BC Assessment’s van will be photographing homes in Osoyoos. (BC Assessment photo)
It may not be as glamourous as the Google Street View car that recently photographed Osoyoos streets, but BC Assessment is sending its own van to town to photograph houses.
Digital cameras mounted inside a clearly marked van are scheduled to photograph about 2,300 single-family homes during the first week in July.
The photos are used for property assessment purposes and will show homes from the street front.
The technology has already been successfully used in communities throughout the Okanagan and across B.C., BC Assessment says in a news release.
“As the Crown corporation responsible for accurately valuing all properties in B.C. and continually serving as a leading source of the province’s property information, we are always looking for innovative ways to provide more timely, accurate, equitable and fair assessments to all property owners,” said Katrina LeNoury, deputy assessor for the Thompson-Okanagan region.
The photos will include street address numbers, but BC Assessment is not retaining any personal information such as people on the property, other signage or vehicle license plates.
Nor will they retain any images showing the inside of a home through a window or open doorway or the interior of an enclosed vehicle shelter such as a garage.
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