John, your GIS is very similar to ours in Mohave County, and I know exactly what you mean.

However, If you look on the vesting or title company property profile, you will most likely see a notation that says 'multiple properties involved in sale'.

It would be way too confusing and probably labor-intensive coding-wise to group those individual parcels with one sale price on the GIS-- especially when properties are turning all the time.

My practice when using the layers like that is to click around to the neighboring parcels, see if they have the same owner and the same sale date and double check with vesting or property profile.

Looking for a job John, seems you need a new county treasurer, one that knows basic math.

I wonder if the new owner is paying 4 times the taxes he should be. 

It sounds like they need to figure out how to indicate the $300K includes 4 parcels. Maybe a system upgrade is needed. 

Good luck with your search.

I’d say they need some professional help.....

I love that you think I can read that .2 font. 

That is exactly how our data is reported, John. It's really a value of no importance until you need the tax value for estimated taxes.  I've never understood why they don't break out all of the lots, giving them individual values.

Very sneaky!

It is government work with humans involved. Don't expect much in terms of common sense. That requires thinking!

Government is looking for more $$ where ever they can find it!

Sold data is not reported in Texas.

Assessors are in a position where they can play games

Nothing less, the assessor is over-inflating values for the benefit of the county coffers. Seems to me the Courts should sooner of later be involved in issuing an injunction to prevent this practice, and an  order for an audit

Yes I can see the problem. I wouldn't be the one to ask as we don't have any open land like this at all.

Our assessor just got thrown out of office for doing 'odd' things during reassessment & valuing properties. If you're friend has got the $$, then you get the tax reduction.

Wish I had a good answer for you.

I "get" what happened John Mosier and there may be a good reason for it. I'd call the assessor and ask him/her about it.

It is called the easy way out or path of least resistance!

I don't use tax values to determine property values. They come at the exercise completely differently than how we measure value based on sales.

I agree with Candice A. Donofrio . 

You are right. They can be wrong also.

Wow, that's a huge error.  But, why are you using county assesor data to run comps?  

I hope you have a good relationship with the assessor so your can discuss this over lunch.

when that occurs in my market it is flagged as "multiple sales" and while it doesn't tell "how many lots" it does alert you it was one price for multiple properties.

John Mosier very interesting!

Sounds like a typical government agency to me

I've not seen a sale price on an assessor's map.... 

Since assessed value is the basis for property tax in California, what you describe would create a major problem.

it can become "no mans land" when we are dealing with raw land

Sorry, not much vacant land out here.  But $300k for 517 acres... damn!  Even a 1+1 with 800sf costs more than that out here (no joke).

This looks like a lot of fun ... I wish you all the best with this.