Pittsylvania County property reassessments causing a stir
Pittsylvania County property reassessment notices began arriving in mailboxes last weekend and at least two county supervisors say their own results show surprisingly high assessment.
County residents have complained to them of similar increases in value, supervisors said Wednesday.
Tunstall Supervisor Tim Barber said the assessed value of the building and 1-acre lot for his business, Barber Automotive Center, shot up 28 percent from four years ago. Barber, who plans to appeal the results, said his district’s residents have expressed concerns about assessments being too high and, in some cases, too low.
“It’s certainly something we (the Board of Supervisors) should look into,” Barber said Wednesday.
Barber said he is encouraging property owners unhappy with their assessments to appeal. Wingate and Associates, which conducts assessments for the county, needs to explain the increase and give justification for the results, Barber said.
Don Thomas, vice president of field operations for Wingate and Associates, which performed the assess-ments from late 2008 to early this month, said the county’s overall assessment increased 8.7 percent from four years ago, factoring in taxable and tax-exempt parcels. The county’s value went from $4.3 billion when last assessed in 2005 to $4.6 billion this year.
Wingate assessed 49,113 taxable and tax-exempt parcels in Pittsylvania County, Thomas said. Overall value of taxable property in the county was about $4.2 billion.
Wingate performs assessments for Pittsylvania County, which is required by state law to have property re-assessments every four years. This year’s re-assessment will take effect in 2010 and determine how much county real-estate tax property owners will pay.
When evaluating a property, Wingate’s staff takes into account a building’s condition, construction cost and quality, location and proximity to amenities such as shopping centers or schools.
The board of supervisors sets the real-estate tax rate. If overall property values increase more than 1 percent, state law mandates that the board of supervisors advertise a tax-rate hike and hold a public hearing, said Callands-Gretna Supervisor Fred Ingram, who serves on the board’s Finance Committee.
Ingram said customers at his Gretna restaurant, Crossroads, have expressed disgruntlement to him about high assessments.
“They have vented their frustrations out on me,” Ingram said. “I have no answers for them because I’m surprised too.”
Ingram said his residence, restaurant and the land he owns have all shown an increase in value, including a 7-percent hike in value for a 2 1/2-acre lot next to his home. Ingram said he was surprised the values went up in the middle of a recession.
Thomas said complaints from property owners usually follow reassessments.
“That’s not an uncommon thing for reassessments,” Thomas said. Monday and lasting about two weeks, Thomas said. Owners can meet with the Board of Assessors on those dates in Chatham to appeal. The board includes Bobby Gene Atkinson, Clyde Burnette, Jack Miller and John C. Blair.
Wingate can also make changes if the property owner can prove the market value is above or below the assessor’s findings, Thomas said.
“We can evaluate their merit and, if necessary, make adjustments,” Thomas said.
Thomas said the reassessed values show a snapshot of real-estate values primarily in 2008. Wingate cannot gauge whether the elevated results reflect a period when real-estate values were higher just before the recession hit full force in late 2008 and lasted into this year, Thomas said.
“If there is a decline (in values), it’s difficult for us to measure at this point,” he said.
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Reader Reactions
I just hope the taxpayers understand when the supervisors say they will lower the tax rate or keep it the same. With the higher assessments we are still going to pay more even if they don’t raise the taxes. As for the assessors, someone said they don’t have to be licensed. If that is true, anyone could do it. My dad has not made any improvements to his house, other than a new roof, in the last 4 years and his assessment went up almost $50 grand. That is ridiculous. I guess the assessor liked his house better than the others in the area.
No offense, hope you sell your lot…good point on the tax increases, but I would be happy to see a modest across the board increase of 2-3 percent, as we all know, no prices stay the same, they are always going up. I guess bottomline the county must have a certain dollar amount to administer the county..all we can do is demand efficiency.
andy; My sincere apology for mis-quoting you.
The way to remedy this assessment is to have the Board Of Supervisors reset the tax rate where the property owner pays the very same dollar amount on the same property in 2010 as 2009. If the Board does not go along, note that member, and vote them out.
Businesses, families and individuals have all had to buckle down and do with less in this recession, and government is no better.
Assessors can assess any amount they want, but supervisors do not have to tax it upward. Each property owner must hold their supervisor accountable at the voting booth! We don’t need more so-called “services”. We need NO MORE TAX INCREASES!!
You all need to look up the meaning of “assessment”. It is NOT an appraisal. They are two completely different things. The property characteristics are entered into a computerized system. The computer aids the assessor in estimating the property value. Information from actual sales is used to update your market value.An assessment is a tool used by a municipal government to determine the average value of a property and is used for levying property taxes in a fair manner. Assessors may be licensed appraisers, but for assessment purposes, no license is actually required. Most of an assessor’s research and findings are taken from public records on a property. In short most assessments are BELOW market value.
You misquoted me. I said houses in quality or I should have said average condition. I am not speaking of raw land. Raw land is much harder to valuate, because of its opportunity value. Let me know how many houses in Pittsylvania county are listed BELOW assessed value, I bet it will be very few. Remember, raw land, commercial and unique property is much harder to valuate, much less sell.
andy: I have a vacant lot I have been trying to sell for the last 6 months for 25% below the Pittsylvania County assessed value, and no one has taken me up on the offer. Don’t tell me land is not overpriced because, YOU ARE MIS-INFORMED AND WRONG!
There is so much mis-information out there. Virgina law states that the county is to assess at 100 percent of the value, not any less. I love to hear someone gripe “they assessed my house at 150k” later in the conversation, ask them how much they would have to have to sell, and they say, “i wouldn’t take less than 200k” i rest my case…9 out of 10 would sell your home in a week if you listed at assessement if the home is quality condition.
I had to appeal mine in Caswell. My property contains the Bryant Farm Drum Dump, the Superfund Hazardous Waste disaster. Yet it was valued as if it were road frontage. I did get a reduction, but nothing like what it is really worth.
The question to ask the appraisers, is it possible to sell the property for what it is appraised at? If not, then the appraisal is incorrect. If they insist on it, then tell them to find a buyer. This isn’t realistic for family properties, where there is sentimental value. But many times, selling is the best option.
It causes a stir every 4 years, but nothing ever gets done about it!
While some Board members may complain about the increase, it also gives them “cover” to raise the land owner’s taxes while blaming it on the assessors.
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