More than 20,000 questioned their property’s value. Few in Mecklenburg succeeded so far
Fewer than 250 Mecklenburg County property owners have succeeded in lowering their property values through formal appeals, but thousands of 2023 revaluation appeals remain unresolved, according to county data.
Revaluation, which is conducted every four years by the Mecklenburg County Assessor’s Office, determines the tax value of a property and helps decide taxes paid.
The 2023 period arrived amid a hot real estate market in Charlotte and on the heels of a revaluation period in 2019 that led to numerous appeals and another in 2011 that sparked costly reviews, state action and refunds, the Observer reported previously.
Property owners filed more than 20,000 informal appeals during the 2023 revaluation cycle and just under 7,000 formal appeals through early July, county data show. Fewer than 400 of the latter have been resolved, with just over 200 resulting in a decrease in valuation as of July 6.
The larger effect is still the same. People who own property in Mecklenburg will pay more in taxes this year because the rate set by county commissioners — 47.31 cents per $100 in value — is higher than the revenue-neutral rate. But revaluation can signal whether individual property owners will get a break.
“You can have a very expensive property with what seems like a large increase, but if it’s significantly below the average for the county, you can end up with a decrease,” Mecklenburg County Assessor Ken Joyner said. “It really just depends on how your property moved with the market compared to the overall increase across the county.”
How many appealed their revaluation in Mecklenburg County?
The Mecklenburg County Assessor’s Office received 23,285 informal appeals of 2023 revaluations out of more than 400,000 properties through June 30, according to data from the county. And the office has resolved 17,542 — about 75% — of those informal appeals through July 6.
That’s lower than the number filed in 2019, Joyner said, when the assessor’s office received “just under 30,000” informal appeals.
During an informal review, property owners meet with the assessor to review their revaluation statement and address any possible errors.
Those not happy with the outcome of their informal appeal can pursue a formal appeal to be reviewed by the Board of Equalization and Review, led by “civilian volunteers.” Most did not, with 6,962 formal appeals filed through July 6, the county’s data showed. That’s about 30% of the informal appeals submitted.
Property owners had 30 days after the date listed on their revaluation notification to file an informal appeal with the county assessor.
The assessor’s office won’t have a final count on the number of formal appeals until all informal appeals are worked, according to Joyner, because those still in the informal process could end up filing a formal appeal. Joyner said his office aims to wrap up the appeals process “within the fiscal year.”
Where did appeals come from in Mecklenburg County?
Many of the areas that logged the most appeals were in south Charlotte, according to an Observer data analysis.
Parts of Eastover, Dilworth and SouthPark registered more than 150 appeals from homeowners, records show.
Communities further south — along Providence Road, Rea and Carmel roads — logged between 125 and 225 appeals.
Myers Park was among the neighborhoods with the most appeals, filing some 260 with the county.
Neighborhoods north, around Cornelius, and southwest, near Steele Creek, also saw a large number of appeals — more than 220 in some areas, records show.
But it wasn’t just homeowners who filed formal appeals — commercial properties such as Home Depot, the Omni Charlotte Hotel and State Employees Credit Union are among those who’ve gone through the appeals process, the county’s data shows.
Two Home Depot-owned properties saw no change, and a company store in the University City area saw a decrease. The Omni Hotel saw no change. And one State Employees Credit Union got a decrease while another saw no change.
How many are winning their revaluation appeal?
Of the 6,962 formal appeals filed, 387 have been agreed to, withdrawn or adjudicated by July 6, according to county data. The majority of those cases — more than 300 — were over residential properties.
Residential appeals tend to outpace commercial, Joyner said, because of “the sheer magnitude” of residential properties in the county compared to commercial land.
The county recommended a decrease in revaluation value in 241 of 387 cases, according to an Observer analysis of data provided by the assessor’s office, and the board OK’d a decrease in 210 cases.
In 75 cases, the county recommended no change in valuation, according to the data, and the board OK’d no change in 60 of those cases.
An increase in value was recommended 11 times and OK’d 10 times by the board.
No board decision was listed in 48 cases. One case related to penalties rather than a property value dispute. And 59 cases were withdrawn, according to the assessor’s office’s data.
Those who appealed and don’t agree with the board’s decision can appeal again to the state Property Tax Commission.
Observer reporter Gavin Off contributed to this story.
This story was originally published July 13, 2023 at 3:57 PM.
