Boulder County property owner has been through flood, fire, cancer and now shocking property tax bill

John Pellouchoud stands in the open foundation of what was once his home. For seven years, the foundation has remained untouched, a stark reminder of the 2017 fire that claimed the house he lived in for three decades.

"It's magic land. Magic, magic land," Pellouchoud said, gazing at the late-day sun hitting the rocks across Lefthand Canyon Drive in Boulder County.

It's land that nearly took his life during the 2013 floods when mud and rocks tore down the mountain, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to his home. Pellouchoud was swept away by the rain-swollen creek but somehow survived.

Since the fire, which never had a determined cause, the home has been cleared away. Only the foundation remains. Pellouchoud wants to rebuild, but rising costs and health challenges, including strokes and cancer, have delayed his plans. Now, another issue has emerged: his property tax bill.

"It doesn't make sense because the tax bill valued my land at over three times my neighbors' land," he said.

Pellouchoud's property is the same approximate acreage as his neighbor's. Both plots are oddly shaped; created by a developer years ago to meet the 35-acre minimum. Pellouchoud's land is shaped like a horseshoe with a handle, with much of it extending into unbuildable, difficult-to-access terrain. His neighbor's property is similarly shaped, yet the county valued Pellouchoud's land significantly higher.

The Boulder County Assessor's Office saw it differently.

"It's over doubled, almost tripled," Pellouchoud said of his 2023 appraisal. That assessment led to a much higher tax bill. The new appraisals were based on home sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, when demand in Boulder County surged, leading to a median increase of 35%, according to Boulder County Assessor Cynthia Braddock.

"It is painful to send out an assessment that large, knowing it will impact people's ability to pay their taxes," Braddock said.

Pellouchoud's neighbors also saw a steep increase and appealed it. Their initial challenge was rejected, but a second appeal brought their tax bill down, leveling it with Pellouchoud's. However, their property includes a large home, while Pellouchoud's lot remains vacant.

"I filed an appeal, and they denied it. I don't know why. They don't say why, just denied," Pellouchoud said. "I've given to Boulder County as a firefighter. I've been a ranger. I've been here all my life, giving."

Boulder County faced a wave of appeals in 2023, with about 25,000 property owners challenging their appraisals out of 110,000 residential properties. Braddock said the influx of appeals stretched the office's capacity.

"It looks like we missed something here," Braddock said of Pellouchoud's case. "In a typical year, we can dig into each appeal. This cycle was different; so much value increase, so many people appealing justifiably, that we couldn't review everything deeply. We couldn't pull up maps or go into the field like we normally do."

Pellouchoud's case will now get another look.

"We're meeting with him soon to discuss reducing his property valuation, recognizing that much of his land is unbuildable," Braddock said.

The lesson for homeowners, Braddock added, is to keep appealing. There are multiple levels of appeal, all the way to the state's highest courts.

Pellouchoud's tax bill is expected to be cut by about half, Braddock said. Rebuilding his home is still part of Pellouchoud's plans, though construction costs have risen sharply.

"I just really love this land," he said. "I want to die here. This is my land."