Reappraisal Information

 A representative of the Lorain County Auditor's Office will be visiting residential, commercial, industrial, manufactured and mobile home properties throughout the county as part of the 2012 Real Estate Revaluation. As part of the process, photos may be taken of certain buildings and other structures within your community. These photos are for use by property appraisers for verifying exterior building information.

The individual will be wearing a Lorain County Auditor's Office photo-identification badge and the side of his vehicle carries a sign stating “County Appraiser“. The vehicle is registered with local law enforcement and the Lorain County Auditor's Office.

If you have any questions call the Lorain County Auditor's Office at 440-329-5212.

General Information

My value dropped, so why didn't my taxes?

Just as values are not automatically increased in a bull market, they are not automatically decreased in a bear one. Also keep in mind that just because values increase or decrease, it does not mean that your individual taxes will change much. This is because levies are calculated to raise a specific amount of money when passed by voters. The value of your property determines your share of the levy, but if all the values in a specific taxing district change a similar amount (increase or decrease) an individual's share will remain the same. It is primarily when your property increases or decreases a greater amount than others within your taxing district that your taxes change.

The main reason for this is House Bill 920. Here is a link to a paper explaining its effects as written by Ohio Schools. What this paper doesn't mention is the situation we are now facing. Just as HB 920 does not allow a school district to collect more money in an inflationary real estate market, it also keeps it from collecting less in a deflationary market.

The Board of Revision was established to allow property owners to contest the value of their home. Mass-appraisal will always have difficulties in determining all the factors that are affecting an individual property in a diverse and dynamic market. The BOR is the established remedy by which property owners can present evidence the Auditor's Office may be unaware of that adversely effects their value. You can find the form and more information on that process here.

  

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