The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is made up of the MLAs who represent every riding. This page is my record of what I sent them about BC Assessment, and what came back.
Did your MLA say whether you paid a fair share of your property tax?
No. On September 14, 2026, I sent each of the 15 Vancouver Island MLAs my 2026 audit for their own riding: every home sold there in 2025, compared with what BC Assessment said it was worth. I asked each of them 1 question, yes or no. None of the 15 answered it, including the Minister of Finance and 6 other cabinet ministers. 8 sent only an automatic reply.1 These were the MLAs in office before the October 24, 2026 election.
MLAs pass the laws BC Assessment works under, including the Assessment Act, and they are there to hold the government to account. Since 2023 I have also copied opposition MLAs on my complaints to the Minister of Finance about BC Assessment and the Review Panel.2 The audit put the numbers for each riding in front of the people elected to represent it.
This is the third stop on the road. The Premier's office sent John Duggan's letter to the Ministry of Finance, and the Minister was briefed that "the process is working." MLAs are elected to hold that government to account, and they are the people who can change the law.
15
Vancouver Island MLAs sent the audit for their own riding
0
answered the question yes or no
7
of them sit in cabinet, including the Minister of Finance
7,079
home sales in the audit they received3
The record
What I sent MLAs, and what came back
-
June 2023
Opposition MLAs copied on my complaints
When I complained to the Minister of Finance about how the Review Panel and BC Assessment handled the Youbou Appeal Group's hearing, I copied opposition MLAs, so the people whose job is to hold the government to account had the same record the Minister did.2
-
September 14, 2026
Every Vancouver Island MLA receives the audit for their riding
Each MLA received every 2025 home sale in their own riding, side by side with the 2026 assessed value, and 1 question: "Are you satisfied that the property owners in [your riding] paid a fair share of the 2026 property tax, yes or no?"1
-
September and October 2026
No yes, no no
None of the 15 MLAs answered the question yes or no. That includes the Minister of Finance, the minister responsible for BC Assessment, and 6 other cabinet ministers. 8 sent only an automatic reply.1
-
October 24, 2026
A new Legislature
British Columbia elected a new government. The audit, and the question, are on the record for the MLAs now in office.
-
Where it was sent
Nowhere
With no answer, the question went no further. The people who write the Assessment Act did not say whether the law is working for the homeowners in their own ridings.
Where homeowners get sent
Local officials sent me to my MLA. My MLA did not answer.
When I sent the same audit to mayors, councils and regional directors, several pointed me up to the Province. A councillor in Esquimalt asked whether I had taken it to the local MLA.4
I had. Every Vancouver Island MLA had the audit by September 14, 2026. What this means for you: local governments point to the Province, and the MLAs who represent the Province would not answer. You can see what the local officials said on my mayors, councils and regional districts page, and all 4 offices a homeowner can complain to on The Record.
What the homeowners said
When no one would answer, a homeowner went looking for the records himself.
Andy Ross was a Youbou waterfront homeowner. In this clip, he explains why he filed his own freedom of information request with BC Assessment after the answers he was given kept turning out to be wrong.
Across 4 appeals on his home and his lot, from 2023 to 2025, his assessments came down $815,500.5
"...the only way to really get the correct numbers and answers is actually go to Freedom of Information."
Andy Ross, Youbou
Reduced $815,500 over 4 appeals, saving approximately $4,078 in property tax.
Appeal Nos. 2023-04-00106, 2023-04-00107, 2024-04-00073, 2024-04-00074, 2025-04-00064
What the news reported
Before the 2024 appeal season, I told the paper the process itself needed to change.
The Free Press, January 22, 2024
Online platform helps those appealing B.C. property assessments
"Our alliance is not just about facing the appeal process, it's about reshaping it."
Jason Anson, quoted in The Free Press, January 22, 2024, on the homeowner education platform I built with a group from Paradise Valley.6
Reshaping the process is the Legislature's job. The Assessment Act is a law, and only MLAs can change it. Every story about these appeals, and everywhere it ran, is on News Features.
