Tips, deadlines to lower your property value and tax bill in Summit County
There are a few steps Summit County homeowners can take to possibly lower the higher tax bills they'll be getting in January after receiving letters this month saying their property values are going up.
Meet with the Summit County Fiscal Office
The Summit County Fiscal Office, which mailed the letters as part of a state requirement to reset property values every three years, is the first stop. The office can make last-minute adjustments to individual property values before the deadline to file everything with the state by the end of September.
To schedule an appointment with a fiscal office appraiser, visit fiscaloffice.summitoh.net or call 330-643-2710 or email appraisedvalue@summitoh.net. Appointments are available from 1 to 8 p.m. for the following locations and dates:
Aug. 22: Tallmadge Community Center Hall (80 Community Rd., Tallmadge, Ohio 44278)
Aug. 23: Fairlawn Kiwanis Community Center (3486 S. Smith Rd., Fairlawn, Ohio 44333)
Aug. 29: Twinsburg Community Center (10260 Ravenna Rd., Twinsburg, Ohio 44087)
Aug. 30: Firestone Park Community Center (1480 Girard St., Akron, Ohio 44301)
Aug. 31: Fairlawn Kiwanis Community Center (3486 S. Smith Rd., Fairlawn, Ohio 44333)
Sept. 5: Cuyahoga Falls Lions Park Lodge (641 Silver Lake Ave., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221)
Sept. 6: Stow City Hall Council Chambers (3760 Darrow Rd., Stow, Ohio 44224)
Sept. 13: Barberton Active Adult Center (500 W. Hopocan Ave., Barberton, OH 44203)
Sept. 19: Green Central Park Community Hall (1755 Town Park BLVD., Green, Ohio 44685)
Sept. 20: Richfield Village Hall Council Chambers (4410 W Streetsboro Rd., Richfield, Ohio 44286)
At the meeting with the appraiser, property owners can learn about the 2022 home sales data used to reset their property values. They're also encouraged to bring hard evidence as they plead their case for a lower tax bill.
Kristen M. Scalise: Why Summit property values are rising and how to file appeals in 2024
Provide evidence about your property's value
Summit County Fiscal Office Director of Real Estate and Appraisal Dominic Basile explained to the Beacon Journal that there are four categories of strong evidence the homeowners can lean on in making their argument.
A private appraisal. Whether they've recently refinanced, had a bank assess the value for a line of credit on their home equity or had a private appraisal for any other reason, that private appraisal is perhaps the most compelling evidence, Basile said.
Expired market listing. If a property was recently listed for sale but no one made an offer, the listed sale price — if less than the newly appraised value — could be used to negotiate.
Condition. Appraisers were required to physically visit each of the 261,359 properties in Summit County during the sexennial update in 2020. This triennial update is solely based on recent sales, which might not tell the whole story. Describe conditions in your home that would make it difficult to sell at the appraised price. Appraisers, for example, don't go inside homes unless requested by the owner, so they may not know that the foundation is cracked, water enters the basement during storms or that a leaky bathroom is currently gutted while waiting to be remodeled.
Comps, or recent sales of comparable homes. This will take a bit of sleuthing. And there's two ways to get started. Search for your property record at https://fiscaloffice.summitoh.net/index.php/property-tax-search. Then click "VALID NBHD SALES" in the menu on the left. You may then sort the list by year and click on the blue, underlined parcel number for each entry to examine the most recent sale. The second route is to visit https://understanding-property-value-summitgis.hub.arcgis.com/apps/bec751abb76a43ac83d6905d926a1fea/explore for an interactive map that allows the user to narrow or expand the search for comps by distance from their homes or specific characteristics like the home size, type and year they were built. This process could help homeowners understand where the Fiscal Office calculated sometimes astounding increases. "A lot of times people don't realize what homes are going for down the street," Basile said.
The Fiscal Office hosts a clearinghouse of information on the reappraisal process at https://understanding-property-value-summitgis.hub.arcgis.com/.
File a formal appeal in January
If homeowners can't convince an appraiser to lower their values to an appropriate level, the next step is to file a DTE 1 formal complaint form with the County of Summit Board of Revision. The Board of Revision will accept the complaints from Jan. 1, 2024,through March 31, 2024. For additional information, contact the Board of Revision at 330-926-2559 or email at BOR@summitoh.net.
Property tax: Cheaper homes, rentals lead Summit County property reappraisal increases
Akron-area property taxes: How homeowners are making their case for lower property values and taxes in Summit County
Unlike the Fiscal Office, which the state only allows to look back one year, the Board of Revision can consider historical sale data from 2021, for example, when the homes were not selling as much over their appraised value as they were in 2022.
Reach reporter Doug Livingston, who has no vested authority to lower your property values and tax bills, at dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3792.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Tips, deadlines to lower property value, taxes in Summit County
