Sunday, April 10, 2011

Columbus Dispatch: Challenges of property-tax values surge in region again



Filings in central Ohio surge again this year

Sunday, April 10, 2011 03:18 AM

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

It's another record-breaking year for tax appeals in some central Ohio counties.

More than 18,000 property owners in seven counties filed applications challenging their property value before last week's deadline. Franklin County was the source of 14,000 of those applications, up from about 8,000 last year.

Delaware County received more than 2,100 this year, a 48 percent jump from last year's record number. And Pickaway County, which just a decade ago received 12 complaints, will sift through a record 165.

The applications are the first step in contesting the auditor's valuation of property. Owners who apply turn in evidence supporting their estimation of what the home, business or land is worth. The county appraiser can agree and grant the request, or instead invite the property owner to appear before the Board of Revision, which is made up of the county auditor and treasurer and a county commissioner.

The Franklin County Board of Revision had projected a record number of filings - 10,000 - and it received even more: 14,000.

The total represents 32 filings per 1,000 Franklin County parcels, the highest rate in central Ohio.

"We're already working beyond capacity," said Franklin County Auditor Clarence E. Mingo. "We're going to have to double our efforts."

County officials added staff members to the Board of Revision this year in anticipation of the increase. The 16 members of the board's administrative staff also have received authorization for overtime, including weekends, to get the work done.

Mingo said he hopes to unveil a mediation program for revision cases this year. In theory, mediation would pull aside and sort out complex cases that otherwise would consume time, allowing routine complaints to be processed faster.

"I would ask homeowners to be patient with us," Mingo said. "We will be doing our absolute best to ensure speedy and accurate decisions, but obviously, a tremendous challenge awaits us."

Delaware County Auditor George Kaitsa expected last year's record number of complaints, 1,462, to be the peak.

This year, the office advertised the process and stayed open late to receive the last of more than 2,100 complaints.

It took Kaitsa's office about a year to go through last year's complaints. This year, he hopes to have values decided by November. About 75 percent of cases avoided a full hearing in front of the Board of Revision last year, because county appraisers agreed with the property owners' requested amount. He'd like to see more of that, and he asked the county's appraisal company to add workers.

"Our goal is to try and compress the time on the Board of Revision cases, so hopefully we can have all of the hearings completed before we set the final values for the year," Kaitsa said.

Last year in Licking County, a high of 965 property owners filed complaints. It took the Board of Revision until last month to finish them.

Auditor Michael Smith hopes a new software system that allows for faster comparison of similar sales will streamline the process for the 718 property owners who filed complaints this year. Already, 50 complaints have been settled, despite the office having lost one appraiser.

"This time last year, we maybe would have taken care of a handful," Smith said. "I think we're just able to do more with less, and with better technology."

amanning@dispatch.com

egibson@dispatch.com

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