In some cases, owners can expect steeper property tax bills to pay next year. Others may see their taxes go down — even if their property value went up.
There are ways property owners can dispute their new valuation and possibly avoid a larger tax hike, but they need to prove their property is actually worth less than what the county thinks it is. It all starts with filing a complaint for an informal review with the county’s Appraisal Department and later, if needed, a formal complaint with the Board of Revision.
Ron O’Leary, administrator of the Cuyahoga County Board of Revision, which hears those property value complaints, said he expects between 13,000 and 15,000 of them this year. There were about 19,000 complaints filed in 2018 after the last six-year, or sexennial, reappraisal, he said.
“Six years ago, we were coming out from the housing crash. I think the increases stunned people. Their mindset was: 10 years earlier, their house lost half its value,” O’Leary said. “In tax year 2018, I think people were still thinking the increase in values were maybe not going to be all that long-lived.
“Now, we’re a solid 10 to 12 years into the point where the values have been increasing,” he continued. “I think a lot of people — they’re not gonna be happy with the increases that they have. … But I think conceptually, people know prices have been going up and up and up.”
How do these appraisals work?
The state requires property reappraisals every six years. This ensures the amount of property taxes that support local schools, parks, libraries and public services are billed based on what a taxable property is actually worth.
In between each reappraisal there are smaller property value updates every three years, based mostly on recent sales of similar homes. But when the more in-depth sexennial reappraisal comes along, the county contracts dozens of licensed property appraisers to visit each home in the county and give them a look-over from the street or sidewalk.
“They’re basically looking to see: Is the roof in good shape? Is there peeling paint? Is there rotted wood? They give it a grade — A, B, C, D,” O’Leary said. “They look at the age of the home, the relative maintenance of the home, if it looks like there’s been any upgrades.”
They’re also learning what they can about renovations or improvements from permits filed with the municipality, O’Leary said. Did you have a plumber install a second bathroom in the basement? The city likely has record of it.
Big-ticket items like new roofs or driveways — both things that are likely visible from the street — are also baked into the new value, he said.
If the property was sold since the last reappraisal, the sale price may simply become the new value, O’Leary said.
Cuyahoga County property owners may have already received a letter from the county Fiscal Office showing how their property value is changing.
The letters were sent in batches, all of which should now be in the mail, said Lisa Rocco, the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Office operations director, during a live Q&A streamed to the city’s social media pages on Wednesday.
Property owners who haven’t gotten theirs by Monday, July 22, can get their property value information by calling the Fiscal Office at 216-443-7420, option 3.
The letter shows the “Current Market Value” of the property and beneath, its “Proposed 2024 Market.” Owners can estimate their new property tax payment by visiting the Fiscal Office website .
Select your taxing district (where the property is located)
Input the current market value included in the letter
Input the proposed 2024 market value included in the letter
If you receive a homestead exemption — usually reserved for residents who are 65 or older or who have permanent disabilities — or the disabled veteran’s exemption, you can select those for the calculation.
The webpage is being updated constantly, said Rocco. If it doesn’t load properly, try using another device or a different web browser.
Since property taxes are paid in arrears for the prior year, the new property values will first be reflected on property taxes for the first half of 2024, which come due in 2025. The updated values won’t become public record until the end of the year, after the state approves the county’s final valuations.
“I know everyone is going to get sticker shock when they open their proposed value notice, but please, please, please go to our website and put your value — your current value, your proposed value — into our tax calculator. … Your taxes are not going to go up proportionate to the percentage of increase of your value. In some cases, you might even go down.”
Lisa Rocco, director of operations for the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Office
The reappraisals may result in lower tax bills for some. That’s because of Ohio House Bill 920 , enacted in 1976, which insulates property taxes from inflation. Under this law, there’s a limit to how much taxing entities like school districts can collect through a levy. Even though a home may now be valued higher than it was six years ago, its tax burden may be shifting to neighbors whose property values saw a larger increase.
“If your value went up under that average of the municipality, your taxes are going to go down,” said Rocco. “Someone else in your community is going to pay more.”
Should you file a complaint?
O’Leary acknowledges that residents whose tax bills are going up aren’t going to be happy about it. But does that mean they should challenge the county’s appraisal?
“Do you think you can sell your property for that value or more? If the answer to that is yes, then [property owners are] not going to get the answer they want through the informal review process or the Board of Revision.”
Ron O’Leary, administrator of the Cuyahoga County Board of Revision
But for those who say, “No, because of the condition of my house, I don’t think I can sell it for that amount,” it might be a good idea to seek an informal review through the Appraisal Department or a hearing through the Board of Revision, O’Leary said.
