Are the City & County real property assessment records confidential?
Except for certain personal information, such as taxpayer’s Social Security number, or telephone number, the real property assessment records are public records and the assessment information is available to the general public. Real property tax information is subject to public disclosure under the Uniform Information Practices Act (Modified), Chapter 92F (“UIIPA”), Hawaii Revised Statutes (“HRS”), and is made available by the City for public inspection both in person and through the City’s real property tax website. This includes information regarding the name of the owner, address of the real property, assessed value, and consideration paid. Such public disclosure provides everyone the ability to ensure equal application of the law and the absence of special favors. Furthermore, the property tax system relies on an assessment process that includes notice and an opportunity to appeal. Access to these records is critical if there is to be a successful appeal since a comparison with com
