Interesting article in the Boston Globe, describing the practice in New Hampshire of increasing the value of property tax assessments by the value of the property’s "view,  A Tax Bill as Big as the View; Assessors in N.H. Add More for Beauty:

John Bouzoun’s hilltop home here has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a barn. The retiree thought the place was fairly modest, but according to a recent assessment by the town, his ”little dream house" is worth a half-million dollars.

Assessors valued his property and land at $300,000 and then slapped on an extra $200,000 for the panoramic view of Mount Cube and Smarts Mountain. Bouzoun, who received his property tax bill this month, was shocked to learn he owes the town more than $8,000….>

While locals acknowledge that the views add some value to property, many say they have been hit hard by what they call ”view taxes" as a result of a reassessment last summer. Assessors have unfairly overvalued the views from their homes, and no one has been able to explain why some views are worth more than others, some angry residents said. Their demands for a more transparent system have reached the State House….

Views have long been factored into property values, assessors say, because they affect the prices buyers are willing to pay. As buyers have paid more for hilltop houses and land in western New Hampshire in recent years, the assessments of neighboring properties have jumped, driving more property owners to question the spiraling values. To gauge the value of specific views, assessors study recent sales of nearby properties with similar views, explained Gary Roberge, chief executive of Avitar Associates, a company that assesses properties in 110 New Hampshire towns, including Orford. Assessors start with the total price paid for each property, then subtract the assessed value of land and buildings. The sum left over is considered the sale price for the view….[T]he richest mountain view assessed by Avitar is worth about $450,000, Roberge said. Still, inland values lag behind the coast. Ocean views run as high as $750,000….

Critics of this method of assessment say there is no way to know how much of a sale price was paid for the view.