Anyone is eligible to apply for a value reduction if they feel their property values have dropped, said Greene County Treasurer Kraig Hagler. That includes relatively unscathed homes that are located in or near neighborhoods that were hit by the storm.
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“If the house is not severely affected, but the neighborhood is affected, they can have the value reviewed,” Hagler said. “People still need help. There’s still a lot of destruction and damage. … It’s a long way from being over.”
The Greene County Board of Revisions determines whether property values should be adjusted on a case-by-case basis. If a property’s value is reduced, it lower’s next year’s tax bills because in Ohio property is taxed based on the previous year’s value.
Residents will also be able to avoid the penalty for late payments, but the bill must be paid first before they can ask for penalty forgiveness.
Hagler said his office will work with residents who do not pay on time, and the penalty forgiveness will be available even if the tax bill isn’t paid within a year.
In Montgomery County, the auditor and treasurer’s offices are allowing residents to file for extensions to defer this year’s property tax payments to next year.
Hagler said he and his office considered offering the same opportunity but decided against it, in part because it would create an administrative problem with the office’s billing software, which applies payments first to accrued interest and back taxes.
Hagler said extending the due date means residents would have to pay two property tax bills in July 2020.
“Individuals would be stuck with a full-year tax payment. What kind of burden would that put on an individual down the road?” Hagler said.
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Greene County Deputy Treasurer Sandra Brubaker said the office has not seen a big increase in phone calls leading up to Friday’s due date. Brubaker said she expects calls and online inquiries will increase as more homeowners reach settlements with insurance companies.
Hagler and Julie Garrett of the U.S. Small Business Administration will be available from 1 to 4 p.m. today to assist storm victims at the Beavercreek Community Library, 3618 Dayton Xenia Road.
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