Soaring assessments alarm Richmond County homeowners
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Some Richmond County residents are reacting angrily to what they’re describing as frightening jumps in their property assessments.
Some people are reporting assessments rising as high as 48 percent compared to previous years.
If you’re among those seeing a rise, you’re not alone.
Of the lots 79,000 assessed in Richmond County, about 68,000 saw an increase.
Chief Appraiser Scott Rountree sees it as the result of a delayed economic boom from COVID, with finances bouncing back as the world gets back on track.
Part of a tax assessment includes what it would cost to rebuild a property. So values have been affected by raw building materials like lumber seeing an up-and-down roller coaster in prices since 2020.
Plus it’s been a competitive market for Richmond County with high sales and a low cost of living.
And then there are who have gone a while since the county last evaluated their property.
“In the last couple of years, we’ve been trying to do the entire county rather than just piecemealing,” Rountree said. “So there are some areas in the county where their re-evaluations haven’t occurred in four or five years.”
Steve Garner is among the upset homeowners this year.
“To see this going countywide is disturbing,” he said.
Garner has kept this home off Riverwatch Parkway in the family since 2013.
Although he’s seen stable growth in his property’s value in the past decade – he once saw it jump from about $100,000 to $151,000 – he took his red marker to it.
How will you know what you owe?
The Richmond County Tax Assessor’s Office started sending out notices on July 7.
The document will include the prior year’s value, the 2023 value, the value of any exemptions, and reasons for any change in the property assessment. Also included on the notice is an estimate of tax based on the prior year’s tax rates, known as the millage rate.
What if you disagree?
Well, you can definitely appeal. The county typically gets 500-700 appeals, but last year saw more than 1,000.
Officials are already seeing a similar wave hitting this year.
The appeal process is 45 days long, and the deadline is Aug. 21
By the way, the tax assessors office staff says they’re more than happy to be kept in check by those who want to appeal and welcome it.
Standard appeal forms are available in the Richmond County Tax Assessor’s Office, and property owners will also have the option to appeal online through the office’s website.
For this year, the Homestead Tax Relied Grant, which provides a one-time property tax relief of $18,000 off of the home’s assessed value, isn’t something you apply for. It’s automatically added to your home’s property assessment if you already qualify.
For additional information on the 2023 Property Valuations, view a list of resources at www.augustaga.gov, call 706-821-2310, or use the quick links below.
Resources
- 2023 Property Tax Relief Grant FAQs: https://www.augustaga.gov/DocumentCenter/View/17070/What-is- HTRG?bidId=
- Property valuations Q&A: https://augustarichmondtaxassessor.com/wp- content/s/sites/30/2023/06/2023-Valuations-QA_Augusta-Richmond- BOA-1.pdf
- Richmond County Tax Assessor’s Office: https://augustarichmondtaxassessor.com/
- Richmond County Tax Commissioner’s Office: https://www.arctax.com/
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