PROPERTY TAX INCREASE HIGH, IT’S NOT TO LATE TO CONTEST THE ASSESSMENT.

[Richard Baker]

If you are dissatisfied with your last property tax assessment, some increases were as high as 40 percent, you should consider writing a letter to Dennis G Kennedy, Cuyahoga Country Fiscal Officer requesting the following information and determine if you want to pursue filing a Complaint with the Cuyahoga County Board of Revision over your assessment:

1. The physical survey appraisal report or documents that were completed by your office or a contractor, if any.
2. All the property appraised with addresses and the old and new appraisal within the same tax sub district that my property is located and used to determine the value.
3. The formula[s] that is used by your computer to determine the appraised values of residential property.
4. The addresses and recorded sales price of homes sold that were used within the tax sub district that my home is located in to determine the current appraisal.
5. The map of the sub district that is used to determine my property assessment.
6. Provide other method[s] used by your office to determine property, if any.

Whether you did or didn’t requested an informal review or don’t intend to contest your property assessment, you should learn what method is used to assess your property by the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer. The Fiscal Officer is an appointed official, without voter oversite. It's a tragic day for democracy when voters turn over their pocket books to appointed officials. There is no doubt that he has a vested interest in increasing taxes because his job depends on results as determined by the Cuyahoga County Council, who will claim plausible denial if he is caught abusing property tax payers or favorably assessing elected and appointed officials’ property in the county

It has been rumored that some elected official’s property tax assessments were reduced or not increased. If Cleveland had a reputable major newspaper, it would have assigned an investigative reporter to review all the property assessment of the elected and appointed officials including the Cuyahoga County Council members. However, that’s highly unlikely since may interfere with their highly profitable revenue from the various governments printing their legal publications.

If you do decide to file a Complaint with the Cuyahoga County Board of Revision it may be done in person, online or mailed, on or before April 1, 2019. The Board of Revision is attempting to discourage filing by mail by requesting the Complaint form you submit be notarized, however, most banks will be happy to notarize it for you, free of charge, if you’re their customer. Apparently, anyone can fill on line with minimal validation. I recommend filing by mail to ensure a positive review before you mail it and there are no mistakes made before or after receipt.

I recommend you go to Cuyahoga County Board of Revision website for more details and access to the form at: https://bor.cuyahogacounty.us/

[Bridget Conant]

Property tax increases are just ONE increase residents have shouldered.

Water went up AGAIN, and will continue. As Mayor Summers notes, look forward to a 50% increase in your water and sewer bills.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/articles.cleveland.com/lakewood/index.ssf/2018/12/lakewood_city_council_approves_16.amp


Now, consider a pending school levy.

Just how high can it go before people choose to live elsewhere? Isn’t that why Medina and Lorain counties are growing while Cuyahoga is shrinking? The tax burden is much lower (for now) and most people I know who moved expresssed dissatisfaction with the growing tax burden in this county.