Frequently Asked Questions

Send in any documentation you would like for us to take into consideration, (Recent Comparable Sales, Listings, a recent private appraisal). We will flag your parcel for review once the information is received. When the info is reviewed in comparison to the assessment information and value (Typically May/June later if it is a Revaluation year) you will be sent a determination notice in the mail. This notice will include your current value along with open book dates if you should still have further questions.

We are contracted to walk through (quarter, half, third, look to see what municipality and what is required) each year verifying the data we have on file is correct and up to date.

Any time we change your value it is required by law that we send out a value change notice to the owner indicating their value has changed from the previous year.

In a Maintenance Year - Most likely you remodeled your property, added a deck/patio, basement finishing, addition or etc. Full Value Maintenance services - Every year the entire municipality is reviewed and all values brought to current market value (our opinion of what your property would sell for as of January 1st on the open market) based on recent arms-length comparable property sales in the area. Permits are also taken into consideration and the value added if improvements were made. Revaluations- The entire municipality is reviewed and all values brought to current market value (our opinion of what your property would sell for today on the open market) based on recent arms-length comparable property sales in the area. The last time a revaluation was done (look on the Jobs sheet it will indicate when the last revaluation was)

Full Value Maintenance Job- Every year the entire municipality is reviewed and all values brought to current market value (our opinion of what your property would sell for January 1 st on the open market) based on recent arms-length comparable property sales in the area. (The market changes every year; we are adjusting the assessed values to keep up with the market). Permits are also taken into consideration and the value added if improvements were made.

Assessed value is an estimate of market value assigned to your property based on the last revaluation year. Fair Market Value is the States estimate of what your current property value is.

Sales questionnaires are sent to all properties that sold, these questions help us as the assessor determine if the sale is valid as well as help us verify current property information or attributes of the sale.

To learn more about what the DOR is doing during Covid-19 please learn more from this document, PDF

January 1 st – All properties are assessed as it existed on this date. (If new construction and it was not complete as of January 1 st , a partial assessment will be applied for that year). March 1 st is the last day to file Personal Property Returns with the assessor After the assessor has reviewed all assessment work for the year, value change notices are sent to those properties that had a value change. Open Book is held after the value change notices have been sent in the event a property owner has any questions. Beginning the 2nd Monday in May board of reviews begin, to attend the board of review an intent to appear before the board of review must be filed with the municipal clerk at least 48 hours prior.

Though the value of your property affects your share of taxes, the actual amount you pay is determined by the budget needs of the schools, city, county, technical college, and state. All of these taxing units decide what services they will provide in the coming year and how much money they will need to provide those services. This decision is made (Mid-November). Typically these taxing units budget’s will increase on a yearly basis. The assessor has no input on the budget decisions.

When the review of the supplied documentation is complete (Typically May/June later if it is a Revaluation year) you will be sent a determination notice in the mail. This notice will include your current value along with open book dates if you should still have further questions. **NOTE Otherwise check the Job Info Sheet for estimated notices to Send date. Never commit to an exact date. Realtors call indicating the sq ft is different on our website to what their calculations are: Try to find out where they feel the difference is (have them send you their sketch or etc) indicate you will flag the parcel for a remeasure when the field work is being completed for the next assessment year, but as of now what we have is the best data available from the last time it was visited. Put any notes in that might be helpful to the field staff.

Split/Combinations are done at the County level; the property owner will need to contact the property listing department at the appropriate county to find out what their specific process is.