Truancy Court in Butler County
.JPG)
2009 Ohio State football
Pyramid Hill lights up
Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > December > 11 > Entry
Board of Revision approves lowered property values
Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds is lowering taxable property values on 15,148 parcels by an average 11 percent.
He said this is in addition to any changes property owners already were expecting after this year’s reappraisal.
Reynolds presented the final results of this year’s countywide property value reappraisal to the county Board of Revision Thursday night, Dec. 11.
Reynolds said his office has taken a second look in recent weeks at home sales in areas with high foreclosure rates.
The auditor’s office can’t use sheriff’s sales when appraising property, but “enough of those happening within an area may affect other sales,” said Louis Caldwell, a manager with the firm that did this year’s reappraisal, Tyler Technologies.
In Hamilton, they found roughly 7,454 parcels valued too high and lowered values a total $54 million. Building values in parts of the second ward alone dropped an average 30 percent, officials said.
In Middletown, 7,694 parcels were reduced to the tune of roughly $43 million. Officials said most of these homes were in the older, western part of the city.
“This was not a glossed-over blanket amount,” Caldwell said. “It was thoroughly researched.”
Hamilton and Middletown have total tax bases of about $2 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively, so these last-minute reductions are a very small percent of the total, Reynolds said.
Reynolds provided this information when pressed by the other two members of the Board of Revision, county Commissioner Donald Dixon and Treasurer Nancy Nix.
Before this, the three argued over the role of the board and what powers it has. Dixon advocated for the board to meet this year — it’s unclear whether it has in the past, though it’s required by state law — after many including Reynolds said that this year’s values are too high in a collapsed housing market.
Officials said these reductions will bring taxes down slightly for some residents.
“It won’t be a huge number (tax decrease), but they’re closer to being accurate,” Dixon said.
This was the first and last chance for the board to review the appraisal before it goes to the Ohio Department of Taxation.
Assistant county Prosecutor Dan Ferguson said local government leaders now will consider whether to contest the appraisal on behalf of homeowners next year and try to lower values further.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: County Auditor
Comments
By Tom
December 12, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this
All forms of government need to be more conservative in the spending of OUR MONEY. They have lost this sense and they think it is theirs. We have the highest debt on our shoulders now in the history of the US. Our taxes, direct and indirect represents our largest household budget expense. It is tme for trues tax relief all over the country.
By John Shafer
December 12, 2008 9:48 AM | Link to this
Another slam dunk to me from the Auditor’s office. I wonder why they had my property over valued in the total square footage when I bought my house in 2003 and after I challenged them they came out and re-measured it. They sent me a letter reducing it by nearly 500 sq. feet as well as the value but have neglected to refund the money I was being over charged for 4 years? I had to notify my bank to have the taxes in escrow reduced but the county has kept the money I had been over charged for 4 years. I am considering getting a lawyer to file a lawsuit against them for the money they seem to think isn’t due to me.
By judy
December 12, 2008 1:41 PM | Link to this
Why was it necessary for Treasurer Nancy Nix and Commissioner Don Dixon to “press” Auditor Roger Reynolds for details regarding the appraisals he handled? I would think every public official would be more concerned with giving taxpayers as many answers as possible. Taking this information in front of the Board of Revision, as required by law, wasn’t the auditor’s idea. He should be an humble servant of the people who voluntarily provides tax information to help property owners who are struggling with major equity losses. He should “press” himself on behalf of the people, instead of creating unnecessary stumbling blocks in this process.
By bemaliqy porniw
December 22, 2008 11:49 PM | Link to this
appreciation you for sponsoring the materials, a lot of riveting low-down. sympathetic-bye.
By Paying out the yingyang
February 2, 2009 6:17 PM | Link to this
Get this. So Reynolds lowers the property taxes for my home by 12K, but he increases my land taxes by 45K. WTF? Hey John Schafer, let me know if you got an attorney and what the outcome was-thanks!