Assessor

Assessor

The City of Lake Geneva contracts with Associated Appraisal Consultants, Inc., to provide all assessment services within the city. All real estate and personal property in the City of Lake Geneva is assessed annually. The purpose of an assessment is to assure that all property in the city is valued fairly and equitably for taxing purposes. The assessor may request to view your property for purposes of updating the City's property records for assessment purposes.

Assessed Value

Each municipality is required to assess property on an annual basis. The assessed value is the value that the assessor determines the property is worth for tax purposes. Both real and personal property are assessed. Real property includes real estate such as homes, buildings and land. Personal property is the furniture, fixtures, and equipment that a business uses to conduct their operations. It is the assessor's responsibility to ensure that all property within the city is valued uniformly as market trends dictate. When a property's assessed value changes from one year to the next, the assessor sends a notice of assessment by regular mail to the owner of record.

Challenging Assessed Value

Property owners receive notice of changes in their assessed values only when the value changes (increase or decrease). Each year a property owner has an opportunity to challenge the assessed value of their property through Open Book and Board of Review. The process begins with an informal discussion with the assessor. If, after the Open Book meetings, the assessor and property owner cannot agree on an assessed value, the owner may make a formal objection before the Board of Review.

Board of Review

The Board of Review is a quasi-judicial body where the property owner and the assessor present testimony and evidence under oath to support their differing opinions of the assessed value. By Wisconsin law, the assessor is presumed correct unless the property owner can present direct evidence supporting a different assessed value. After both parties have presented their evidence, the Board of Review votes on a motion to affirm or modify the assessed value (or the Board may request additional information). After the Board of Review has heard all challenges to property assessments, their vote to adjourn certifies all assessments are final for that year. The Board of Review is the final opportunity for property assessments to be challenged each year.

2022 Open Book

Thursday, May 12, 2022, 11 am to 1 pm.

Property Owners will be able to schedule their own appointments with the Assessor during the Open Book. Open Book appointments are made directly through Associated Appraisal Consultants, not at City Hall.

For more information, please contact Associated at 920-749-1995.

2022 Board of Review

Thursday, June 2, 2022, 9 am to 11 am.

Accommodations will be made for those who wish to appear in person or via Zoom, please email the City Clerk Lana Kropf for details.

If you intend to file an objection, you must file a written or oral Notice of Intent to Appeal at least 48 hours before the first scheduled BOR meeting. You must also file a completed written and signed form of Objection to Property Assessment (PDF) with the Board of Review Clerk Lana Kropf (City Clerk).

For more information on the appeal process, visit the WI Department of Revenue's Property Assessment Appeal Guide for Wisconsin Real Property Owners website.

An overview of the process of assessment and taxation in the State of Wisconsin can be found in the Wisconsin Department of Revenue's Guide for Property Owners (PDF).

Property Assessment Information

Information Includes:

  • The Legal Description
  • Lot Size
  • Building Description
  • Building Size
  • Year Built
  • Additional Structures
  • Last Sale Date
  • Total Assessed Value of the Land
  • Total Assessed Value of the Buildings
  • Assessment Year

If you need more information than is available online, please call Associated Appraisal Consultants Inc.