How are occupiers of Crown land assessed?
All Crown lands occupied under the terms of a lease or licence, or merely occupied with no formal agreement, are assessable in the name of the occupier. The term land also includes land covered by water (e.g. the area of land covered by water used for boat moorage, rafts, docks, floats, or piers). Section 26 of the Assessment Act directs the Assessor to assess the occupied Crown land and improvements (e.g. cabins, docks, or piers) at the actual value. Because of the definition of actual value in the Act, the assessment must include the value of the full fee simple interest (i.e. the value of the property as if it was owned outright or free hold). Frequently properties occupied under lease or licence sell in the market for less than their value on the assessment roll. This is generally because only the lease holder or licensees interest in the property is sold, not including the value of the Crowns interest in the property. Such a sale represents the purchase of only a partial interest
