Our Hamilton County property tax appraisals have been mailed or in some cases will shortly be mailed. Many other property owners I have spoken with agree these appraisals seem to be a totally unrealistic evaluation of our Hamilton County property values. We each have the right to appeal, and the more of us who raise a ruckus the more likely it is that something will be done to correct or rescind the evaluations.

I understand from statements made by Mr. Roy Rumfelt of the tax assessor’s office that the 2009 appraisal values were determined using "drive by exterior assessment." I find it very difficult to believe that in four years my property value has increased to the extent of this appraisal. I therefore have requested an explanation as to how the appraisal price for our home was determined. I want to see the documentation that justifies the appraisal value for our property.

I received my 2009 tax evaluation this past Saturday. I was absolutely blown away by the increase. The last time property was "appraised" was 2005. State law mandates "reappraisal every four years." I use the term appraised loosely because a drive by review of your property is only a cursory effort at best. It is true that by state law the county cannot gain a "windfall of revenue" in the year of which the reappraisals are conducted. However, forevermore afterward you will pay taxes based upon the baseline established for your property in 2009, that is, if you do not appeal now all subsequent / future appraisals will be based on what is "of record." Even if there is not a tax rate increase, beginning in 2010 you will pay more taxes in 2010, 2011, 2012 just because the 2009 base value (upon which they calculate your property tax) has increased.

Why am I on my soap box? Because my home was appraised with a 33.25 percent increase in value since the 2005 appraisal. I have made no improvements to either the interior or exterior of my home since 2005. Check your tax appraisal notice as soon as you get it, they allow only 10 calendar days in which to file an appeal.

I have filed a request for review. I encourage you all to do the same. I also encourage you to make your friends, neighbors, family and co-workers aware of this, ask them to also check their appraisals and file for a review. I spoke with a real estate broker today who recently sold a home only a couple of blocks from my home so he is very familiar with my neighborhood. In his opinion the county appraisal of my home does not represent a fair market / realistic value when considering the area our home is located in, the sales market nor the potential to market the house at that price. The broker said they have received several calls of this nature so the problem seems to be widespread not an isolated case. The real estate broker is also filing a review request for his own personal residence.

Others I have spoken with tell me of increases as low as 13%, which is probably reasonable over a four year timeframe. Then on the other hand one person said their 2009 appraisal increased $50,000 on a home they bought two years ago in 2007.

Please do not let this slide by, voice your objection. This amounts to a tax increase that will come out of your pocket.

Many of us are retirees, in such economic times as these our local government must tighten their belt, live within their means and cut expenses just as we individual citizens must do. If that means a reduction in county services then so be it, these are tough times requiring tough decisions. I've had to do it, why shouldn't our county government?

Perhaps it is too big a task to require the elected commissioners to individually review the requested budget for each department, but why not set up a panel of citizens to review and make recommendations? At least that way we tax paying citizens could have a say so in what is spent.

Tom Wheatley
Soddy Daisy

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Thanks Tom Wheatley,
You expressed the feelings of many property owners very well. It's about time we stood up to these people that think all they have to do to get more revenue is tack on more taxes.

We are being bilked for the purposes of a few and it's time to stop.

Things are too tough all over now to tax us out of our homes.

Thank you, Tom, and anyone else who wants to object to the unfair appraisals that have been sent out to Hamilton County homeowners for 2010.

Call your assessor and complain 'now'.

Roy Williams
Ooltewah

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Tom Wheatley provides us with some interesting information. If your property increased $15,000 to $20,000, or more, you most definitely need to ask for a reappraisal. It is unknown what method is really used to assess the value of a person’s house, but this year provides them with a challenge that they cannot ignore.

For example, my house appraised, by my mortgage company, for approximately $136,000.00 in latter 2007. In mid-2008, I was interested in refinancing through my mortgage company. The 2008 appraisal was $112,000. This is the result of the real estate bubble bursting, not deflating.

In Orlando, Fla., real estate, generally, is worth nearly ½ of what it was worth in 2007. What I have found is that realtors are in denial while trying to sell real estate at a continued, artificially set-prices. Unlike the pre-2008 real estate appraisals, the present real estate appraisals are to be done “by the book.” Banks and mortgage companies cannot take the risks that they took prior to January 2008.

In short, our real estate appraisals should actually be less than they were in 2005. The county is not going to like this, but the facts of life are upon all of us. This is a serious recession, a near depression. We all have to suffer from the loss, home owners and government alike. It is evident from these real estate assessments that county and city government desire not to suffer, and this is unfortunate.

This year, I would strongly advocate that property owners bring their case to the state, in the event that the county fails to comply with real estate appraisals and the local market.

My property appraises at a -$3,500 from the 2005 appraisal. Now what do we do? The county officials will undoubtedly dislike the prospect of decreasing my property appraisal by $3,500. Other property owners will undoubtedly fall into this same category.

