North Dakota Century Code Title 57. Taxation § 57-23-06. Hearing on application

1. Within ten days after receiving an application for abatement, the city auditor or the township clerk shall give the applicant a notice of a hearing to be held before the governing body of the city or township, or such other committee as it may designate, in which the assessed property is located. Said hearing must be set for no more than sixty days after the date of the notice of hearing, and in any event, must be held before the recommendations provided for in subsection 2 are made. The applicant may waive, in writing, the hearing before such governing body or designated committee at any time before the hearing. Any recommendations provided for in subsection 2 must be transmitted to the county auditor no more than thirty days after the date set for the hearing. The provisions of this subsection do not apply to applications for abatement pursuant to section 57-02-08.2.

2. At the next regular meeting of the board of county commissioners following the filing of an application for abatement or, if forthcoming, at the next regular meeting of the board of county commissioners following transmittal of the recommendations of the governing body of the municipality, the applicant may appear, in person or by a representative or attorney, and may present such evidence as may bear on the application. The applicant shall furnish any additional information or evidence requested by the board of county commissioners. The recommendations of the governing body of the municipality in which such assessed property is located must be endorsed upon or attached to every application for an abatement or refund, and the board of county commissioners shall give consideration to such recommendations. The board of county commissioners, by a majority vote, either shall approve or reject the application, in whole or in part. If rejected, in whole or in part, a written explanation of the rationale for the decision, signed by the chairman of the board, must be attached to the application, and a copy thereof must be mailed by the county auditor to the applicant at the post-office address specified in the application.

3. At a hearing before the board of county commissioners on an application for abatement, the applicant or the applicant's representative or attorney is limited to the relief claimed in the application for abatement submitted to the board of county commissioners. The applicant or applicant's representative or attorney may not submit evidence during a hearing on an application for abatement suggesting a lower valuation, a lower tax levy, or a different taxable status than was requested in the application for abatement submitted to the board of county commissioners.