Several of Orlando’s theme parks have sued the Orange County property appraiser over 2015 assessments that they feel are too high.
The Walt Disney Co., Universal Orlando and SeaWorld join over 110 other property owners that have filed lawsuits against appraiser Rick Singh’s office, up from 46 lawsuits in 2015.
For 2015, Walt Disney World’s property is valued at $8.2 billion, while Universal Orlando came in at $2.1 billion.
Unlike his predecessors who he says were willing to negotiate or settle, Singh is willing to fight the disputes in court, adding that he intends to “hold their feet to the fire.”
Universal and Loews Hotels are also filing a separate dispute regarding the assessment of their resort hotels.
Last year Universal paid $37.9 million in property taxes, while The Walt Disney Co. paid $118.3 million.
A spokesperson for Disney called the 2015 assessments “unreasonable and unjustified,” but wouldn’t comment further. Universal and SeaWorld have not commented.
Tom is the former host/producer of the Disneyland Edition podcast and is currently the co-host of the Connecting With Walt podcast, plus is also providing Disneyland content from the parks. He enjoys traveling with friends and spending time with family, including his son and grandson. In his spare time he volunteers with Scouts BSA and Cub Scouts, and helped found his son's former Cub Scout Pack. His favorite Disneyland attraction is Space Mountain.
