The Village of Pleasant Prairie is one of multiple municipalities throughout Wisconsin being challenged by Walgreen Company over the method used to calculate 2006 property assessments for the stores. Claims have been filed regarding at least 33 Walgreen locations in municipalities throughout Wisconsin, including the cities of: Beloit, Cudahy, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee, Waukesha and West Allis and the villages of Little Chute and Pleasant Prairie. The claims express the company’s belief that the property assessments, based on sales of actual Walgreen stores, are excessive. Claims in the municipalities listed above range anywhere from $15,226 to $57,103, depending upon the amount by which the Walgreen Company felt each assessment was excessive. The claim in Pleasant Prairie is $20,401.
Pleasant Prairie mailed a Notice of Assessed Value to the Walgreen property owner on July 3, 2006. Walgreen Company disagreed with the method used to calculate value based on actual Walgreen property sales and wishes municipalities to use a method that yields lower assessed values. On July 28, 2006 a stipulation was filed with the Pleasant Prairie Board of Review expressing Walgreen’s objection to the assessment, their wish to forego a formal hearing, and their acceptance that the ruling at the Board of Review would be in favor of the Village (in light of previous court decisions involving Walgreen and the City of Madison). On January 29, 2007, the Village Clerk received a Claim for Excessive Assessment in the amount of $20,401.49; and on May 17, 2007, Walgreen Company formally filed suit against the Village for this amount. The insurance company for the Village is handling the claim on behalf Pleasant Prairie.
With the exception of the City of Madison, all claims are being stayed at the Circuit Court level until the Wisconsin Supreme Court decides whether to hear arguments on this issue. The City of Madison has prevailed against claims made by Walgreen at both the Circuit Court and Appellate Court levels. Walgreen has since filed to be heard by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The Village of Pleasant Prairie uses standard assessment and appraisal methods similar to those sited in the two aforementioned rulings favoring the City of Madison.