Can Jackson County Property Owners Get Any Relief From Skyrocketing Assessments?

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Kansas City, MO. - In just a few short weeks, Jackson County property owners will begin receiving their real estate tax statements in the mail.

And for many residents, especially for those on fixed incomes (like seniors), skyroketing property valuations by the County Assessors Office have them fearing just how much they'll owe in property taxes this year.

For example, some homewoners are seeing their property assessments go up by a staggering 100% to 200% increase since the last assessment in 2021. That means property tax bills could double or even tripple for those homeowners.

But this isn't even the most bizarre situation facing Jackson County homeowners.

Earlier in the summer, KCTV 5 had a story about the county Assessor's million dollar mistake due to a major data error.

It turns out that some 500 homes in the county were all assessed at the same valuation: $356,270. However, a majority of those homes were recently bought for just $100,000 to $150,000, which is far below their "assessed" value.

But not every homeowner is complaining about the data glitch. In the same story, KCTV 5 found the owners of a 6,000 square-foot home they had just purchased for one million dollars.

So, they were very pleased with their $356,270 valuation by the assessor.

Possible Refief for Jackson County Homeowners

While tjis year's real estate taxes are due by December 31, 2023, some property owners may get a little repreice from skyrocketing assessments in the future.

Last month, the Jackson County Legislature approved a plan to freeze propeerty taxes for seniors after controversial assessments. According to the plan, those who receive Social Security AND those with an assessed home market value under $550,000 will be eligible for a tax credit starting next year.

Unfortunately, that doesn't offer seniors any relief for this year's high assessments. But in the future, eligible seniors can have their real estate tax bill frozen at the 2023 level.

However, they will need to submit an application for the tax credit by April 2024.

The City of Lee's Summit is trying to take more immediate action on behalf of its property owners. The city is sueing Jackson County over its alleged failures in property tax assessments.

The cities of Blue Springs and Independence are also joining foces to sue Jackson County over property taxes.

But it's unclear how long it will take the courts to decide any legal remedies on behalf of homeowners.

As of right now, it doesn't appear that Jackson County homeowners will get much, if any, relief from skyrocketing assessments, at least not this year.