By: Ryan Renner, Realtor
I'm an Omaha real estate agent with 7+ years of experience. If you are considering buying or selling home in the Omaha area, please reach out.
Did you just get a notice in the mail that your property value shot up?
You have time to protest your property value if you think the value is wrong.
The 2023 Real Property Valuation Protest process through the Douglas County Board of Equalization is June 1 - 30, 2023. Protests submitted outside of that timeframe cannot be accepted.
On June 1, 2023, you will be able to file a protest online. You will also have the option to submit a protest on paper and mail/deliver it to the Board of Equalization.
Take the time to make your case before filing your appeal with the Douglas County Board of Equalization. After you've filed your appeal, you won't be able to add any new evidence.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, about 50 percent of appeals result in lower valuations. A lower valuation can save a homeowner hundreds of dollars per year. You can file an appeal even if your valuation has stayed the same as the previous year.
There are many reasons why a home's valuation may be inaccurate or unfair. Start by looking up your property on the county assessor's web site. Douglas County residents can easily access this information by going to dcassessor.org. Check to make sure that all of the information they have on file is correct. Maybe the square footage is wrong, or maybe they've credited your home with a feature that it doesn't have. Provide documentation with the correct information.
A home's condition also affects it's value. If your home needs major structural repairs, take pictures and get professional estimates.
Perhaps you've just bought your house, and the valuation doesn't reflect the true market value. Include the purchase agreement in your appeal. Other factors, such as the time the home was on the market and the seller's price reductions may also help your case.
It's also helpful to collect data on similar homes in your neighborhood. Look at the property valuations on other homes that are similar to yours. If they tend to be lower, document this information. You can also look up the selling prices of other homes in your neighborhood to make your case.
Once you've armed yourself with all of your evidence, it's time to file your protest. You can fill out the protest form either online or print it out.
For more information, visit the Board of Equalization.