Appraisers eyeing a property from the street don’t know what’s going on inside. Some homes may appear nice on the outside but have serious problems like structural damage or may be lacking critical maintenance that’s been put off. That may be a good case for a lowered value through the informal review process, said Rocco.
“If that’s the case, please send us contractor estimates,” said Rocco. “We want to know what’s going on inside the property that could possibly have us look at the value again.”
Something like a repaired air conditioner, though potentially pricey, wouldn’t actually affect the property’s value, O’Leary said.
But for major work, like foundation repairs or interior renovations, that was done after Jan. 1, 2024, owners should document it for their hearing, sending in photos of the damage as well as a contractor’s estimate, he said.
How to file a complaint
There are two ways property owners can dispute their new valuation, starting with an informal review to the Appraisal Department. The Fiscal Office’s letter includes a form to start the review process and should include a return envelope to send that letter back, along with any evidence backing up your claim.
If an informal review doesn’t satisfy the dispute, property owners can lodge a formal Complaint Against Valuation with the Board of Revision. The informal review isn’t necessary, but it’s easier to navigate than the formal complaint process, O’Leary said.
In both cases, property owners will have to back up their claim with evidence of the home’s value — but more on that later.
Property owners can file a complaint for informal review with the Appraisal Department between July 1 and Aug. 30 of this year. Either file in person at the county Fiscal Office, electronically through the online portal or by mail to:
Cuyahoga County Administrative Building, 2079 E. 9th Street, 3rd Floor, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
Property owners can expect to get a response in the mail by the end of November.
They can also file a formal tax complaint between Jan. 1, 2025, and March 31, 2025. The DTE Form 1 can be filed online with the Board of Revision, by mail, email or fax at 216-443-8282, or in person to:
Cuyahoga County Administrative Building, 2079 E. 9th St., 2nd Floor, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
March 31 is a hard deadline. “There’s no flexibility,” O’Leary said. Anyone filing on April 1 or later will be turned away, he said.
Don’t have a fax machine? Your local library probably does.
After the complaint is received, the board will set a date for a formal hearing. Owners can file evidence supporting their claim up to seven days before that hearing.
An arms-length sale with a recorded deed, the most common type of property sale, where two unrelated parties deal through their agents
It should be no more than 24 months old
Foreclosures don’t count
If you haven’t yet closed on the property, any document showing the agreed-upon sale amount will do, such as a purchase contract, closing statement or conveyance fee statement.
A recent appraisal done for tax valuation
It must be authenticated by the appraiser during your hearing.
Photos of the interior or exterior of the property showing its condition compared to other similar properties
They should be dated, so repairs done after Jan. 1 aren’t included in the new value.
If the complaint cites repairs, include certified estimates from a contractor.
It should show “hard” costs like material and labor as well as “soft” costs like permits, financing or architectural drawings.
Most often, property owners simply get their own appraisal. They can cost a few hundred dollars, but if your annual property tax is going up drastically, it may be a good idea, said O’Leary. Appraisals are done when the home is refinanced or sold, but the latter example is better, he said.
The next steps
For informal reviews, property owners can expect a response from the Appraisal Department by the end of November. For formal complaints, the Board of Revision will schedule a hearing.
The timing of those hearings varies from year to year, depending on how many complaints are received and how quickly the board is working through them, O’Leary said. About 1,000 property valuation complaints have come in so far this year.
The hearings can be held in-person, by Zoom or by phone. Owners don’t have to be present for them, but it’s “strongly encouraged,” so they can answer questions about their property or filings, O’Leary said.
They’re similar to court proceedings, but board members try not to make them imposing, said O’Leary.
“Though it is an actual hearing, we try to have it be as sort of non-threatening as possible,” O’Leary said.
And, like in a court setting, it may be a good idea to seek an attorney who can argue on your behalf.
O’Leary encourages residents who still have questions to call the Board of Revision office at 216-443-7195 or send an email to borinfo@cuyahogacounty.us .
“Our office prides itself on answering the phones. We will answer the phones and talk for as long as someone has questions,” he said.
In-person informational sessions on the reappraisals kick off later this month at four locations around the county:
Monday, July 29, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Saint Agnes Our Lady of Fatima Church, 6800 Lexington Ave., Cleveland
Tri-C Western Campus Theatre, 11000 W. Pleasant Valley Road, Parma
Thursday, Aug. 1, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Urban Community School, 4909 Lorain Ave., Cleveland
They’re educational seminars about the appraisal process. County appraisers won’t be actually meeting with folks about their property values, officials noted.
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