Date: March 12, 1999

APSHA President Fred Holtslag has commended the work being done by the group's consultants towards tax adjustments for homeowners with untreated pine shakes. He gives credit to Clifford Zeiner of Shaske & Zeiner Appraisal Consultants Ltd. for actions taken by the City of St. Albert and, more recently, by Strathcona County.

Zeiner has been actively negotiating on behalf of APSHA members with assessors of their cities and municipalities to have officials provide tax adjustments for the stigma and reduced property values homeowners are suffering as a result of their premature rotting rooftops.

After being given access to the database of people who signed the Consumer Action Group's petition, Paul Boutin, the City Assessor in St. Albert, was able to verify that all homeowners affected with the inferior roofing product were identified. The next step is to apply an appropriate tax cut which would take effect on the next notice of assessment. Strathcona County has just circulated a form in order to inventory the homes affected in their area.

APSHA has hired Zeiner's firm to represent their members across the province. The group anticipates that homeowners from most of the 20-30,000 affected homes in Alberta will join their group. While the problem is more advanced in the central Alberta region, they have noted that the level of interest in the Calgary area has increased significantly over the last few weeks. A Calgary area 'information night' is being planned by the 17 members of the Executive and Board of Directors of APSHA.

Benefits associated with joining this province-wide, not-for-profit society include: professional representation for tax re-assessment, and a share in any compensation that may come from legal action. Their expert legal opinion is due in three weeks, after which time a list of defendants will be finalized and a statement of claim filed with Court of Queens Bench.

Fred D. Holtslag

President APSHA