How to Lower Your Property Tax – Fighting Overvalued County Appraisals
What: Property Value Appraisal
Ohio operates on a system in which county auditors reappraise every piece of land and every building located in their county every six years. These base appraised values are then multiplied by local tax rates. This value is what is shown on local county auditor’s website and is often used as a base line when determining potential real estate taxes.
This reappraisal occurs in different counties at different times. Naturally, it is just too much for every local government to reappraise everything all at once. So, Ohio uses staggered reappraisal with different groups of counties undergoing reappraisal or updating during different tax years.
The following counties recently have either finished reappraisals or recently undergone updates:
Update Counties
| Allen | Coshocton |
| Guernsey | Sandusky |
| Vinton |
Reappraisal Counties
| Belmont | Brown | Crawford | Cuyahoga | Erie |
| Fayette | Highland | Huron | Jefferson | Lake |
| Lorain | Lucas | Morgan | Muskingum | Ottawa |
| Portage | Stark | Warren | Williams |
Why: Property Reappraisal and Updating can result in a Bigger Tax Hit
Most importantly with reappraisal and updating, is that they can result in increased property values and consequently increased tax liability. Property owners in particular counties subject to reappraisal or update will see new property values reflected in their property tax bills that arrive in the mail either December or January. This is an often-overlooked tax consequence that many people fail to plan for and can eat up an otherwise expected, and critical, tax refund. As such, many people desire to keep their property values low, at least in regards to taxation, and want to challenge their county auditor’s assessment of their property value. This is where experienced Cleveland legal attorneys come in.
How: Filing a Complaint to Challenge Property Valuation
The period for filing formal challenges to a county auditor appraisal generally begins January 1 and ends March 31 so contact an attorney sooner rather than later if you want to challenge a recent change in your property value. Generally, property owners can only challenge an assessment one time every three years.
How you challenge an improper auditor valuation is with a complaint filed with your local county board of revision where the property under dispute is located. This complaint is sometimes referred to as a “complaint against valuation” and asks 14 boilerplate questions. Questions such as has the property been sold within the last 3 years, have you made any improvements to the property, and your justifications for requesting a change in value.
This form is found on every county auditor’s website as well as the Ohio Department of Taxation’s website. A lot of individuals challenge land valuation so the process, at least in some ways, is streamlined. Note, however, if the property owner challenging valuation is a business, an attorney must almost always sign the complaint.
The most common reasons property values are challenged include declining market values in a depressed area, functionally and/or economically obsolete properties, declining rents in tandem with vacancies, and damage caused by non-human agency, such as fire, flood, earthquakes, or mold. Further, those who recently purchased a property in an arms-length transaction for less than the county auditor’s value, often have a strong case. Note, however, recent Ohio Supreme Court rulings adjusted the evidentiary rules for property owners looking to use a recent arms-length transaction as a basis to challenge the value of real property. The important takeaway from recent legal rulings is that appraisal evidence must be carefully considered before presentment to the board of revision. As such, experienced legal counsel should be retained before filing any tax appeal.
Once the complaint is filed and received by the board of revision, the board sets an evidentiary hearing. The hearing usually lasts between 15 to 30 minutes and takes place in front of a panel of decisions makers, usually the county auditor, county treasurer, and the president of the Board of County Commissioners. At this hearing, an attorney appears on your behalf and presents arguments, evidence, and witness testimony to prove the actual property value. Depending on the value or discrepancy of the value under dispute, other interested parties, such as local school districts, will appear via their own counsel and argue in favor of the higher value.
After the hearing, the board of revision makes its decision of the value of the real property. If you took the proper steps, gathered the right documents, and hired the right attorney, your property value should be changed to reflect the real value and you can avoid any significant tax hit in the near future.
When: When should I challenge?
As with every legal question asked of every attorney, the answer is always going to be, it depends. But as rule of thumb, if it seems like no rational buyer would purchase your property for what the auditor appraised it, calling your local Cleveland business attorney is probably a good move.
Another critical factor in assessing when to challenge is the sufficiency of evidence currently in your possession. This is where good legal counsel comes in. Attorneys are well-versed in hiring qualified appraisers to determine the initial overvaluing of the property, generating presentable reports for the evidentiary hearing, and identifying the relevant purchase transaction documents. If you are asking for a significant change in value, it is highly likely opposing attorneys will come out of the woodwork to counter your appeal. As such, experienced local counsel is often the difference between a waste of time and money and significant tax saving.
Disclaimer:
The information contained herein is general in nature, is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal or tax advice. The author nor Baron Law LLC cannot and does not guarantee that such information is accurate, complete, or timely. Laws of a particular state or laws that may be applicable in a given situation may impact the applicability, accuracy, or completeness of the preceding information. Further, federal and state laws and regulations are complex and subject to change. Changes in such laws often have material impact on estate planning and tax forecasts. As such, the author and Baron Law LLC make no warranties regarding the herein information or any results arising from its use. Furthermore, the author and Baron Law LLC disclaim any liability arising out of your use of, or any financial position taken in reliance on, such information. As always consult an attorney regarding your specific legal or tax situation.