Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Could what happened to Charlotte's Real Estate Tax Revaluation have happened in Guilford County, which could explain the tax cut instead of a projected increase?

"Mecklenburg commissioners
...said they want an independent review of the 2011 property revaluation,
saying it could help bring answers to lingering concerns about the appraisal.

Has anyone in Greensboro read about Meck's revaluation issues in Charlotte
from a local news source?

...The vote comes after months of growing criticism about the accuracy of last year’s revaluation,
the county’s first since 2003.

Residents had questioned, among other things, how the county set land values
and how it factored in the effect of foreclosures and still-falling home sales.

...“Why are there so many people so upset about their revaluation
if there isn’t something wrong?” Pendergraph said.

“There’s just too much smoke not to have some fire somewhere.”

...Before commissioners began their debate, they heard from 17 speakers
– nearly all in favor of an outside review of the revaluation.

They spoke before a packed chamber,
with some in the audience carrying signs that said “Fix It.”

WCNC

Independent firm expected to review Mecklenburg revaluation process

"The Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners voted 6 to 3
to have an independent firm review the 2011 property revaluation process.

Homeowners packed the Mecklenburg County government center Tuesday night.

...Homeowners have argued for months that they paid too much
for faulty property evaluations by the Mecklenburg County Tax Assessor's Office.

Has anyone in the local press
taken a look at Guilford County's revaluation statistics?

...A county spokesman says there are still thousands of appeals outstanding."


Commissioners Want Outside Auditor For Revaluation

"The staff is saying it's all OK, but it's not OK,"
said former Cornelius Town Commissioner Jim Bensman.

He and a group of residents say they have documented how the county tax assessor's office
violated several state statutes in its latest revaluation.

..."They've refused to provide information to the homeowners who need in order to appeal."

Property owners complain about having to appeal the 2011 revaluations
that they say were appraised ...too high...

..."Until you understand what the issues are," said Bensman, "you can't begin to fix them."

FOX

Commissioners Call For Revaluation Audit

Commissioner Karen Bentley is one of the commissioners calling for the audit.

She’s been flooded with complaints from upset homeowners.

They say not only that their property was valued too high,
but that the appeals process was also flawed.

...Emily Zuyus, a Myers Park homeowner,
argues that the county’s false information kept property owners from appealing.

...She believes her property is overvalued, especially the lot her house is on.

It jumped from $936,800 to almost $1.2 million,
increasing her property taxes by close to $3,000.


“No change,” said Cornelius resident Paul McMellon...

That’s a phrase he didn't want to see
after he appealed a revaluation on two pieces of property.

“No change in value.

That's the lot right here,” he said.

“It went from $20,000 to $47,500.”

He said it was a similar story for his other property on Main Street.

WSOTV

"...a lot of concerns are clumped in Cornelius,
where some waterfront land has skyrocketed.

...Cornelius Mayor Jeff Tarte...says the current process
is not establishing true market value for homeowners.

Another problem, he says, is this:
"It's a little bit backwards that the burden of proof is on the property owner
to prove that the value isn't set correctly by the tax assessor's office.

So they end up then hiring professionals or certified appraisers to value their property,
and then depending on technicalities,
often times that information is not being accepted by the tax assessor's office."

...property owners feel like they're in the dark.

"If their appeal was rejected,
county officials must give a detailed explanation," Tarte says.

"I don't know one person who's had that information shared.

They're just told no, sorry."

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