Office watches appeals pour in

Paula Dukes expects to see the value of her Evans home increase each year, and as a consequence, to pay more property taxes.

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Jim Blaylock/Staff

Several Columbia County neighborhoods, including Farmington on Hereford Farm Road, saw property values rise heavily after this year's reassessments.

However, she never expected her land's value to surge by nearly $200,000 in a single year.

After a recent reassessment of her 15-acre parcel and one-story brick home on Blanchard Road, Ms. Dukes' property is now worth about $550,000, according to county records.

In a time when many homeowners are experiencing a devaluation of their property and home sales continue to lag nationwide, Ms. Dukes' home rose in value by about 75 percent, she said. In previous years, her reassessment never topped more than 15 percent, she said.

Ms. Dukes is one of more than 1,300 Columbia County residents to appeal the reappraised value of their property. It is the most Chief Appraiser Debbie Robertson has received in her 16 years with the county Tax Assessor's Office.

"I think it's because of the economy we're getting so many letters," Ms. Robertson said. "Most people mention the amount of increase, but that is really not a good reason to appeal."

Reasons to appeal include if the home is assessed above fair market value, if the cost doesn't fairly compare to similar properties and if the assessment denies a homestead exemption.

Some might not realize homes are appraised based on property values from the previous year. Though the housing market in Columbia County remains strong compared with much of the rest of the country, it was even stronger in 2007, Ms. Robertson said.

"We have to look at the property as of Jan. 1 of each year, and anything that happens during the current year doesn't matter to us," Ms. Robertson said. "We work almost a year behind."

Monday was the deadline to appeal to the Tax Assessor's Office, though it was still collecting appeals last week for ones postmarked on time. Each appeal is reviewed by the Board of Assessors, which has so far lowered assessed values in 354 cases out of 554.

Those not changed are heard by a grand jury-appointed Board of Equalization, which is independent of the board of assessors, Ms. Robertson said.

The assessor's office targeted certain neighborhoods for reassessment of property values. In addition to Blanchard Road, other areas targeted included Hereford Farm, Hardy-McManus and Mullikin roads, Ms. Robertson has said. When her office focuses on a neighborhood, they conduct a more in-depth comparison with similar properties in surrounding neighborhoods.

Not every home is equal in the rate of increase, Ms. Dukes said.

"Some have been increased an awful lot like mine and some not at all," she said after speaking with her neighbors. "Some have increased 10 or 20 percent and then some 75 percent like mine. They don't have any consistency in the way homes are being appraised."

Overall, county officials expect an 8 percent increase in the county's tax digest, which is 5.5 percentage points less than in the previous year.

Reach Donnie Fetter at (706) 868-1222, ext. 115, or donnie.fetter@augustachronicle.com.