Submitted by Thurston County Board of County Commissioners
The Thurston County Assessor’s Office will be conducting field inspections in the Yelm area during the next few months. The Assessor inspects one sixth of the county each year as part of a six-year cycle, as required by state law.
Field appraisers from the Assessor’s Office are easily identifiable with their yellow reflective vests, or yellow and black rain gear, with the Assessor’s Office logo. They also carry county identification cards with their photograph and drive white vehicles with the county logo.
Appraisers will identify themselves by knocking on the front door of the home, and if there is no answer, they will leave a business card there to inform the property owner of their visit. They will walk around principal structures and use laser measuring devices to verify the size of structures as needed. They will be taking at least one photograph of each principal structure. The Assessor encourages property owners to call the appraiser, using the business card left at the door, if they have any questions about a field inspection.
Thurston County Assessor Steven Drew said, “Our field appraisers are highly professional and all recognize that government visiting private property can be stressful. They strive to be as unobtrusive as possible while completing these statute required inspections.”
Under state law (RCW 84.40.25) the Assessor is authorized to inspect all property in its jurisdiction for assessment purposes. If access is unavailable due to a locked gate, a guard dog, no trespassing signs, or verbal denial of access from the property owner, the field appraiser will leave their card and send a letter at a later time requesting an appointment for access. If access is not made available through this process, the office will use aerial photographs and other public records available, to identify principal structures and estimate their characteristics for assessment purposes.
Property owners who have concerns about the valuation of their property should call the Assessor’s Office (360-867-2200) to verify the details in their property record or get more information on the assessment process. Information is also available on line at the Thurston County Assessor’s website at: www.co.thurston.wa.us/assessor
