Informal Hearings for 2021 Property Values

Have questions on your property value or want to challenge your Auditor Market Value for January 1, 2021? Visit our Informal Property Value Heaing page here: https://auditor.ashtabulacounty.us/dnn/Informal-Hearings

Auditor David Thomas Announces Informal Property Hearings

Jefferson- The Real Estate Market has not slowed down in Ashtabula County this past year with signs of a strong growth in sales moving forward according to Ashtabula County Auditor David Thomas. “You speak with Realtors, Title Companies, and Bankers and all share the same- they’ve never been busier with sales and the movement of real estate,” shared Auditor Thomas.

The Auditor’s Office has responsibility over real estate property transfers and tracking value changes for Ashtabula County property values and taxes. “Despite us breaking records monthly with number of transfers and sale prices,” said Auditor Thomas, “folks still have the opportunity to challenge their property value if they believe it is incorrect.”

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 and October.

“Our goal is to get at what the market value of a property is for January 1 of the tax year. Already we have seen sales far exceed the values we placed on properties during the 2020 Revaluation for January 1, 2020 values,” explained Auditor Thomas.

The Auditor’s Office holds informal property value hearings from September 13^th to October 8^th for property owners to share with Auditor staff reasons why the market value of their property is different for January 1, 2021 than what is currently on record. The value could be different for a number of reasons according to Auditor Thomas. A sale in 2020 or 2021 below the Auditor value, changes in condition, or information important to value that the Auditor’s Office may not have.

Residents wanting to request an informal hearing can do so in a variety of ways. The Auditor’s website has a calendar where individuals can reserve a time slot on available days and upload pictures and information electronically at https://auditor.ashtabulacounty.us/dnn/. Additionally, property owners can call 440-576-1484 or email TRFrable@Ashtabulacounty.us to schedule a meeting either in person, virtually, or on the phone.

“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 2021 were doing so to challenge their January 1, 2020 value and cannot appeal again until 2024. Informal hearings however can occur on a property yearly regardless of Board of Revision filing or status.