GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — With the real estate market heating up around Charlotte metro, it should come as no surprise property values have gone up.
Staff at the Gaston County tax office set up a temporary space in the lobby of the Gaston County Administration building as a reappraisal information center, ready for the influx of homeowners to come in with concerns.
A spokesperson for Gaston County sent WCNC Charlotte a statement:
"The Gaston County Tax Office has been hard at work on the 2023 reappraisal for more than two years. Gaston County was mandated by the North Carolina Department of Revenue (NCDOR) to complete a reappraisal by Jan.1, 2024, due to the change in market values seen since our last reappraisal in 2019. That happened to coincide with our current schedule of conducting reappraisals every four years.
The county has been incredibly proactive, with the Tax Office holding dozens of public meetings from one side of our county to another in 2022, to prepare residents for the reappraisal. In addition, the county created how-to videos to walk residents through the process, the availability of some free tools for people and outline the information they need to know, should they choose to appeal. All those resources have been shared through the county's social media channels and are available at WeValueGaston2023.com.
It's important to note that valuations are only a part of the process. The Board of Commissioners will establish the new property tax rate in the months ahead as part of the budget process. That rate has already been lowered over the last several years, to a point now where it is at its lowest level since 1996."
The current residential property assessments cover the period from Jan.1, 2019 to the end of 2022.
Attorney Larry Shaheen, Jr., from MacIntosh Law Firm, who handles appeals of appraisals, said that he expects to see a busy appeal season.
"The mass appraisal survey that they do of all property sales and information in the county is going to result in high values," Shaheen told WCNC Charlotte.
Gaston County resident, Armanda Itson, stopped by the tax office to see what she can do about the increased tax value notice she just received. She bought her Gastonia home more than five years ago for about $110,000. Since the county says it's worth more, this means that she would have to pay more taxes on it. The current assessment showed her house is valued at almost $173,000. That would translate into a tax bill estimated to be between $700 and $1000 more for 2023.
Itson said she is appealing that decision.
"Yes, the last time I just went and paid. This time is different," Itson said.
Shaheen explained that in North Carolina, the assessor's value is presumed correct.
"But you will be afforded an opportunity as a taxpayer to challenge your value if you choose to do so," Shaheen said. "What's important is that you bring the evidence necessary to the assessor, so they can actually reduce the value if it's necessary."
That evidence, he said, is an appraisal.
"If they follow the process, they're more than likely going to find that either their value's correct, or they'll be able to get their value corrected, provided they have the right information," said Shaheen.
You can make an appointment to file an informal appeal at the temporary reappraisal information center until the end of March or online.
Jane Monreal: Contact Jane Monreal at jmonreal@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.