Hide Transcript Show Transcript

-- IT MIGHT CONTRIBUTE BUT NOT NOW, BUT PERHAPS IN THE FUTURE. >> GOING UP BY THAT MUCH, THAT’S A LOT. TODD TOM PECHT GOT THE BAD NEWS : ON SATURDAY. THE ASSESSMENT ON HIS BEAVERDALE BRICK HOUE JUMPED BY 11%. FROM $154,000 TO $172,00 >> I HAVEN’T DONE THE KIND OF IMPROVEMENTS AND I FEEL WOULD RAISE THE PROPERTY TAX VALUE. TODD PECHT ISN’T ALONE AS WE P: FIRST REPORTED LAST FALL, PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS IN POLK COUNTY ARE CLIMBING BY ABOUT 10%. >> PEOPLE ARE GIVING US THE TYPICAL RESPONSE. THEY’RE ANGRY THEY’RE FRUSTRATED, THEY’RE CONFUSED. TODD POLK COUNTY ASSESSOR RANDY : RIPPERGER IS GETTING AN EARFUL TODAY. HE SAYS THE THE REASON BEHIND THE INCREASE IS SIMPLE. THE REAL ESTATE MARKET IN THE METRO IS BOOMING. >> IT’S BEEN A SELLERS MARKET FOR THOSE HOMES UNDER $300,000. WE’VE HAD A LOT MORE BUYERS, MORE DEMAND THAN WE HAVE INVENTORY OF HOMES FOR SALE AND THAT’S REALLY DRIVEN THE PRICE OF HOMES UP. TODD BUT SOME HOMEOWNERS ARE : AFRAID HIGHER ASSESSMENTS WILL MEAN HIGH TAXES. AND THEY WONDER IF 1% SALES TAX HIKE THEY VOTED FOR LAST MONTH TO HELP LOWER PROPERTY TAXES WILL REALLY MEAN ANYTHING NOW. >> WE PAID THE 1% SALES TAX TO REDUCE PROPERTY TAX ON HER PROPERTY, AND NOW IT’S GONE UP 20%, 10%, WHICH WILL WALK OUT IN -- WIPE OUT ANY OF THOSE TAX INCREASES. TODD THE POLK COUNTY ASSESSOR : SAYS THE 1 CENT SALES TAX HIKE DOESN’T TAKE EFFECT UNTIL JULY FIRST AND IT WON’T AFFECT THE PROPERTY TAXES YOU PAY UNTIL THE 2020 AND 2021. AND REMEMBER IF YOU WANT TO SELL YOU HOME, AN INCREASED ASSESSMENT MAY ACTUALLY BE GOOD NEWS. >> ONE OF THE BIGGEST INVESTMENTS YOU MAKE IN YOUR LIFE GOES UP AND VALUE, THAT’S A GOOD THING. TODD: KEEP IN MIND, YOU CAN INFORMALLY PROTEST YOUR TAX ASSESSMENT UNTIL APRIL 25. YOU CAN FILE A FORMAL PROTEST UNTIL JUNE FIFTH. THAT DEADLINE WAS EXTENDED THANKS TO FLOODING AND A DISASTER DECLARATION IN POLK CO

Advertisement High property assessments leave homeowners frustrated Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Homeowners across Polk County received bad news over the weekend.Property assessments were delivered to 180,000 owners in Polk County, and many of them increased by nearly 10 percent.The increase upset property owners who thought a local option sales tax passed in March would provide some property tax relief."Going up by that much, though, that's a lot," Beaverdale resident Tom Pecht said.Pecht received his property assessment Saturday and said the value of his home jumped 11 percent from $154,000 to $172,000."I haven't done the kind of improvements that would raise the property tax that much," Pecht said."People are giving us the typical response," Polk County Assessor Randy Ripperger said. "They're angry, they're frustrated (and) they're confused."Ripperger said property values increased because the metro's real estate market is booming."It's been a sellers' market for those homes under $300,000," he said. "We've had a lot more buyers, more demand than we have inventory of homes for sale. That's really driven the price of homes up."Pecht said he is afraid that higher assessments will mean high taxes and wonders if the one cent sales tax hike will lower property taxes."We paid the one (cent) sales tax to reduce property tax, but yet our property valuations have gone up, what, 20 percent? 10 percent?" he said "which will wipe out any of those tax savings."Ripperger said the one cent sales tax hike does not take effect until July 1 and will not affect property taxes until 2020 and 2021.He said homeowners wanting to sell their homes can benefit from an increased assessment."When the biggest investment you make in your life, or one of the biggest investments goes up, that's a good thing," he said.Tax assessments can be informally protested until April 25. Formal protests can be filed until June 5.