special assessment

American  

noun

1. a tax levied by a local government on private property to pay the cost of local public improvements, as sidewalk construction or sewage disposal, that are of general benefit to the property taxed.

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special assessment British  

noun

1. (in the US) a special charge levied on property owners by a county or municipality to help pay the costs of a civic improvement that increases the value of their property

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Etymology

Origin of special assessment

First recorded in 1870–75

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

special assessment

The reason for the increase in fees and the special assessment of around $2,500 was that the condo association needed more money to keep its insurance policy.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

Upgrades through these loans can be treated as a public benefit and repaid through a special assessment on the property tax bill, which can reduce risk and lower capital costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

A special assessment by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation had reduced per-share earnings by 74 cents, the bank said.

From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2024

"While the special assessment is meaningful in terms of dollars overall to the industry, it is not as meaningful on a per-bank basis," Raymond James analysts wrote in a note.

From Reuters ● May 12, 2023

But the paving could not be made better without a special assessment upon the property owners of the vicinity, and paying more taxes is exactly what his constituents do not want to do.

From Democracy and Social Ethics by Jane Addams

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