Property Tax Reappraisal in Process

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The Durham Tax Administration held an informational meeting with TLNA neighbors on 12/3/18 at Oak Church. People from several neighborhoods joined together to hear about the reappraisal process and ask questions of tax administrators.

 Homeowners and business owners can expect a reappraisal of the market value of their property as of January 1, 2019. Be on the look out for a mailer with your property value and next steps on or around January 30th. For general information as well as tax relief programs and the appeals process, see the slide deck the representatives from the tax admin office used at the meeting here or visit the Durham County Tax Administration site.

The slide deck has information about the why's and how's of reappraisal along with some intriguing real-world examples. The tax administrator's office has the immense challenge of appraising around 116,000 properties at one time. They do this through industry-standard methods which may include photos of the exterior of the properties, statistics and sales ratios. You may have seen their vehicles driving slowly around TLNA in the past year taking photos of properties. There are, of course, things that they cannot determine from an exterior photograph which is part of why property owner awareness of the appeal process is so important.

In the past two years there have been immense changes in property values in some areas of Durham. Some of the examples in the presentation included properties whose value had increased 360-500% in two years! Other areas experienced more moderate growth and some even small decreases in value.

 The following information about the appeals process is taken directly from the slide deck.
What if a property owner disagrees with the assessed value?
3 steps to the appeal process:
1. Review
• Review the information we have on file for your property, and report any outdated or incorrect information to us.
2. Compare
• Compare your property value with the sale prices of similar properties using our free online service.
3. Appeal
• If all information is up to date and you still disagree with the assessed value, you can file an appeal with the Board of Equalization and Review (BOER) and schedule a hearing. After the BOER hears your appeal, you will receive written notification of your property value in the mail.
Is the question really about value?
There are often issues other than tax value that concern property owners, such as:
• The amount of change from the last reappraisal
• Affordability of the expected taxes
• Level of services provided While these are all understandable concerns, the only issue the tax office can address is the appraised value.

You will need to provide information to support your appeal.
Useful documentation includes:
• A sales report for similar properties from our online Comparable Sales service
• Other comparable sales reports from the property owner or a real estate professional
• Pictures showing the property’s inner and outer features and condition, including any upgrades
Optional: A copy of a recent fee appraisal for the property, such as one done in connection with the purchase or refinance of the property
• Data errors and out-of-date information about your property can be managed quickly. Our staff members are here to help if you need to correct, update, or verify your property information.
• Qualifying property owners may benefit from one of the available property tax relief programs
• Appeals must be based on value, not on the change in value or what the expected tax increase might be.
• If you know you’re going to appeal your property value assessment, it is best to appeal as early as possible and before the May 3, 2019, deadline to ensure you can arrange and prepare for a hearing.
• You must appeal by 5 p.m. on May 3, 2019, to be considered.
Key Reappraisal Dates
Effective Date of Reappraisal Jan. 1, 2019
Reappraisal Notices Mail Date Jan. 30, 2019
Information Meetings Feb. 18 – Mar. 1, 2019
Board of Equalization and Review Hearings begin after initial meeting on
April 3, 2019
Deadline to Submit Real Property Appeal 5 p.m. on May 3, 2019
First Tax Bills Impacted by Reappraisal Summer 2019





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