Informal Property Value Complaint Portal
Auditor David Thomas Announces Informal Property Hearing Portal
Jefferson- It is that time of the year again. Ashtabula County Auditor David Thomas and his office will be holding informal hearings with property owners through September 30th to discuss property value complaints.
Property owners in Ashtabula County have two options to appeal and challenge their property value. They can either go through the Board of Revision which is a formal process with applications between January through March or the Informal Hearing offering available in September.
“Our goal is to get at what the market value of a property is for January 1 of 2024. Already we have seen sales far exceed the values we placed on properties during the 2023 Triennial Update but now we are looking at January 1, 2024,” explained Auditor Thomas.
Property owners who believe that the Auditor’s value is not accurate for 2024 can speak with Auditor staff until the last week of September to discuss reasons why the value should be changed. Informal hearings however will not impact the value or taxes for this current year but will be made effective for next year’s tax bills. Thomas cautions that only the Spring Board of Revision process can change values and taxes in the current year.
The value could be different for a number of reasons according to Auditor Thomas. A sale in 2023 or 2024 below the Auditor value, changes in condition, or information important to value that the Auditor’s Office may not have are most helpful.
“This is a much simpler, easier process to change your property value as opposed to the more formal Board of Revision hearing,” shared Auditor Thomas. “Our staff will be available by appointment in person, virtually, or even over the phone too.”
Residents wanting to request an informal hearing can do so in a variety of ways. Property owners can call 440-576-1484 or email TRFrable@Ashtabulacounty.us to schedule a meeting either in person, virtually, or on the phone. New this year is an online portal that residents can use to also submit an informal complaint.
Auditor Thomas encourages property owners who are requesting an informal hearing to have photos and evidence of condition issues at the property if challenging based on condition or a list of errors if the Auditor’s property description is incorrect.
“The more information and data our office has to make value determinations, the better,” stated Auditor Thomas. “I highly encourage folks who believe our value on their property to be incorrect to reach out to us here in the next few weeks.”
Those who filed a Board of Revision complaint in 2024 were doing so to challenge their January 1, 2023 value and cannot appeal again until 2027. Informal hearings however can occur on a property yearly regardless of Board of Revision filing or status.
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