8/28 - Informal Property Hearings

Roger A Corlett, the Ashtabula County Auditor, announced he and his staff will be scheduling meetings with property owners to discuss tax valuations. Auditor Corlett had directed his staff to begin these meetings in 2008 at the time residential property values had begun a sharp decline. “It has proven to be very popular and other counties are now holding similar meetings,” said Corlett. “We determined that we had complete authority to adjust property values when we become aware of new information. Why would we wait to force someone to file a Board of Revision case? That just seemed ridiculous to us and we quickly moved to a model where we are trying to keep property valuations accurate in all years, not just reassessment years.”

As chief assessor of the county, the county auditor is responsible for valuing all real property in the county for tax purposes. A property’s value should reflect the current value if sold in the open market. The two main considerations are current sales and the characteristics of any given property.

Late every summer, property owners can come in to point out problems with their property that otherwise might not be known. “It is one added way to efficiently do our job as assessors,” says Corlett. Further, we greatly appreciate any opportunity to talk with property owners.

To schedule a meeting either call 440-576-1484 or use the online calendar.