Posted on 03/08/2009 5:20:14 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
The people spoke, and the county commissioners listened.
Two days after hundreds of taxpayers swarmed on them to protest the recent countywide property revaluation, the commissioners gave staff some homework.
At a meeting Thursday, Barry Jacobs and Bernadette Pelissier asked for information about how many properties' values had risen above the 22 percent average.
Mike Nelson asked for a comparison of revaluation numbers and recent sales figures. The average home sold for about $290,000 in January, according to the Triangle Multiple Listing Service, about the same as the average assessment.
But some local real-estate agents say the scarcity of actual sales and the long marketing times predict a continuing decline in sales prices.
``I'd just like to get the facts rather than what people are telling me,'' said Nelson.
Jacobs also suggested the county may want to revalue property more frequently than every four years so assessments stay more in line with sales trends. Before the revaluation, the average home was assessed at $230,000, while the average home was selling for well over $300,000.
``We might want to be more proactive and prevent the sort of sticker shock people got this year, and a four-year cycle isn't going to do that,'' Jacobs said.
Citizens Tuesday night asked the commissioners to take another look at the revaluation and then throw it out or reassess those properties whose owners request it.
``Every homeowner has the right to be heard, if you have to meet every night for six months to do it,'' said Hillsborough real-estate professional Michael Strayhorn, whose home increased in assessed value by 52 percent.
Local real-estate investor, broker and appraiser P.H. Craig said he's urging taxpayers to appeal their assessments in order to force the county to rescind the revaluation. Already 1,600 taxpayers have submitted forms asking Tax Assessor...
(Excerpt) Read more at thetimesnews.com ...
Did they jack your property taxes this year?
Is this referring to the Orange County in North Carolina? It’s definitely not the one in Southern California.
By the way, thanks for the wonderful website.
Yes, this article refers to Orange County,NC—Chapel Hill area. Those folks are spitting nails mad over there. Our local TV has shown some video from over there and they are not happy.
Also missing: any discussion of how assessment must be handled when there is a decrease in real home value; e.g. homes sold for less than the assessed value they paid taxes on the previous year.
Silly question? I think not!
Why then, is "California" listed among the topics?
I confuse easily...
Of course my taxes, increased! Do they ever go down—I DON’T THINK SO!!
I realize there is an Orange County , CA, but this article references NC.
I realize there is an Orange County , CA, but this article references NC.
I suppose this is a little comforting, but I will be surprised if anything really changes here. There is outrage and rightly so, but the counties’ majority “lib/progressive” voters don’t have a clue as to how they got into this mess. There must be an evil Republican to blame somewhere.
-jw
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