Ohio property owners have until March 31 to file an appeal contesting their real property value for tax year 2019.
There are several ways to file an appeal.
Property owners can mail, fax or email their complaint form and evidence of value until the filing period ends. At that time, completed complaint forms must be inside the Union County Auditor’s Office.
Forms should be mailed or dropped off to the Union County Auditor’s Office, 233 W. Sixth Street, P.O. Box 420, Marysville; emailed to unionbor@co.union.oh.us; or faxed to (937) 645-3057.
“The typical reason for filing a Complaint Against the Valuation of Real Property (DTE Form 1), more commonly known as a Board of Revision (BOR) appeal, is the property owner’s belief that their property is incorrectly valued,” said Andrea Weaver, Union County Auditor and Board of Revision Secretary.
She said property owners interested in filing an appeal should visit union.countybor.com for assistance in preparing the complaint.
“We want to make sure that all property is valued as accurately as possible,” Weaver said.
Based on the facts and evidence of the property’s value that are provided by the property’s owner, the Board of Revision can vote to either increase, decrease, or retain the property’s current appraised value. The Board has no jurisdiction over taxes.
“The Board does its best to be fair and impartial,” Weaver said. “When a property owner files a property value complaint, they are required to present to the Board fact-based evidence, preferably in the form of arm’s length sales, supporting their opinion of the property’s estimated market value.
“The burden of proof is on the property owner to show that the auditor’s value is incorrect. In addition to supplying evidence of a property’s value, the owner must testify if there is a formal hearing.”
Weaver said carefully following the Board’s Rules of Procedure can help the owner present their case and help the hearing move swiftly.
The Rules of Procedure and “Presenting Your Case at a Board of Revision Hearing” are both available on the Auditor’s website, in the Auditor’s office and at union.county.bor.com.
A hearing notice, containing the hearing date, time and location, will be sent by certified mail to the person who filed the complaint and to any party who has filed a counter-complaint on the property’s value.
If a property owner is successful in having their property’s value reduced, they will be issued a credit against their second half tax bill, and their new value will remain until the next county-wide revaluation, which will be for tax year 2020, or taxes paid in 2021.
The Board of Revision is composed of the Union County Treasurer, one of the Union County Commissioners and the Union County Auditor.
For more information, those interested may email unionbor@co.union.oh.us or call 937-645-3003.