To determine financial worth. To ascertain the amount of damages. To fix and adjust the individual shares to be contributed by several persons toward a common beneficial objective in proportion to the benefit each person will receive. To tax by having qualified experts estimate the value of property by considering the nature of the property, its size, the value of other comparable property, and the proportionate share of services that is used by that property. To levy a charge on the owner of property that has been improved at the expense of the local government unit, such as when sewers or sidewalks are installed.
v. to set a value on property, usually for the purpose of calculating real property taxes. The assessed value is multiplied by the tax rate to determine the annual tax bill. This function is usually performed by employees of the County Assessor. In California, under Proposition 13, the new assessment can only take place upon sale of real property.
TO ASSESS. 1. To rate or to fix the proportion which every person has to pay
of any particular tax. 2. To assess damages is to ascertain what damages are
due to the plaintiff; in actions founded on writings, in many cases after
interlocutory judgment, the prothonotary is directed to assess the damages;
in cases sounding in tort the damages are frequently assessed on a writ of
inquiry by the sheriff and a jury.
2. In actions for damages, the jury are required to fix the amount or
to assess the damages. In the exercise of this power or duty, the jury must
be guided by sound discretion, and, when the circumstances will warrant it,
may give high damages. Const. Rep. 500. The jury must, in the assessment of
damages be guided by their own judgment, nd not by a blind chance. They
cannot lawfully, therefore, in making up their verdict, each one put down a
sum, add the sums together, divide the aggregate by the number of jurors,
and adopt the quotient for their verdict. 1 Cowen, 238.