Citizen raises questions about farm classification
There’s been a lot of mudslinging on social media lately, but one accusation caught this reporter’s eye. A frequent flyer of the Facebook forums, hopped into the Stafford Free Press’ comments to talk about his personal investigation into what he called “tax evasion.” Specifically, he called out one property saying that “people with deep ties in town” were being taxed “below market value.”
Though he wouldn’t share the address, just partial screenshots of information, it didn’t take long to find out who and what he was referencing: 0 Buckley Highway owned by Dr. David Mordasky. This four-acre parcel of land is next to the former Stafford Veterinary Clinic* on Route 190 and is classified as farmland under Public Act 490; as such, its assessed value is just $800. According to the State of Connecticut:
“Public Act 490 is Connecticut's law (Connecticut General Statutes Sections 12-107a through 107-f) that allows your farm, forest, or open space land to be assessed at its use value rather than its fair market or highest and best use value (as determined by the property's most recent "fair market value" revaluation) for purposes of local property taxation. Without the lower use value assessment, most landowners would have to sell the land because they would not be able to afford the property taxes on farm, forest, or open space land.”
In general, the statute is designed not only to make farming more affordable but also to preserve farmable land. Stafford’s Assessor Tami Rossi told me that while what qualifies as farmland can sometimes be subjective, the 490 application and decision-making process is statutorily driven.
According to the town’s records, the Mordaskys bought 0 Buckley Highway in 1981. Current pictures of the parcel, however, didn’t satisfy the Facebook commenter’s idea of what farm land—or more specifically, pasture—looks like. And to be fair, it isn’t a beautiful open field filled with happy cows. So, I made a call and spoke to Judith Mordasky, the property owner's wife. She told me that their family uses the land to grow and harvest hay. This is just one of several properties around town that they use for this purpose. 0 Buckley Highway is also home to old machinery. She also recalls that the land was used for farming before they even bought the land, and Town records show that an amended 490 application was filed in the late 1990s.
When a property with a 490 classification changes hands, it must be reapplied for, but once granted, it stays with the land until it is sold or the use changes. However, farmers do have to be actively working the land. While you may be able to take a few years off to let the land regenerate, if you go too long, the assessor may show up at your door to ask some questions—especially if a nosy neighbor tips them off.
So, what are the Mordaskys doing with all this hay? Judith Mordasky says their extended family uses the hay for a collection of horses, goats, llamas, and alpacas, but they also sell some of it to local farmers.
*Head over to the homepage and you will see that Stafford Veterinary Clinic runs an ad on Stafford Free Press.
