The valid sales were trimmed in the second set by eliminating more than 1,000 sheriff's sales that were mistakenly left in the first set. Between the first and second sets, more than 4,500 additional transactions were eliminated because the assessments were reportedly on the lots only, not on the buildings, throwing off the ratio.
But it's often not clear why sales were eliminated.
Dropping thousands of transactions helped boost the common level ratio to 25.5 percent, but city officials did not accept that ratio, Renee Reynolds, executive director of the tax board, said Jan. 4.
A 25.5 percent ratio would reduce the worst-case loss for the city and school district to $45.8 million.
"I just can't imagine what their thinking is at this point," Reynolds said, referring to city officials. "We've done everything we can here," she said.
Mayor Nutter's spokesman, Mark McDonald, said Wednesday that The Inquirer would have to file a Right-to-Know request to get more information on the city's dealings with the tax board.
Reynolds has not responded to requests for more information since Jan. 5, when she said a resolution was expected in two to three weeks.
If Dubow is right and the city somehow gets a favorable ratio from the tax board, especially if a new ratio comes close enough to 32 percent, the Bureau of Revision of Taxes' decision Thursday would likely be moot. Property owners would withdraw appeals that were based solely on the common level ratio.
Even so, the episode again puts Philadelphia's long-term failure to establish accurate assessments on display.
Said Committee of Seventy president Zack Stalberg: "It certainly seems to me that the city is boxed in and trying hard to come into figures that won't cost the city too much revenue."
Five Properties in Dispute
Following are market values for the five most valuable properties under appeal. The owners' potential savings this year would come from having 18.1 percent of the market value taxed instead of the current 32 percent.
Property Market value Potential savings
Franklin Mills Mall $180 million $2.4 million
One Liberty Place $170 million $2.2 million
Mellon Bank Center $169 million $2.2 million
Centre Square $137 million $1.8 million
Three Logan Square $127 million $1.7 million
SOURCES: Bureau of Revision of Taxes and Inquirer calculations.
Contact staff writer Harold Brubaker at 215-854-4651 or hbrubaker@phillynews.com.
