Property transfers as reported by the Westport Town Clerk’s office for the period Feb. 2-6, 2004:

Debbie Helft Lerner to Audrey Lawrence-Rosenberg, 9 Bauer Place, $525,000.

Stephen Laura Mirkin to Norine P. Sedita, 58 Hills Lane, $337,500.

Kevin M Smith and Deirdre M. Ofarrelly to Jennifer Olsen Mattissen, 58 Old Road, $605,000.

Dwight F. Meyer and Amy N. Forte to Bruno J. Bellock and Ellen E. Galluccio, 5 Partrick Road, $1,050,000.

Robert B. Rogers Jr. to Deirdre M. Ofarrelly and Kevin M. Smith, 58 Wright St., $840,000.

Donna M. Wasik to Christopher D. and Joan K. Votta, 133 Roseville Road, $1,350,000.

Yvette Waldman to Amber L. Sweedler, 24 Surf Road, $3,580,000.

Property transfers as reported by the Westport Town Clerk’s office for the period Jan. 26-30, 2004:

Sherrylee W.Green to Robert and Amy J. Babkie, 14 Edgewater Commons Lane Unit 2C, $549,000.

Annie Chu to Anil Nair and Aradhana Tyagi, 7 Oakview Lane, $360,000.
 
George M. Llorens to Angela Camarda, 72 Harbor Road, $700,000.
 
Alan M. and Nancy Anne C.  Forster to Halem Saad and Leslie Clementi, 11 Godfrey Lane,  $878,400.

Thelma J. Lubarsky to James J. and Geraldine D. Lawrence, 73-75 West Parish Road, $390,000.

Arthur Millman to Debbie Helft Lerner,  7 Charcoal Hill Common, $1,110,000.

Kathleen Bell and Scott T. Santarella to Allen Raymond Trust, 5 Sunny Lane,  $660,000.

Estate of F. Chandler Moffat to Sylvan Road Westport LLC, 82 Sylvan Road North, $845,000.

Mark S. and Allyson S. Juviler to Dwight F. Meyer and Amy M Forte, 66 North Ave., $1,155,000.

Property transfers as reported by the Westport Town Clerk’s office for the period Jan. 19-13, 2004:

Westport Home and Land Co. LLC to Aash M. and Angela G.  Shah, 38 Terra Nova Circle, $926,102.

Robert P. and Carolyn B. Scholl to 29-31 Imperial Ave. LLC, 29 and 31 Imperial Ave., $1,700,000.
William E. and Julia E. Banzhof to Gilbertie Building LLC, 62 Gorham Ave., $495,000.
Estate of Dorothy Mcguire to Dimitrios Pendarakis and Anastasia Kouparo, 9 Ambler Road West, $575,000.
Estate of Joanne Lesko Gindek to Christopher Cocco, 8 Long Lots Lane, $515,000.
Estate of Julia K. Miller to 4 Woodhill Road LLC, 4 Woodhill Road, $799,000.
Peter F. and Susanne Hall Armstrong to Peter Nigel Hurst and Janice Ellen Waterman, 9 Norwalk Ave., $1,155,000.

They might as well change the street signs from Soundview Drive to $oundview Drive.

The picturesque street with to-die-for views along Westport’s Compo Beach—to the surprise of few—is one of the hardest hit by the new 2003 property assessments. Residents of Soundview Drive are seeing some of the largest assessment increases. (CLICK TO ENLARGE PHOTO) WestportNow.com photo

Of the 14 homes on the street, the largest valuation increase was 219 percent—No. 19, which was given a $2.32 million market value.

The smallest was 137 percent—No. 25, which was given a $2.8 million market value.

The increases occurred in the four years since the last property assessment.

For the owner of No. 19, that’s equivalent to a 54.75 percent annual jump. For No. 25, a relatively paltry 34.25 percent annual increase.

Property transfers as reported by the Westport Town Clerk’s office for the period Jan. 12-16, 2004:

Lucky 139 LLC to Joseph and Tracy L. Troy, 139 Harbor Road, $2,450,000.

James R D. and Lisa M. C. Allison to Eric A. and Laarni Ragaza, 7 Lees Lane, $735,000.

Terry Marsh to Ashley S. Moran, 85 Valley Road, quit claim, $45,400.

William W. and Amber L. Sweedler to Susan Jaffe Tane, 36 Bermuda Road, $4,250,000.

Estate of Betty M. Strong to Lucky 139 LLC, 187 Compo Road South, $515,000.

This is a sober weekend for many Westport taxpayers. Notices of updated real estate assessments and taxes for the next year based on the projected grand list and mill rate have hit Westport mailboxes and the news for some is jolting, for others, relief. Tax notices hit mailboxes Saturday. WestportNow.com photo

The notices listed 2003-04 taxes that would have been paid on the projected rates, in effect giving the town’s best guess at what taxpayers might approximately pay in the next tax year,

“My taxes went down $300,” said one resident, who, like other Westporters agreeing to comment for this story, asked for anonymity.

“It was quite a relief since they already went up 50 percent since I bought my house five years ago.”

Another resident said he, too, was relieved, when he opened the tax assessor’s “2003 Property Assessment Notice” Saturday.

“My projected taxes are up 5 percent,” he said. “I think, all in all, that’s reasonable.”

A number of Westporters attending Saturday’s community meeting at the Westport Public Library held by Rep. Christopher Shays chatted about the notices in the hallways.

Editor’s Note: WestportNow today inaugurates a new feature Westport property transfer listings as reported by the Westport Town Clerk’s office. The new feature comes as WestportNow simultaneously launches a new real estate section. Click on the left hand column sections list to see all real estate stories.

Richard R. Floersch to George S. and Ana Lucia Corey Jr., 2 Tiffany Lane, $3,550,000.

Westport Home & Land Co LLC to Andrew T. and Meera D. Gilbert, Lot 19, 40 Terra Nova Circle, $905,222.

Judi A. Bishop to Gregory W. Altschuh and Janis G. Lipman, 196 Hillspoint Road, $915,000.

Allan P. Cramer to Estate of Howard K. Levy, 8 Lincoln St., 50 percent interest, $200,000.

Hook ‘n Needle, a Westport landmark on Post Road East for more than 30 years, has been sold to Westport Design Center LLC for $1.3 million, according to a filing in the Town Clerk’s office. Owners Marc Bloch and James Henry announced last September they were retiring. The needlepoint store was housed in a former mill and served customers all over the world via the Internet. WestportNow.com file photo

In another sign or the vitality of the Westport commercial real estate market, a Riverside Avenue office building has been sold for $12.65 million.

This office building at 274 Riverside Ave. sold for $12.65 million. WestportNow.com photo

The five-story building at 274 Riverside Ave. was sold by Westport-based 274 Riverside Associates LLC to Stamford-based Lexham Riverside LLC.

The building, which was built in 1973, last changed hands in 1994 for $4 million when 274 Riverside Associates bought it from National Home Life Assurance Co.

The sale resulted in a $31,500 payment to the town for real estate conveyance tax, according to the town clerk’s office. State taxes were $126,000.