Tax assessments arrived in the mail for many Decatur/DeKalb residents yesterday.  And after big “readjustments” last year, many residents were hoping for a bit of a reprieve this year.  But not so much, according to random comments I’ve seen from friends/neighbors online and the AJC…

Residential real estate assessments rose an estimated 7.8 percent this year, according to the county government’s preliminary tax digest figures. Unless the county reduces tax rates this summer, residents whose homes gained value will have to pay higher taxes.

Decatur recently lowered its millage rate for the coming year, however noted that it wouldn’t be enough to offset the rising property values in the city.

How’s your assessment look this year?  Ours looks to have risen somewhere around the estimated 7.8% average.  Fun, fun.

Screenshot of the DeKalb County Property Appraisal website

Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd sent this note into DM, reporting that 1,500 Decatur properties will be reassessed by July 2nd and finally an explanation about what’s going on behind the volatile numbers.

The city manager and I met with several people from the tax appraiser’s office on June 5, 2012. The following information was given to us at that time.

1. There are 30 properties that were identified last week with errors. These will be submitted to the BOA for adjustment at their meeting on June 7th. Revised appraisals will be mailed after the meeting. Property owners will have 45 days from the date of the revised notice to file an appeal.
2. The appraisers office has identified an additional 1500 properties in the city that are being adjusted for any of several reasons
3. The list of 1500 will be submitted to he BOA at their meeting on June 21st for approval
4. If approved , these revised notices will be sent out the week of June 25th.
5. Current appeal deadline is July 13th.
6. If you receive an adjusted notice, it restarts the clock and you have another 45 days to appeal

Their Recommendation:

Read the rest of this entry »

As part of this week’s extended series on tax assessments around Atlanta, this morning’s AJC highlights DeKalb County.

In summary, the AJC’s analysis shows DeKalb went further than many other Atlanta counties in cutting property tax assessments, though I suspect much of the more realistic evaluations can be attributed to an AJC expose’ in April, which revealed the County was illegally not considering foreclosures during reevaluation of property values.

The article uses the CSX rail line, which runs through the heart of Decatur, as the border that separates fortunes.  To the north, home prices held their own.

A CSX rail line bisects DeKalb County from east to west, splitting Decatur, the county seat.

Appraisals south of that line sank like an anchor. Homes north of the CSX line, however, held their taxable value better than much of metro Atlanta. Brookhaven (ZIP code 30319) actually gained more than $125 million in residential value from construction, additions and renovations. Unlike other areas in DeKalb, sales prices actually improved in Brookhaven, by 1.4 percent. Appraisers tacked on $63 million to the residential worth of Decatur (30030), where sales prices jumped 10 percent. Dunwoody (30338) picked up $44 million, where home prices were unchanged.

But to the south, in areas like my old Kentucky 30032, it was a home value bloodbath.

ZIP code 30032 near Columbia Drive and Glenwood Road, for example, was reappraised downward by a total of $287 million. The median decline in tax appraisals was 21 percent, but sales data show that the median price fell by nearly half. This suggests that tax valuations could have been cut even more, and that some homeowners are paying tax on values their property no longer holds.

DeKalb raised taxes 3.73% for the unincorporated portions of the county this past year, and 1.33% for Decatur residents.  Who knows what next year may hold.

When did you feel more uncomfortable?

When you thought there was some political maneuvering involving DeKalb County tax assessment process, or when you learned the apparent truth was that our assessors office just went rogue?

I’m still mulling it over.