Tracking code caldwell guardian

Friday, May 30, 2014

Assessor Mails out Sticker Shock Assessments

You should have received your new and improved property valuation done by the County Assessor.  The new valuations are up about 40-70% in my Guardian informal poll.  The question everyone needs to ask before they scream foul is: Would you sell your property for the value assigned for tax purposes. 

If you find the value too low, then keep quiet and hope for the best again next year.  If you feel the value is too high, then file a protest with the Assessor.  The process is pretty straight forward once your file your protest.  An appraiser from the Assessor's office will contact you and try to discuss how they arrived at the value.  You, for your part need to come up with documentation that the appraisal is not correct with comparable values on like property.  If the value is out of line, generally the appraiser will lower the value.  If you have nothing to support your claim then the value stands.

City and County budgets can rise by 3% each year and they can go back and claim foregone increases for a specified number of years spelled out in the Idaho Code.  They also get all the new construction tax base and that does not figure into the magic 3% increases. 

The time limit for protesting property tax assessed values is the fourth Monday in June.  This is the 23rd for the exact date this year.

Don' forget about how urban renewal is impacting your property taxes.. between Nampa and Caldwell that is a number in excess of $10 million that has to be made up with higher taxes for everyone outside the UR District boundaries.

10 comments:

  1. 46% increase for me. I don't know what to believe. The assessor's value or the even more fantastic replacement price tag placed on my property by the homeowner's insurance company.

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  2. The confounding part of all this is, we should see a lower levy rate by all taxing districts but it won't happen if history is proved correct. Property is a big fat sitting duck and they know we don't have the tools to fight back. Appealing is largely a waste of time and they know this as well. It makes me hate being a homeowner when I see increases like this. I am powerless to do anything but pay up or lose my home.

    Looks like I get to once again suck it up and hope the sticker shock on my tax bill is within my ability to pay up come November when the tax bills arrive.

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  3. Have you noticed we get the new assessment notice right after the primary election? I wonder how many incumbents would still be elected if we got those prior to the election. On the other hand most people have their taxes collected by their bank and they get paid out of their impound accounts. The turnout was also indicative of the overall apathy of property owners too.

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  4. Well, the Good Ole Boys have suddenly said that my place is worth more now. I live in Nampa. Guess it is time to pay for those non voter approved projects like the library and the police station. Oh, and don't forget about the money that just suddenly disappeared from the Nampa School District. Gotta make up for that, too. Boy, I sure hate seeing Team Tom Dale and Company invading the County building this coming January. 2015 might be worse.

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  5. It is very suspicious to me the day we get those assessment notices. I wonder how many people would turn out if they had to be delivered by May 15. I feel very frustrated when I see how much value they have added to my home. Nobody knows how much it is worth until it is sold. What they send us is their best guess of what values really are.

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  6. I checked 9 propertys in a row on my street Nampa and found wide differences in values that were changed.
    one prime property actually decreased about 3% while one property got stuck with at least a 45% increase. Mine was up about 15%. There seems to be no consistency whatever

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  7. I am in the process of filing an appeal on my properties. I hope a lot of people take the time to do so. maybe if they are swamped with appeals they will be more realistic in the future.

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  8. I appreciate your post, Paul. You are one of the few, who seems to understand how properties are to be assessed and how it relates to the property taxes we pay. I wish some of our Elected Officials understood how property taxes are ultimately levied...by their budgets.

    The total amount of property taxes levied against the property owners of Canyon County has little to do with assessment values and everything to do about City, County and School District budgets. Public hearings on these budgets usually start in July. I wish some of the bloggers would take the time to learn how our property tax system, while far from flawless, works and make their voice heard at these public hearings. It's been a runaway freight train at the City and School District level with their budgets, while the economy was shrinking.

    But it is our responsibility, as property owners, to ask questions if we feel our assessment notice is incorrect. Just do a little research before jumping on the Assessor.

    Also, I recently sold a residential property in Nampa. 2013 assessment $74k; 2014 assessment $107k (45% increase)......sold in January for $116k. I have no complaints this year...

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  9. Thanks for any other great article. Where else may anyone get that kind of info in such a perfect method of writing? I have a presentation subsequent week, and I’m at the search for such info.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for any other great article. Where else may anyone get that kind of info in such a perfect method of writing? I have a presentation subsequent week, and I’m at the search for such info.

    ReplyDelete

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