What the audit showed each MLA
15 MLAs were shown how close BC Assessment came to what homes actually sold for. None would say whether homeowners paid a "fair share."
"Are you satisfied that the property owners in [your riding] paid a fair share of the 2026 property tax, yes or no?"
My question to each of the 15 Vancouver Island MLAs, September 14, 2026.1
What was in front of them
7,079
arm's length single family sales in 2025 across Vancouver Island
63
homes where BC Assessment's value matched the sale price exactly, less than 1%
4,211
homes assessed below what they sold for
2,805
homes assessed above what they sold for
When some homes are assessed too high and others too low, the owners of the overassessed homes carry more of the tax than they should. That is what the question asked. In my view, it is a simple question for the people who write the laws, and none of them would answer it. You can see the full audit on my Vancouver Island Tax Roll Audit 2026 page.3
What BC Assessment said
When I sent a press release to the Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, BC Assessment's answer was already written.
"Hi Nova. as these appeals are still ongoing, our messaging remains the same as previously provided."
BC Assessment's media relations staff, in an email to government communications staff, December 14, 2023, about my press release that day to the Minister of Finance, the Attorney General and the Leader of the Official Opposition. Released to me under freedom of information.7
My release that day went to MLAs on both sides of the Legislature. The reply inside government was that nothing had changed. In my view, that is what the MLAs needed to see: the answer was the same whoever asked.
From the inside
The BC Assessment whistleblower said BC Assessment put the burden on homeowners
"Now what they say is sorry I'm busy, you can find it yourself online and your responsibility to prove us wrong. And that is contrary to what their purpose is and this is the way they have decided to manage appeals."
The BC Assessment whistleblower, recorded call, May 2023 (FOI transcript).8
15
Vancouver Island MLAs sent the audit for their own riding1
0
answered whether homeowners paid a "fair share," yes or no1
8
sent only an automatic reply1
MLAs write the Assessment Act that sets BC Assessment's purpose. In my view, that makes this a question for the Legislature, not just for each homeowner on appeal.
The Riding Files
Did your riding pay a fair share? What BC Assessment's 2026 roll showed
Find your riding to see every community in it, the 2025 sales, and the question its MLA was asked. You can read them all in The Riding Files.
September 14, 2026
2 storiesThe question
What all 15 Vancouver Island MLAs were sent and asked, and why a passing median does not settle it.
North and Central Island
8 storiesYour riding, North Island to Juan de Fuca
From Port Hardy to Sooke, riding by riding.
- North Island: 1 of 221 homes sold in the City of Campbell River matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
- Mid Island-Pacific Rim: 4 of 262 homes sold in the City of Port Alberni matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
- Courtenay-Comox: 7 of 373 homes sold in the City of Courtenay matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
- Ladysmith-Oceanside: 2 of 173 homes sold in the City of Parksville matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
- Nanaimo-Lantzville: 10 of 954 homes sold in the City of Nanaimo matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
- Nanaimo-Gabriola Island: not 1 of 68 homes sold in Electoral Area A, Cedar, South Wellington, Yellowpoint, Cassidy matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
- Cowichan Valley: 4 of 416 homes sold in the District of North Cowichan matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
- Juan de Fuca-Malahat: not 1 of 149 homes sold in the District of Sooke matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
Greater Victoria
7 storiesYour riding, Langford to Victoria
The West Shore, the Saanich Peninsula and Victoria.
- Langford-Highlands: 6 of 339 homes sold in the City of Langford matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
- Esquimalt-Colwood: 2 of 191 homes sold in the City of Colwood matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
- Saanich North and the Islands: 1 of 152 homes sold in the District of North Saanich matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
- Saanich South: not 1 of 130 homes sold in the District of Central Saanich matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
- Oak Bay-Gordon Head: 1 of 217 homes sold in the District of Oak Bay matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
- Victoria-Swan Lake: 5 of 852 homes sold in the District of Saanich matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
- Victoria-Beacon Hill: 2 of 280 homes sold in the City of Victoria matched BC Assessment's 2026 value. Did owners pay a fair share?
