I can’t find my parcel when I put in the
address. Why not?
The property information applications search for the physical or
situs address of the property in our database. Common reasons why
the address may not be able to be located are:
- The address does not exist in the property information
database.
- Address is new construction and has not been captured by
our office (Addresses are not assigned by the Assessor’s
office so they do not show up in our system immediately).
- Address is one of multiple on a single parcel. (Assessor
tracks one address per parcel.)
- Address does not exist within Snohomish County.
- Address is for vacant land (Assessor does not maintain
addresses on vacant land).
- The address is incorrectly entered in our database or the
address tables are not synchronized so that the address is
available to the search mechanism.
- You have entered more data than necessary, entered an
incorrect street number or misspelled the street name.
- The address in our database may be incorrect due to changes
that we were not notified of.
- In some cases an address may not show up in our database
quickly because the information we maintain is only complete for
the current tax year. There are cases where a parcel may not be
taxable until a future year so our database may not have an
address entry until the parcel becomes taxable.
I put an address into one of
the many online mapping services. It found a location for the
address, but when I search your system or use your map it can’t find
the address. Why not?
Most of the online mapping services match the information
the user enters against a theoretical address range and then place
the location where the address might possibly exist. They generally
do not verify that the address does, in fact, exist; only that it
could possibly exist near the location shown on their map.
Do your parcel maps show my legal
property ownership?
Parcel maps do not show ownership even though the terms
owner and ownership are often used when talking about the maps. The
parcel maps depict boundaries of legal descriptions of record in the
assessment roll. These legal descriptions are not limited to legal
ownership and may be for administrative purposes only. Accurate
property ownership boundaries can be determined by a licensed
professional land surveyor.
How accurate are your maps?
The maps are as accurate as available resources allow us to make
them. The Assessor’s office has no ability to field verify location
information when conflicts exist with written source documents. Many
areas have limited information available that can be used to
construct the maps. This can cause the accuracy of the maps to vary
depending on location. The parcel maps are not surveys and should
not be used as a definitive source of property ownership boundaries.
Accurate property ownership boundaries can be determined by a
licensed professional land surveyor.
When I look at the aerial
photograph of my property on your map it looks like my neighbor is
on my property. Is this correct? The aerial photographs
and parcel lines do not have the level of accuracy to determine if
one property owner is encroaching on another. It may be necessary
for a licensed surveyor to make this determination.
If the maps and aerial
photographs are not accurate enough to determine property
boundaries, why do you allow them to be shown together?
Viewing the parcel lines with the aerial photo can be beneficial for
many purposes. Among these uses are: determining how to gain access
to a parcel, locating a parcel by its relationship to known
structures, determining if a parcel has structures on it and
determining if a parcel is cleared or wooded.
When I look at the aerial
photograph of my property on your map, my property lines do not
match up with the fence lines that can be seen on the photograph.
Will you correct your map so that they match? We
compile the parcel lines from documents of record and do not change
them to match property boundaries visible on aerial photography. The
aerial photographs and parcel lines are compiled using different
sources and methods and their accuracy standards are not the same.
Can you give me the GPS
coordinates for my property corners? Snohomish County
does not maintain coordinates for locating property corners.
Although this information could be generated from the computerized
mapping data known as GIS that the county uses, the level of
accuracy of the data is not sufficient to be used to definitively
locate property boundaries. Even if absolutely accurate GPS
coordinates could be provided, most commonly available lower cost
GPS devices do not have sufficient positional accuracy for the
purpose of locating property boundaries. They are generally designed
only for navigational purposes. Accurate property ownership
boundaries can be determined by a licensed professional land
surveyor.
Can you give me the exact
dimensions of my property?
The Assessor’s office can provide estimated dimensions
for many properties based on the legal descriptions contained in our
assessment roll and parcel maps compiled from these legal
descriptions. Dimensions for properties that have been through a
formal subdivision process may also be available from the Auditor’s
recorded document search application.
I measured from the painted stripe on the road and it
looks like the road/my neighbor is on my property. What do I do?
Roadways that include the traveled road pavement, parking
strip, curb, gutter and sidewalk generally reside in a corridor of
land known as a right of way. Roadway improvements and rights of way
are distinctly different entities. Typically roadway improvements do
not utilize the entire width of a right of way corridor. Roadway
improvements like the painted stripe may also not be located in the
center of the right of way corridor. Measuring from the painted
centerline of the roadway may not provide a correct interpretation
of where the edge of the right of way is located. Accurate property
ownership boundaries can be determined by a licensed professional
land surveyor.
My neighbor has put up a fence that I think is on my
property. What can you do to help me? The Assessor’s office
has no ability to define, determine or locate property boundaries.
Assessor’s office staff cannot provide legal advice on how to
resolve a boundary dispute. We can provide any documentation that is
generally available under applicable public disclosure laws such as
our parcel maps and legal descriptions. You may need to seek legal
counsel.
I am in a dispute with my neighbor regarding our property
line. Can you tell me an attorney or surveyor to contact?
The Assessor’s office cannot provide referrals to specific attorneys
or surveyors. Many are listed in the yellow pages.
County Menu
Print this Page