June 2023 by Peggy Lesnick
Since I last visted this website, I appealed my property value. Among other reasons, I appealed because the assessor did not use comparable properties through her market approach, nor did she give any obsolescence for bordering Hermosa's OUT OF COMPLIANCE WASTEWATER LAGOON which emits toxic fumes. The Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) has issued warning letters and fines to the town for failing to be in compliance. The properties the assessor (Leah) compared my property to were luxury properties on the other side of the highway ALL FAR AWAY (INCLUDING 7+ MILES) FROM THE OUT OF COMPLIANCE WASTEWATER LAGOON. The tax assessor denied my appeal without citing a reason. I filed a subsequent appeal to Pierre. ONLY AFTER I FILED THIS APPEAL DID THE ASSESSOR ADD PROPERTIES TO HER LIST. She still found NO sales near the non compliant wastewater lagoon, BUT tried to cover her tracks by finding one on my side of the highway, but that one is still almost a mile away from the lagoon where I live by. I can only live in my home rarely due to the TOXIC FUMES of the lagoon. The lagoon that borders my home is dangerously non compliant. The Town of Hermosa, the State, and the EPA all know it its been a problem for more than a decade now. Last week I went to the Town of Hermosa office and the gal there stated the ammonia levels are worse than they ever thought. I cannot open my windows nor run ac nor enjoy my life. Yet the asessor upped my taxes. I live in a 1 bdrn non conforming house. She compared me to luxury homes well into Custer County and Box Canyon and no where near the non compliant heavy ammonia and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) lagoon. Ive asked for help and no-one answers. The horrible tax assessor has no intention of relief. She is a horrible person. Would she want her grandchildren or elderly parents to live here and get taxed unfairly? Im alerting all people to beware of this horrific situation. I will appeal and hopefully get more press and attention on this atrocity. Also Custer County and the Town of Hermosa approved many new luxury homes that add to the already over capacity lagoon, even though the lagoon is smelly, toxic and non complliant.This is 2023 when me and all tax payers hire people like her and this board to represent US. Instead this man in the tax assessor office tried to flip the script. He told me I lived "on the wrong side of the tracks, too bad for you." This is unfair and illegal.Is it too much to ask to stop increasing my taxes until they bring the toxic lagoon into compliance? My property is burdened by an out of compliance lagoon with huge health risks and new luxury houses are adding to the TOXIC mess, yet the county mocks me and doubles down by comparing my property to THOSE VERY LUXURY PROPERTIES THAT ARE FAR AWAY FROM THE TOXIC LAGOON.