Where this leads
The people who write the law would not answer. Here is where the record goes next.
The MLAs did not say yes and did not say no. The offices that can still check answer to the Legislature itself, not to the government. These are the 3 offices where the record goes.
The numbers
The Information and Privacy Commissioner
BC Assessment tells the public 99% accept their assessments as "fair and accurate." Its survey asking homeowners whether that is true is blacked out, and the file is at inquiry.9
The CommissionerThe roll
The Auditor General
15 MLAs were shown 7,079 sales with 63 assessed at the sale price, less than 1%. In my view, if the Legislature will not look at the roll, its own auditor can.
The Auditor GeneralThe treatment
The Ombudsperson
The whistleblower said homeowners are left to prove BC Assessment wrong on their own. There is no independent place to complain about how a homeowner is treated.
The OmbudspersonCommon questions
MLAs and BC Assessment
Can my MLA change my BC Assessment?
No. An MLA does not set or change assessed values. Your value is changed through an appeal, at the Review Panel or the Appeal Board, and the deadline matters. What MLAs can do is change the laws BC Assessment works under and ask questions of the government in the Legislature.
Who writes the rules BC Assessment follows?
The Legislative Assembly passes the Assessment Act, the law BC Assessment works under. BC Assessment's mandate letter comes from the Minister of Finance.10
Should I write to my MLA about my assessment?
In my view, yes, as part of the record. Your MLA represents you, and a letter puts the problem in front of someone who can raise it in the Legislature. But it is not a substitute for an appeal. If your assessment is wrong, file your appeal on time and bring evidence.
Which offices answer to the Legislature, not the government?
The Ombudsperson, the Information and Privacy Commissioner and the Auditor General are independent officers of the Legislature. They do not answer to the Minister of Finance. Where my requests to each of them stand is on The Record.
Who is really here to help
Your MLA won't check your assessment. You can.
No Vancouver Island MLA would say whether the people in their riding paid a fair share. If your value looks wrong, it is up to you to find the error and prove it with real sales. Every homeowner I personally helped who saw their appeal through won a reduction, and every result is on my BC Assessment Appeal Record. If you want me in your corner, here is how I can help with your appeal.
BC Assessment Check
A 1 hour one on one call where I go through the sold comparables in your neighbourhood with you and I tell you plainly whether you have an appeal.
Book a BC Assessment CheckProperty record cards
My free step by step guide to getting the record BC Assessment keeps on your home, including the internal notes most homeowners never knew existed.
Get Your Property Record CardDIY Appeal Guides
The same templates and steps behind my appeal record, so you can file and argue your own appeal with real evidence.
See the DIY Appeal GuidesA note on the record
The MLAs on this page were the Legislature before the October 24, 2026 election. The new Legislature can answer the same question. Local officials sent me to my MLA, and my MLA did not answer. Councils and Regional Districts is the next stop on the record.
What a new government could do: Review the Assessment Act so appeal results are reported to the Legislature every year, and a fix found in a single home can reach the whole neighbourhood.
No MLA would say if you paid a fair share. Will you check?
Start with your address and see how your BC Assessment compares to what homes like yours actually sold for.
Check My PropertySources
- My letters of September 14, 2026 to the 15 Vancouver Island MLAs, including the Minister of Finance, each with the audit results for the MLA's own riding, and the replies received.
- Ministry of Finance, FOI file FIN-2025-52395, pages 633 to 634 and 821 to 822 (June 2023): my complaints copied to the Minister and opposition MLAs.
- My Vancouver Island Tax Roll Audit 2026: 7,079 arm's length single family sales in 2025 compared with their 2026 assessed values, across 7 regional districts and 73 tax jurisdictions.
- Replies from local government officials to my Vancouver Island Tax Roll Audit 2026, September and October 2026, quoted by title.
