Think your revaluation is out of whack? Here’s how to appeal it.
“If you just go in with ‘I think you’re wrong,’ you’re not going to get anywhere with them,†said Mark Zimmerman, owner of Re/Max Winning Edge in Chapel Hill. Bring as much data to prove your point as possible.
Download the Valuation Input and Review Form (available at www.co.orange.nc.us/assessor/taxvalfm.pdf). Gathering the necessary data isn’t hard, but it does require time, which is why some property owners have engaged real estate pros to help. Acceptable data includes comparables gathered from the Multiple Listing Service or even ads in the newspaper. You can also cite property tax values from neighboring parcels (available at http://gis.co.orange.nc.us/land/search.asp). Some people are going as far as shelling out $300 to $400 for an official appraisal, the “gold standard†of proof in an appeal.
“This is the first year we’ve ever had on the website the ability to search by address, so you can pull up a street, look up every valuation on that street, boom, just like that,†said Orange County Tax Assessor John Smith said. â€People are taking advantage of that. The better the information we get, the better the revaluation is going to be in the end, and the more likelihood of an adjustment.â€
Residents who are successful in their requests will receive a notice of revaluation in mid- to late April.
If property owners still aren’t satisfied, they will have 30 days to appeal to the Orange County Board of Equalization and Review, a three-member panel that hears each revaluation appeal. Residents also can appeal to the North Carolina Property Tax Commission in Raleigh, the last step they have before going to court.
Other resources
There are other forms of relief available to elderly, disabled and some agricultural property owners. For more information on eligibility requirements, visit www.co.orange.nc.us/assessor/exemption.asp or call 245-2100.