by peter e. bortner
A Schuylkill County judge ordered Monday an increase in the value of a Pine Grove Township commercial property.
In a five-page opinion and order, Judge John E. Domalakes ruled that 297 Suedberg Road, the home of several businesses, has a fair market value of $518,000, not the $511,870 amount asserted by the county.
The new figure represents the amount upon which two expert real estate appraisers, Frank Gownley and Anthony Matsell, had agreed.
"The evidence established that appraised value of the real estate is $518,000," Domalakes wrote.
As a result, the county, township and Pine Grove Area School District will receive higher real estate tax payments from the property's owners, Matthew and Wendy Brandt, Pine Grove.
Pine Grove Area School District had filed the appeal in the case on Oct. 29, 2013, from the Oct. 2 decision of the county Board of Assessment Appeals.
Businesses at the building include Altek Solutions, Beer Mountain Distributors and Oasis Tanning. The building sits on a 1.78-acre property on the south side of Suedberg Road, which also is Route 443.
In his opinion, Domalakes wrote that Matsell, who had been hired by Pine Grove Area, originally valued the property at $521,000, and Gownley, who had been hired by the Brandts, originally valued it at $516,000. However, each appraiser submitted a letter indicating his agreement with the $518,000 value, according to Domalakes.
Domalakes wrote that that evidence overcame the presumption of correctness of the county's figure, and he set the new value at the agreed-upon amount.