OAR 150-306-0050: Supervisory Authority

(1) ORS 306.115 is an extraordinary remedy that gives the Department of Revenue authority to order a change or correction to a separate assessment of property. An assessor or taxpayer may request a change or correction by filing a petition with the department. A petition must meet the requirements of OAR 150‐306‐0060. (2) The department may correct any errors or omissions in the assessment or tax roll under ORS 306.115(2) through (4), including but not limited to clerical errors and errors in property value, classification, or exemption. (3) Before the department will consider the substantive issue in a petition (for example, value of the property, qualification for exemption, etc.), the petitioner has the burden of showing that the requirements for supervisory jurisdiction, as stated in ORS 306.115 and section (4) of this rule, have been met. The department will base its determination on the record before it. (a) The department may request supplemental information from the petitioner if it determines the petition is inadequate. The department may dismiss the petition if the petitioner does not provide the requested information within the time specified. (b) If a determination can be made from the written information, a supervisory conference will not be held. (c) If a determination cannot be made from the written information, a supervisory conference will be held. At a supervisory conference, the department will consider only whether the requirements of ORS 306.115 and this rule have been met. The substantive issue in the petition will not be considered. (d) If the department determines that it has the authority under ORS 306.115(3) to consider the substantive issue in the petition, it will hold a merits conference, if necessary, to consider the substantive issue. If the department determines that it does not have the authority to consider the substantive issue in the petition, the petition will be denied. (4) The department will consider the substantive issue in the petition only when: (a) The assessor or taxpayer has no remaining statutory right of appeal; and (b) The department determines that an error on the roll is likely as indicated by at least one of the following standards: (A) The parties to the petition agree to facts indicating likely error; or (B) There is an extraordinary circumstance indicating a likely error. Extraordinary circumstances under this provision are: (i) The taxation of nonexistent property, property that is exempt as a matter of law without an application, or property outside the taxing jurisdiction; (ii) Taxpayers' computational or clerical errors in reporting the value of personal property pursuant to ORS 308.290; (iii) Instances in which a bona fide purchaser had no notice of a real property roll correction made under ORS Chapter 311 during the appeal period set forth in 305.280; (iv) A clerical or jurisdictional error exists in an order from a county Property Value Appeals Board; (v) An increase in maximum assessed value above the 3% limitation during the years for which the department has supervisory jurisdiction where there has been no change to the property that qualifies as an exception under ORS 308.146(3), and there is no dispute involving valuation judgment, the identification of activity as general ongoing maintenance and repair, or an account modification under 308.162; or (vi) Instances in which a question of fact exists which is of interest to the department, does not fall within any other provision of ORS 306.115 or this rule and does not involve an error in valuation judgment. (5) The department may correct the assessment or tax roll with respect to a separate assessment of property for the current tax year, for either or both of the tax years immediately preceding the current tax year, or for any combination of such years. The requirements of ORS 306.115 and this rule must be met for each year that a correction is to be made. The department may make a correction under 306.115(3) only when: (a) The requirements of subsections (4)(a) and (4)(b) of this rule have been met and the department determines that an error exists on the roll; or (b) The requirements of section (6) of this rule have been met. (6) Notwithstanding the requirements of section (4) of this rule, the department may correct the roll when: (a) The assessor requests a reduction in value; or (b) The taxpayer and assessor stipulate to an assessment change. (7) The remedies provided by ORS 306.115 should not be viewed as substitutes for the ordinary appeal remedies provided by other sections or the provisions of 305.288.