Lorain County residential property values to rise an average of 31 percent this year

Lorain County residential property values will rise an average of 31 percent this year after the 2024 sexennial reappraisal process, according to the county Auditor's Office. The sexennial — every six years — reappraisal is a house-to-house, parcel-to-parcel effort to determine the value of 171,000 residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial parcels in the county. State law requires every county parcel to be reappraised every six years. County Auditor Craig Snodgrass said multiple factors, including the housing market and regional housing and land sales, affect property values. That does not necessarily mean an equal increase in taxes, he said. "That does not mean your taxes will go up 31 percent," Snodgrass said. "It might be 10 percent, it might be 12 percent. Some will be higher and some will be lower. We're looking at conditions that may affect the value. Sales are the largest factor, but we look at other things as well." The reappraisal numbers can be found at auditor.loraincounty.com/auditor. He will then take his presentations and data on the road. Homeowners starting with those in Elyria, Elyria Township and North Ridgeville will get letters offering them the chance to register for an in-person explanation of their valuation. The letter will include instructions on how to register for a 15-minute appointment Aug. 5-8 at the Lorain County Community College University Partnership Ridge Campus, 32121 Lorain Road, North Ridgeville. "And if they (homeowners) don't believe it's correct, it's higher or lower, they can bring in any evidence they have of reappraisal, recent sales or defects to the property that may affect the value. They can bring it in," Snodgrass said. "It's not required, it's a choice to come in or not." Other appointments will be offered in other sections of the county, all of whom will be informed ahead of time by letter: Amherst, Amherst and Brownhelm townships, Lorain, Vermilion: Aug. 12-15, Heritage Presbyterian Church, 515 N. Leavitt Road, Amherst; Commercial and industrial properties countywide: Aug. 19-22, Lorain County Auditor's Office, second floor, County Administration Building, 226 Middle Ave., Elyria; Brighton, Camden, Carlisle, Columbia, and Eaton townships; South Amherst, Kipton, Grafton, Grafton Township, Henrietta Township, Huntington Township, LaGrange, LaGrange Township, Penfield Township, Pittsfield Township, Rochester, Rochester Township, New Russia Township, Oberlin, Wellington, Wellington Township: Aug. 26-29, The Lodge of New Russia Township, 46300 Butternut Ridge Road, New Russia Township; Avon, Avon Lake, Sheffield Lake, Sheffield, Sheffield Township: Sept. 9-12, Joyce E. Hanks Community Center, 4575 E. Lake Road, Sheffield Lake. Some rural and agricultural property values will go up then be adjusted down due to the Current Agricultural Use Valuation program, or CAUV program, Snodgrass said. "A lot of farms are being sold, people are developing (those properties), which has really affected the valuation of the rural lands," he said. "However with the benefit of the CAUV program, many of those properties will get reduced down ... But from a valuation perspective we're seeing a large jump due to sales." Another factor is that there are six school levies on the November ballot in Lorain, Avon Lake and Columbia Township to be decided by voters. Snodgrass said those issues would affect property taxes. The state wants Lorain County property value estimates to be about 95 percent of market value — $95,000 for a home that sells for $100,000, for example, Snodgrass said. Questions about the process may be directed to the auditor's office at (440) 329-5207 or by email to auditor@LorainCounty.com. Owners who think their values are too high or too low can file an appeal with the county Board of Revision starting Jan. 2 and ending March 31, 2025. Only one appeal may be filed every three years. The 2021 triennial, or every three years' revaluation process, increased property values by an average of more than 16 percent countywide based on a selection of housing sales from the previous three years, 2018-20. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.