Part Two: How to Appeal Property Tax Assessment:

The Board of Assessors

In Part One we reviewed how to file an appeal. Part Two will deal with the Board of Assessor and the review of your property.

Once the value is appealed, the Board of Assessors (BOA) will assign an appraiser to review your property. Usually, the appraiser will visit the property in question and take measurements and photos of the structures and property for the record. You can request that you be on location when the review is done. This may give you the opportunity to speak with the appraiser face to face. The appraiser has no right to look inside your home or structures. This can only be done with your permission. The review may also be conducted from their office by reviewing the records and data on your property.

How to Appeal Property Value Assessments: Part One

The Notice

By now, property owners in Georgia should have received their property tax assessment notices (Annual Notice of Assessment) from their county’s Board of Assessors (BOA). Property owners or their agents now have 45 days from the date of the notice to file an appeal. In Douglas County the deadline is 8-15-11.

Read your assessment notice very carefully! The new uniform notice has important information that will help you in the appeals process. This notice is NOT a bill.

Douglas County E-SPLOST 2011

I attended the Douglas County Board of Education’s business meeting last might anticipating a vote on a resolution for a $122 million Special Purpose Local Option Sales (SPLOST) Referendum to take place in November. The vote never happened.

The issue was on the agenda and it was reported by the media that a vote would take place. Board members were also expecting a vote but due to concerns from members Mike Miller and D.T. Jackson the agenda turned to discussion only.

Miller was concern that the board and the public were never given information to explain what was being voted on and what projects were needed. Nor did the resolution state an actually guarantee of a 50/50 split of the revenue. School superintendent Gordon Pritz has publicly stated the proposal was to split the SPLOST money 50/50 between bond debt reductions and school system improvements.

“Ben Franklin” to Visit Douglas County Courthouse

Douglas County Taxpayers Coalition

www.douglastaxes.com

“Ben Franklin” to Visit Douglas County Courthouse

Douglasville, GA: “A penny saved is a penny earned” is the message a Douglas County taxpayers group is sending to property owners as the April 1, 2010 deadline nears to file a property tax return.

James Bell, director of the Douglas County Taxpayers Coalition (DCTC), said Douglas County will get a visit from Benjamin Franklin (Brad Forschner) next Thursdays, March 11 at 11:00am – 1:00pm at the courthouse to bring attention to the April 1st deadline.

Property owners, whose property values have fallen in 2009, can file with the county tax commissioner’s office a PT-50R form to claim the current value. April 1st is also the deadline to file for homestead exemption which can also be filed at the tax commissioner’s office on the 2nd floor of the courthouse.

Property Returns must also be filed if:

Time to file property tax return: April 1 deadline

Property Returns – Has Your Value Changed?

In Douglas County, the deadline to file your PT-50R real property return is April 1st. This is also the deadline to file for homestead exemptions.
Returns must be filed if:

• You purchased or acquired property during the previous year;
• You made any changes during the previous year that would affect the value of your property, such as building or demolishing a house, remodeling, adding pools and decks, etc.;
• You wish to split or combine parcels;

Failing to file a return when required by the deadline will incur a 10% assessment penalty on the unreturned property plus interest at 1% per month, and possibly penalties from the date the tax would be due.  

Douglas County OKs $88m Budget

Yesterday, Dec. 15, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners approved the 2010 budget of $88 million. Property taxes are expected to increase to cover revenue shortfalls.

The Douglas County Sentinel reported the event here>>>

Douglas County School Board: Action Alert

News from: Douglas County Taxpayers Coalition

www.DouglasTaxes.com

Info@douglastaxes.com

1. Action Alert: Attend Douglas County School Board Meeting 7pm Tonight

FOX5 I-Team reporter Randy Travis will be revisiting Douglas County tonight (Monday) at the school board meeting at 7:00pm. His investigative report showed how the school board may be grossly overpaying for legal services.

Read more about this story:

Several citizen has signed up to speak about the issue tonight and need you support and attendance.

FOX 5 I-Team Investigates Douglas County School Board

FOX 5′s I-Team Reporter Randy Travis reports on the Douglas County Board of Education’s contract with Sherrod And Bernard’s contracts and fee.

According to the report, the school board paid the law firm 10 times the going rates for issuing a general obligation bond.

View the story here: http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/subindex/news/iteam

Opinion: Ship them off to a remote island

In My Opinion: by James Bell

They call it a “Retreat”. That’s where public officials run off to some distant location far removed from the citizens and media. Or more appropriately, Webster defines ‘retreat’ as “an act or process of withdrawing especially from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable”.

This week the Douglas County Board of Commissioners, department heads and staff headed out to Pine Mountain, Georgia to determine the budget for 2010.

Pro SPLOST P.A.C. Former by GreyStone CEO

GreyStone Power CEO Headed Pro SPLOST/Jail PAC

From Staff Reports November 16, 2009 Douglas County Journal

Douglasville GA:  A Political Action Committee called Keep Douglas Safe was organized to push the passage of the recent $150 million Douglas County Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) and $120 million Bond referendum on November 3^rd.

Campaign disclosure records from the State Ethics Commission show that GreyStone Power Company President and C.E.O Gary A. Miller and William T. “Terry” Baggett both from Douglasville, Ga. formed the political action committee to solicited cash contribution in support of the passage of the SPLOST/Bond.