Cincinnati Real Estate Blog

It was a shock to many and a pleasant surprise to few when Hamilton County residents received their updated property tax bill in January. Many were left wondering why their property value has increased when all we hear in the news is the decline of real estate values.

In defense of the Hamilton County Auditor’s office it is a very convoluted task to reassess everyone’s value every three years and one way for them to accomplish this task is to do so with mass appraisals. As part of the mass appraisal process general market data is applied. As a result, sometimes properties can be overvalued and some even undervalued.

So what can you do if you feel your property is overvalued?

You have the option to file a complaint with the Hamilton County Board of Revision. The steps are simple and this outline is a brief summary from their web site for 1 to 4 family residences. Please refer to the county for full outline on residential complaints and on commercial property.

• Contact the county auditor or visit their web site for a DTE Form 1
• The owner of record, as of the date of filing, must be the person that files and shows up for the hearing.
• If the property is in a name other than your individual name, as with an LLC, INC. or trustees, you may need to consult with an attorney familiar with the property value complaint process
• All forms must be filled out in its entirety with copies of all evidence to support your claim and MUST BE received in their office by March 31^st, 2009.
• Under Ohio Law THE BURDEN OF PROOF IS ON YOU. You must prove, with the evidence you present, that the value you have requested is the fair market value for the property.
• Once the paperwork is completed and submitted to the appropriate office they will contact you by certified mail no less than 10 days prior to your scheduled hearing.
• After your brief hearing you will receive final results via certified mail.

If you need help with finding supporting evidence or if you are curious to see recent sales data to see if it is something you want to pursue further feel free to call or email me. As with any real estate questions or concerns I am here as a resource and to help in any way I can so please do not hesitate to ask.

For further information on the complaint process and needed forms please call the Auditor’s office at 513.946.4035 or refer to their web site http://www.hamiltoncountyauditor.org/bor.asp

Thanks

Julz Brown

Group Realtors

513.237.1072

Julz@SellingCincinnatiHomes.com

www.SellingCincinnatiHomes.com