LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Some homeowners are taking action after new property appraisals from Cuyahoga County caused their property taxes to skyrocket.
Cheryl Beltz, a Lakewood resident and Cleveland native, decided to hire an appraiser to get a second opinion on her property value. She plans to submit the third-party assessment to the county in an informal complaint in hopes of getting her taxes lowered.
"When I looked, especially at the proposed market value, I was shocked," Beltz said. "I've gotten them (county property reappraisals) before, but there's never been this big of a discrepancy. That's when I thought I'd take action."
Before Cuyahoga County rolled out new property appraisals, Beltz's home was valued at $183,000. The letter from the county showed they now value her home at $287,800.
If that assessment sticks, the county property tax calculator shows her annual taxes would go up by $1,634.97.
Beltz decided to hire Zachary Brown with the Less A. Brown Appraisal Service to make an assessment of her property value. Brown explained that many factors go into determining such values, especially the elements inside of a home. Cuyahoga County conducts mass appraisals, where appraisers make assessments from the street.
"An appraisal report needs to be dependable and it needs to be supported," Brown said. "Bedroom count, bath count, finishes, which are important because the county never comes into the property."
After going through Beltz's home, Brown assessed the property at $215,000. If the county accepts that appraisal, the county property tax calculator shows her taxes will only go up by a mere $5.37.
The county says they can receive appraisals from homeowners through informal complaints, and oftentimes they'll go with that appraisal instead of their own.
"If everything makes sense and they're a state-certified, licensed appraiser, we're going to go with that," Neil Winans, a residential appraisal manager for Cuyahoga County, said.
However, Winans warns the county does receive some appraisals they cannot accept. For example, if a homeowner submits an appraisal where their home is compared to others that aren't in the area or are not actually comparable to their property, the county will not accept it. This option leaves homeowners responsible for weighing the benefits of hiring an appraiser.
Brown says he charges between $450 and $750 for an appraisal, but in Beltz's case, the immediate cost could still end up save her thousands of dollars over the next six years.