Property Tax System in Delaware Ruled Unconstitutional

A property tax shake up is coming to the state of Delaware. Some will pay more, and some will pay less as the ruling forces assessments to come in line with reality.

1 minute read

May 11, 2020, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Delaware

Felix Mizioznikov / Shutterstock

"A judge has ruled that Delaware's property tax system is unconstitutional, potentially triggering significant changes in annual tax bills for the first time in decades," report Xerxes Wilson and Jeanne Kuang. 

"Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster ruled on Friday that property values used by all three counties are so different than the properties' actual market values that some unfairly pay more taxes and some get a discount compared to their property's actual value," add Wilson and Kuang. 

"The ruling sets the stage for counties and the plaintiffs that sued them to debate how to make the state’s property tax system fair in the eyes of the courts, changes that likely may not take place for more than a year."

The article includes more details on next steps for rectifying the unconstitutional situation, and the potential for legal appeals of the ruling, are included in the source article.


Friday, May 8, 2020 in Delaware News Journal

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