Wurr

The Marshall County Assessor’s Office has hired the Cedar Rapids-based firm Vanguard Appraisal to conduct an upcoming door-to-door reappraisal project covering almost all properties in the county beginning in December, and while it may make some residents and business owners nervous, Assessor Blaze Wurr explained some of the details and the rights of property owners during a recent interview with the T-R.

Wurr said the upcoming project is separate from the market update conducted every two years to assess property values, and the door-to-door reappraisal is recommended by the Iowa Department of Revenue at least once every 10 years.

“So they are different but they also are kind of similar. Our appraisers are always out and about trying to go on the road based off permits, checks or just driving by and seeing something new that may be on a property, and we try to pick up that property to make sure our listing is as correct as possible for any changes that we see, any changes that we know about through permits or if we get called out to come and inspect a property, trying to make any changes that need to be made,” he said. “So what this reappraisal project is about is to try and to get our listing information as correct as possible. It will correlate with assessed values, but we will not know what the market will be doing in tax year 2028 because that is ahead in the future. If the market is down, we will react to the market being down. It’s all based on the sales that are happening at that time. If the market is stagnant, then we’ll be staying stagnant. If the market is higher than what it is, stronger than what it is, we would be most likely increasing values based off that. But again, this reappraisal project is all just about trying to get our information as correct as possible to create fair and equitable values for the taxpayers.”

Vanguard staff will wear their company polos and an ID signed by Wurr, and they have been trained on proper etiquette including knocking on the door, introducing themselves, explaining why they are there and asking if the taxpayer wants an exterior or interior inspection. Appraisers’ pictures will be on the county assessor’s website along with vehicle information.

Residents are not required to allow them inside, but Wurr said they will ask questions about information on remodels and finishes within the house that may be pertinent to the appraisal.

“If they are there and they say no, we don’t want either one of them (interior or exterior), that may be a chance to where we’ll have to use our estimating and go from the outside and what’s current with market trends. That may be less accurate for the taxpayer when the final values do come out, so in a perfect world, cooperation on either answering questions or allowing us to come in (to) do an interior and an exterior would be the most perfect world for us to try and create those most accurate fair and equitable values across the county,” he said. “But we do know there may be chances that we may get denied on some of that stuff.”

If the appraiser knocks and no one answers, Wurr said they will do “what they can” based on exterior measurements and come back a day or two later for a follow-up, and if they aren’t available the second time, a door hanger will be left at the entry to try to arrange either a phone interview or an appointment. While there is currently no exact start date for the project, it is expected to commence sometime in the first week of December with residential properties on the north side of Marshalltown. Vanguard has performed similar work in other counties, including a current project in Hardin County and one in Tama County a few years ago.

“It’s not unusual for us to hire them to use them to try and use them to help with getting our information more accurate and going about this,” Wurr said.

He reiterated that the level of participation in the process is up to the taxpayers themselves, and they have a right to appeal valuations once they are released. In addition to the assessor’s office, he noted that realtors, insurance companies, other appraisers and entities such as Planning and Zoning boards all use the information gathered for various purposes.

The project is expected to take approximately two years in all and will include all classifications other than agricultural land. Wurr noted that his office does not have anything to do with the tax rates that are ultimately set as they are determined by the state rollback factor, exemptions, levy rates of all the taxing authorities listed on the bottom of a tax bill and credits.

“These things can fluctuate depending on legislation, the market, and the needs of the taxing authority,” he said.

Kelli Thurston, a broker/owner and REALTOR ® with Legacy Real Estate in Marshalltown, told the T-R she has heard from several homeowners since the reappraisal project was announced, mostly inquiring about their rights and obligations when it comes to cooperating with the Vanguard representatives.

“Many homeowners value their privacy and know they have a right to privacy within their own home, therefore many homeowners are asking the question: ‘Am I required to allow this third party company into my home?’ Additionally, homeowners are concerned about the financial impact of the reassessment process. If their property’s assessed value increases thereby increasing their property taxes, they will either see higher mortgage payments (if their mortgage includes a property tax escrow) or an overall higher amount due on their annual property tax bill,” Thurston said. “The County is, understandably, encouraging all property owners to allow entry to their homes for this assessment process. However, until more information is made available to the public regarding this process and what rights homeowners have, this process may be met with lack of cooperation.”

She added that other communities where similar projects are conducted have posted Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and answers on their website regarding the rights of the homeowner, whether they can be penalized for not cooperating, steps in the appeal process, whether there are limits on how much an assessment and/or taxable value can increase and how exterior valuations will be conducted without interior access.

“Before homeowners will willingly open their doors, they will want further details on what their rights are and what financial impact this may or may not have on them,” Thurston said. “A lack of transparency in this process will likely be met with closed doors from homeowners.”

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Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com