We should not envy the officials at the property assessor’s Office. After all, they have a great amount of problems to look forward to here. If the real estate bubble did not burst, these prices most likely would have been close to sustainable. However, this is not the case and there is a need to address the falling property values.

Don Drennon Gala, Ph.D.
Hixson

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I noticed that these people who are upset with the tax notices are county residents.

What would they do if they had to pay both city and county taxes?

Maybe Metro would be an answer to the tax problem - equal tax for everyone.

Robbie Green

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I fully and totally agree with Tom Wheatley, Roy Williams, Don Gala and Robbie Green on their opinions of the Hamilton County tax appraisals for 2009.

I live in East Lake and I do pay both the Hamilton County and city of Chattanooga property tax. I bought my home in 2001 with a tax appraisal of $25,700. My home was built also in 1946. I remodeled my home by adding a new room, siding, windows and back deck in 2002. In 2003, after I completed the work of remodeling, my tax appraisal went to $40,300. Two years later, in 2005, my tax appraisal went to $44,900. I really thought the appraisal in 2005 was fair and just. I had improved my house at the time.

In 2009, my tax appraisal has now gone to a whopping $71,800. I too, was absolutely blown away by this appraisal. I did expect a slight increase of a few thousand at most, maybe up to a $5,000 increase max, but a $26,900 increase is totally out of line and ridiculous.

I live down here on the poor side of town. This is Manny Rico's section of town and I sincerely hope he will try to make things right as best he can and speak up against these out-of-line appraisals. All of the homes in East Lake, Clifton Hills area of Rossville Boulevard are old and even some of these homes need to be torn down and done away with.

Since 2005, I have been unable to do anything to my house and yard due to health problems beyond my control. I did have a large oak tree cut down in my side yard in 2007 and I had thought about cutting down another old oak tree in my front yard. But now I am beginning to understand why so many folks in East Lake/Clifton Hills, don't do anything to their homes for fear of being taxed from the very homes they own, if they make any kind of improvements to their property. Why paint, clean and fix up to be overtaxed?

I know the city has wanted people to move back into the city area of Chattanooga for some time, as so many were moving to areas out in the county or across state lines. I moved from an apartment in 2001 to this home with the hopes of living here forever and having a place that looked nice and was comfortable.

I can also see why so many folks have moved to the state of Georgia for lower property taxes. If anyone wanted to buy an older house and then begin to restore it to a better living condition, I don't think you will find many who will want to undertake the options of being overtaxed from your home after you improve the appearance of your property.

I know Hamilton County and city of Chattanooga schools need money badly, and government in general is in need of money also, but we are now in an economic time where everyone is wondering if they will have a job, be able to buy food, pay mortgages/rent and just in general survive these hard times and what many don't want to call a recession. Everyone must tighten their belts and try to work together to make it through these hard economic times. I can't see our local government trying to burden the taxpayers of Hamilton County by raising the appraisals of their homes so they can get more tax revenue. That is all this is about - a way to get more money for Hamilton County and city of Chattanooga government by taxing us unfairly on our property.

I don't care about all the opinions of a few years ago and how property was at this level of worth in 2005, 2006 or 2007. This is now 2009, and times are very tight, property values have gone down and we may not have seen the worst of times yet.

The state of Tennessee needs money, the United States federal government needs money and we the people need money. The federal government, Hamilton County and city of Chattanooga had better learn to do with what money they have to spend for now. Chattanooga is extremely blessed to not be in as bad a shape money wise as some other cities and towns in this great nation. Let's see if our elected officials for the county of Hamilton and city of Chattanooga can get things going in a better direction by controlling their spending and letting the economy come back to a level of poste rity for all.

John Appling
Chattanooga

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I am also shocked by my new tax appraisal. My property had a previous appraisal of $125,000 and the new amount is $151,000. That is a 20% increase.

I have had nothing at all done to my property to increase the value. For crying out loud, I've lived here for 10 years and I still have a mostly bare dirt yard with very little grass growing (lazy I know).

My last bank appraisal in 2007 was for $115,000 and I am surrounded by homes that are 30+ years older than mine that were "neighborhood" valued in the $80,000 range.

To whomever appraised my homes value, if you'll come give me the $151,000 in cash, I'll let you have it. For that amount, I'll even throw in the furniture and the dog. You know where I live if you're interested.

In the meantime, I, too, will be appealing the increase.

Tom Donelson
Hixson

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I also received my new tax appraisal last Saturday and I've been livid ever since. If my house is worth $133,000 (and that's up 20% from the last appraisal), then the city of Chattanooga can write me a check today.

You ought to see the dump that is next door to my home. Where in the world they got their appraisal from is beyond me. I had my house appraised last year by the bank and it's nowhere worth what the assessor is appraising it for.

We all need to revolt. This is so absurd and gouging in the highest degree. Does the tax assessor's office think we should just accept it? Not! I have appealed the increase and I encourage everybody else to do the same.

Erin Bruce-Stusak