The owners of a Richmond home have failed to convince a board that the presence of an eagle’s nest negatively impacts the value of their property.

Michelle Hopkins and David Macnab argued before a B.C. Property Assessment Appeal Board that the tree containing the nest is a hazard.

They claimed that their single-family home’s assessment of $1,124,000, which is split between land at $1,096,000 and improvements at $28,000, is fair because of the presence of the eagle’s nest.

However, the assessor for Richmond and Delta believed that the land value should be increased to $1,566,000.

The assessor appealed with the board, and won.

In her decision and order, panel chair Mandy Hansen was convinced that a land valuation of $1,566,000 as sought by the assessor is equitable.

The assessor provided three comparable sales near the 3600 Rosamond Avenue property that was the subject of the dispute.

According to Hansen, the assessor employed a time adjustment evaluation of the sale prices of the three properties valued between $1.6 million to $1.7 million to “calculate market movement over time”.

Hansen noted that the property owners did not comment on the assessor’s methodology.

The assessor also provided examples in the Greater Vancouver area showing that the “market does not adjust downwards for properties impacted by an eagle’s nest”.

“The Respondents do not counter the findings, and given that the Assessor utilizes a common methodology to quantify the impact, I find with the Assessor on this issue,” Hansen wrote.

For their part, the owners indicated that the City of Richmond is “unwilling to provide the permits, despite the Respondents meeting the criteria for permit issuance”.

"They provide an arborist’s report indicating that the tree is past its natural life and should be removed," according to Hansen.

The owners also documented opposition from neighbours about the tree’s removal.

“They are unable to attend to a hazard, and are fielding personal confrontations by citizens regarding the tree,” Hansen wrote.

However, Hansen also observed that the owners did not provide evidence supporting the $1,124,000 valuation.

Hansen ordered a change in the 2019 assessment to reflect an increase in the land value to $1,566,000.

With the value of the improvements unchanged at $28,000, the 3600 Rosamond Avenue’s new assessment is $1,594,000.