CPCOA Message

Last Friday evening I attended the public meeting which was held by the Naches Ranger District to explain the process being used during the upcoming assessments of our lots. These assessments will be conducted to determine the fees that we will be paying in the future. Keep in mind that the assessment is on the lot only, not on the cabin. The appraiser has no interest in the price that cabins have sold for in recent years. Such sales will have no bearing on his decisions. His only interest will be in comparing the lot to the sale of undeveloped, rural lots in the region.

Three things were made very clear to us at the meeting. First, the assessments that were conducted nearly ten years ago are no longer valid. This includes how the lots were assessed, the value placed on the lots, and which lots were selected as typical lots. In most cases the lots for the new assessments are, indeed, the same as they were then, but not in every case. There were examples presented where the typical lots have changed.

Second, it is essential that you be present when the assessments are conducted if at all possible. This is important for several reasons. It is possible that the appraiser does not have accurate information with regard to your cabin or your cabin tract, or he may simply not have all of the information he needs. He is certainly aware of all of the Forest Service restrictions that we must obey with regard to our lots but he may not be aware of all of the negative issues such as accessibility during the winter, proximity to campgrounds resulting in campers wandering through your tract, lack of prompt fire and law enforcement service, seasonal issues, and the like. You may have other nuisance issues that he is not aware of and these need to be brought up as well. If possible email these issues to him in advance of his appraisal and provide a hard copy to him when he arrives. It is also possible he has inaccurate information with regard to improvements, such as whether power and water were provided by cabin owners or the Forest Service, so be sure to provide this information as well. It would also be to your benefit to find your own comparable sales information and share this with him. Such material could be compiled by each cabin group and presented to the appraiser as a white paper. Time is short but it can be done.

Third, we were told directly that whether we agree with the assessment or not, it is in our best interest of each of us to notify the Forest Service that we intend to appeal. This is essential because under the law you have only 60 days after receipt of the appraisal to decide what to do. If you fail to respond within the 60 days you lose any right to appeal. Better to submit your letter of intent and not act, than to miss the opportunity. Notifying the Forest Service of your intent to appeal does not obligate you to follow through, but preserves your right should you wish to appeal in the future.

Officials at the meeting said we can expect to receive our notices of the new assessments and the new fees late this year or early next year. Meanwhile the bill introduced by Washington Fourth District Congressman Doc Hastings that will overhaul the fee process continues to move through Congress. Please write your congressional representatives and let them know what you think. While the bill stands a good chance of being enacted it is not yet law. As such, the Forest Service is obligated to proceed under the current Cabin User Fee Fairness Act, better known as CUFFA. The assessments being conducted this month are part of that process.

While our anxiety level about the current appraisal process remains justifiably high, the Forest Service is to be commended for its openness in holding last week's meeting and the forthright manner in which our questions were handled. We clearly have an opportunity to influence this process and I hope each of you will make the most of the opportunity if at all possible. Remember, your action or inaction can have a big impact on the appraisal process and we will all have to live with the decisions for a long, long time. The schedule for the assessments was sent to each of us stating the dates and times each assessment would take place. Here is a copy of the assessment schedule.

Don't forget about our picnic at the Nile Valley Community Church on June 12. This is a pot luck lunch and we will begin at 11:30 AM. Speakers include our new district ranger Irene Davidson, plus a representative from the Yakima County Assessor's Office and the Yakima County Sheriff's Office. I hope you all can make it.

Mike Berriochoa
President Chinook Pass Cabin Owners Association

Editor's Note: You can receive these updates from Mike via email by sending an
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