- Andy Ross, video "go foi," https://youtu.be/kDSEOiopxgo; Property Assessment Appeal Board, Appeal Nos. 2023-04-00106, 2023-04-00107, 2024-04-00073, 2024-04-00074 and 2025-04-00064, and the 2024 Property Assessment Review Panel.
- Cowichan Valley Citizen, as republished by The Free Press, "Online platform helps those appealing B.C. property assessments," January 22, 2024. Read the article
- BC Assessment, FOI file 2025-10, page 934: email from BC Assessment media relations to government communications staff, "RE: PRESS RELEASE: Data Inaccuracy in BC Assessment and PAAB's Property Valuation Appeals Process," December 14, 2023, with my release of the same day below it.
- The BC Assessment whistleblower, recorded telephone call with me, May 2023; transcript sent to the Property Assessment Appeal Board on May 11, 2023, and released in Ministry of Finance FOI file FIN-2025-52395.
- BC Assessment, More than 99% of Property Owners Agree with their 2025 Assessments, news release, April 16, 2025; BC Assessment, FOI file 2025-34, response of March 25, 2026; Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, file INV-F-26-01006, moved to inquiry, October 2026.
- BC Assessment, 2025/26 to 2027/28 Service Plan, March 2025, including the mandate letter from the Minister of Finance.
My Record: January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2026
$22.6M+
cut from the values BC Assessment put on homeowners' properties
My 3 largest reductions for a homeowner: $2,063,000, $1,954,000 and $1,438,000
$110K+
in estimated property tax refunds and credits for homeowners
My 3 largest estimated refunds or credits for a homeowner: $10,315, $9,770 and $7,190
40
homeowners I helped appeal their BC Assessment
100% won a reduction. The average homeowner had approximately $566,000 taken off their value and an estimated $2,800 back in property tax.
63
appeals won, out of the 65 those homeowners took to a decision
97% won, at BC Assessment, the Review Panel and the Appeal Board
91%
of written Appeal Board decisions, made by an independent adjudicator, lowered the value
30 of the 33 that went that far
7,079
Vancouver Island home sales I checked against their BC Assessment
Less than 1% were assessed at what they sold for, and 40% were assessed above it
32
news stories about the appeals I helped with
Run more than 400 times in 68 news outlets across BC
23
freedom of information requests to BC Assessment for its records
$11,047.06 in fees BC Assessment estimated to release them. I paid $30 in total, after fee waiver requests on public interest and hardship grounds.
Are You Overassessed?
When BC Assessment gets your home's value wrong, I prove what it is actually worth using real sales of similar homes, so you don't pay more property tax than your fair share.
Jason Anson
I am not a lawyer or an appraiser, and nothing on this site should be considered legal or tax advice. When I help you, you are still the appellant and you file your own appeal. Every result depends on the evidence for that property, and the decision belongs to the Property Assessment Review Panel or the Property Assessment Appeal Board, not to me. My past results do not predict yours, and I cannot guarantee any outcome.
Helping homeowners with property assessment appeals is not a licensed activity in the province of British Columbia. It is not regulated by the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) or the Real Estate Services Act, and it is not considered a real estate service.
I am also a licensed real estate agent with eXp Realty. That work gives me my experience in valuation and market movement, which is the evidence of market value the Review Panel and the Appeal Board weigh. This site and my appeal work are completely separate from eXp Realty. They are not affiliated with, endorsed by or provided through my brokerage, and the views here are my own, not eXp Realty's.
What I write about BC Assessment, the Property Assessment Review Panel, the Property Assessment Appeal Board, the Minister and Ministry of Finance, and the other public offices on this site is my own opinion, and I consider it fair comment on a matter of public interest. My opinions are my honest views, marked as my view, and based on facts anyone can check: Appeal Board decisions, public records and records released under freedom of information. Quotes from documents and news stories are the words of the people quoted. If anything here is inaccurate, let me know and I will correct it.