Portland assessment board denies Peaks Island tax appeal

The Portland Board of Assessment Review voted 3-0 on September 28, 2026 to deny a Peaks Island property owner's appeal of his assessment at 522 Island Avenue. The owner argued that fuel trucks parked next door had cut his home's market value roughly in half, but the board found he did not present enough evidence to overcome the assessor's valuation. The board also approved minutes from its September 20 meeting.

Key points

• The board voted 3-0 to find it had jurisdiction to hear the appeal, with Chair Eric Larson and members Lou Lowry and Julian Sheridan participating.
• The board voted 3-0 to deny the appeal, finding the applicant did not meet his burden of showing the assessment was substantially overvalued.
• The property owner testified that diesel trucks, fumes, and backup alarms from the neighboring Peaks Island Fuel lot have disrupted his home and that two island realtors valued it at $325,000 and $350,000 in 2020, about half what he believes it would otherwise be worth.
• The city assessor's office said it had already reduced the property's value from $812,200 to $651,000, including an added 20 percent reduction for the fuel truck operation after a site visit by senior appraiser James Merrill.
• The board credited the owner's testimony as credible but said it was not persuasive enough, noting the realtors' estimates were six years old and no current appraisal or broker opinion was submitted.
• No members of the public spoke during the public comment portion of the hearing.

Next steps

• The board directed its attorney to draft a written decision within 10 days, to be signed by the chair, including information on how to appeal.
• The applicant was told he has until October 22 to appeal the decision.

Read the full transcript