by his valuations, adding that the Louisiana Tax Commission has direct oversight when it comes to approving his personal property assessments. While he’s not complaining about what will likely be a higher tax bill next year, plenty of other people in New Orleans are. Williams said he’s simply doing what voters asked for when they chose to consolidate the assessor’s office in 2010. That’s to arrive at the true value of homes and properties for the purposes of fair taxation.