Assessment Complaints

What if you do not understand or agree with your assessment?

Before filing a complaint, please discuss your concerns with an assessor, who will be able to assist with explaining the assessment process and reviewing your property details. If they are unable to explain or address your concern, you can file a formal complaint with the Assessment Review Board (ARB).

Filing a Complaint

Your complaint and the appropriate fee must be received by the Assessment Review Board Clerk within 60 days of the date your assessment was mailed to you.

You must complete an Assessment Review Board Complaint Form. An agent may file a complaint on your behalf if an Agent Authorization Form is completed and included with your complaint.

The ARB Complaint form must be completed in full, including why you believe the information shown on your assessment notice is incorrect and what you believe the correct information should be. If you disagree with the assessed value, indicate what you believe the assessed value should be. The ARB Clerk will use this information to schedule the appropriate amount of time for your hearing.

The ARB must not hear any matter regarding an issue that is not identified on the ARB Complaint form. This means that you cannot introduce new evidence or issues at the hearing that have not been previously disclosed.

Filing fee(s) must accompany the ARB Complaint form. Fees are charged for each property under appeal. The complaint fee will be refunded if the ARB makes a decision in your favour, if an agreement is reached with the assessor prior to the hearing or if the complaint is withdrawn.

Submit your form(s) and filing fee by the specified date by mail, email or in person to:
Town of Cochrane
Clerk, Assessment Review Board
101 RancheHouse Road
Cochrane, AB T4C 2K8
Email: Legislative@cochrane.ca  

Please contact the ARB Clerk if paying by credit card over the telephone.

The ARB will determine the validity of any forms that are incomplete, filed after the deadline or without the required fee.

Contact the tax department about:

  • School support declaration
  • Name or mailing address of an assessed person

Fees

Filing fees for complaints are payable by cash, credit/debit or cheque  (make cheques payable to Town of Cochrane).

  • Residential 3 or fewer dwellings - $50 per complaint
  • Residential 4 or more dwellings - $600 per complaint
  • Non-residential - $600 per complaint

299/300 Request

Sections 299 and 300 of the Municipal Government Act provide property owners with the right to access information on how their property assessment was prepared, as well as access to a summary of an assessment for any property.

This information must be requested in writing directly to the Assessment Department. Requests can be emailed or mailed to the Assessors at the address listed to the right.

Use the form(s) below to make a formal request after you have spoken with an assessor. Use the assessment information request reference to help fill out the form(s).