District’s refusal to consent to reassessment has stalled Route 611 project at the Pocono Township–Hamilton Township line

By Pocono Review Staff

STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY — A Scranton-based developer has sued the Pocono Mountain School District and the Monroe County Assessment Office over a proposed hotel on Route 611, claiming the district is blocking a legally required property tax reassessment to protect its own revenue.

611 Land Development, LLC filed the civil complaint Monday in Monroe County Court of Common Pleas. The company wants a judge to declare that PMSD’s consent isn’t required under state law—and to order the Assessment Office to reassess the 43-acre property based on where the hotel will actually sit.

The problem: the land straddles two townships and two school districts. And the district that would lose tax revenue is refusing to sign off.

The Property

The site is 3481 Route 611, a 43.62-acre parcel on the Tannersville corridor where Pocono Township meets Hamilton Township.

611 Land Development purchased the property in November 2017 for $1.1 million, according to Monroe County records. The parcel has seen wild price swings—it sold for $9.7 million in 2009, crashed to $450,615 in 2013, then was picked up by the current owner four years later.

Today it’s assessed at just $477,700.

On the Pocono Township side sits a 5-bedroom house built in 1911—now abandoned, according to court filings. That century-old structure is the reason the entire parcel has historically been taxed by Pocono Township and Pocono Mountain School District.

But 611 Land Development’s plans would put a 74,893-square-foot hotel entirely on the Hamilton Township side. Hamilton Township falls under a different taxing jurisdiction: the Stroudsburg Area School District.

The developer wants the property reassessed to reflect where the hotel will be built. PMSD has refused—a decision that would keep future commercial tax revenue in the district rather than sending it to Stroudsburg Area.

The Law

Pennsylvania’s Consolidated County Assessment Law, 53 Pa.C.S.A. §8818(b)(2), governs properties that straddle municipal boundaries.

The statute says that when land is divided by boundary lines and contains a building—referred to as a “mansion house” in the 19th-century language—the property shall be assessed in the municipality where that building sits.

The developer’s argument is simple: once the hotel is built in Hamilton Township, state law requires the property to be assessed there. No consent from PMSD should be necessary.

The Logjam

The complaint lays out a bureaucratic standstill involving four government entities:

Pocono Township has indicated it will consent to reassessment “imminently” and has already granted conditional approval for the land development plan.

Hamilton Township has the plan under review but won’t move forward on permit applications—including a required PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit—until it knows it will actually receive the hotel’s tax revenue.

Pocono Mountain School District “has refused and continues to refuse to provide consent,” the complaint states.

Monroe County Assessment Office says it will reassess the property when building permits are issued—but only if all affected taxing authorities consent. Otherwise, the office wants a court order telling it what to do.

The result:

• Hamilton Township won’t apply for permits without guaranteed tax revenue
• The Assessment Office won’t reassess without PMSD’s consent
• PMSD has no reason to consent—doing so means losing a commercial taxpayer to a rival district

What the Lawsuit Seeks

The complaint presents two counts:

Count I — Declaratory Judgment: The developer wants the court to rule that the Consolidated County Assessment Law governs the property; that the Assessment Office cannot condition reassessment on consent from taxing authorities that would lose revenue; that the property must be assessed to Hamilton Township and Stroudsburg Area School District; and that PMSD’s refusal has no legal effect.

Count II — Mandamus: In the alternative, the developer asks the court to compel the Assessment Office to perform what it calls a “mandatory, ministerial duty to correctly assess property” according to actual municipal and school district boundaries.

“Plaintiff lacks an adequate remedy at law other than mandamus relief,” the complaint states.

What’s Next

The complaint was filed at 1:44 p.m. Monday. No hearings have been scheduled. The defendants have 20 days from service to respond.

Stroudsburg attorney Christopher S. Brown represents the plaintiff. Amarkir Singh signed the verification on behalf of 611 Land Development.

Pocono Mountain School District and the Monroe County Assessment Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Case Information

Case Number: CV-2025-007992

Court: Monroe County Court of Common Pleas, 43rd Judicial District

Filed: December 9, 2025, 1:44 p.m.

Property: 3481 Route 611, Pocono Township (Parcel ID 12.2.1.26-2)

Plaintiff: 611 Land Development, LLC, Scranton (Amarkir Singh, authorized representative)

Plaintiff’s Attorney: Christopher S. Brown, 607 Monroe Street, Stroudsburg

Defendants: Pocono Mountain School District; Monroe County Assessment Office

Claims: Declaratory Judgment (Count I); Mandamus (Count II)

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