Auditor announces triennial update for real estate parcels

In accordance with Ohio Law (Ohio Revised Code 5713.01), the County Auditor must appraise all real estate parcels every six years. The most recent reappraisal for Highland County was for Tax Year 2012 (payable in 2013). Each county must then have a triennial update completed at the midpoint of the reappraisal cycle as cited in Ohio Revised Code 5713.33.

Highland County has just completed this required triennial update for Tax Year 2015 (payable in 2016). The difference between the every six year appraisal and the triennial update (three-year midpoint) is major. During the appraisal, each parcel must be viewed and evaluated. During the triennial update, any changes are determined solely by the sales per neighborhood during the past three years.

For 2016, residential properties will increase by a total of 2.3 percent. Some value increases will be less and some more. Agricultural market values are increasing throughout the county by a total of 8.01 percent. Again, some will be higher and some lower. Due to the limited number of sales for comparisons, commercial and industrial values will remain unchanged.

As most farmers are aware, when the county completes either a reappraisal or an update, the Department of Taxation provides new soil values for parcel in the Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) program. These values have again increased significantly. Practically all CAUV soil values have increased with some as high as doubling.

If anyone would like to know if their real estate value has changed, please call the Auditor’s Office at (937) 393-1915 before Sept. 30. These new values are not available on the website. Please know that we cannot tell what your real estate taxes will be next year; we have only the market values and CAUV values.