§1853. Appraisal of public service properties

A. In accordance with the provisions of this Section and Sections 1854 and 1855, the Louisiana Tax Commission shall, on or before September first of each calendar year, appraise, for taxation, public service properties based upon each company's report, as defined in Section 1852(A) and such other information as may be available to the Louisiana Tax Commission. In the absence of a report the Louisiana Tax Commission shall appraise the properties of any company failing to file such a report upon any information which the Louisiana Tax Commission, in its best judgment, deems sufficient.

B.(1) In appraising public service properties, the Louisiana Tax Commission shall:

(a) Employ all of the following nationally recognized techniques of appraisal, where applicable, to best determine fair market value:

(i) The market approach.

(ii) The cost approach.

(iii) The income approach.

(b) Assign such weight to each approach as is appropriate to best determine fair market value.

(2) However, all public service properties of the same nature and kind shall be appraised in the same manner. The appraised value of all lands owned by the company in this state shall be deducted from the total appraised value of the public service properties and shall be assessed by the Louisiana Tax Commission and shown as a separate item on the tax roll.

(3) The commission shall retain in the record of the appraisal the rationale for the determination of the appraisal approach utilized in the valuation.

C. All taxable immovable, major movable, and other movable public service properties of a company that is nonoperating or nonutility shall be appraised and assessed by the local tax assessor in the same manner and by the same standards as similar property in the parish in which it is located.

D. In no event, however, shall the Louisiana Tax Commission adopt schedules that reflect average life values of the property instead of appraising the individual companies.

E. The appraisal for the first year only shall be accomplished by the Louisiana Tax Commission through the use of an independent appraisal firm or firms qualified in the appraisal of public service properties.

Added by Acts 1976, No. 703, §1. Amended by Acts 1980, No. 602, §1; Acts 1992, No. 519, §1, eff. June 26, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 400, §2, eff. July 1, 1993; H.C.R. No. 88, 1993 R.S., eff. May 30, 1993; H.C.R. No. 1, 1994 R.S., eff. May 11, 1994; Acts 2018, No. 591, §1.