Residents Have Until July 13th To Appeal Assessments

By REBECCA HAZEN
News Editor

Chief Appraiser at the Dade County Tax Assessors Office, Paula Duvall, told community members that assessment notices have been mailed, during the weekly county update on Thursday, June 3.

The assessment notices were mailed Friday, May 28.

“Your assessment notice is giving you the information of the value of your property that you were taxed on for 2021,” Duvall said.

Residents who disagree with the value have an opportunity to file an appeal. They have until July 13, which is 45 days from the day the notice was mailed.

“If you do not appeal by July 13, your right to file an appeal for 2021 is lost. You cannot file an appeal when you get your tax bill in September-October,” Duvall said.

Duvall explained what to do if you are going to appeal, and explained how to fill out the appeal form.
“The first thing you have to do is decide what exactly are you appealing? Do you think yours is more, do you see us being unfair in some particular area? Do you think we are taxing something that we shouldn’t be? That is what is called the grounds for appeal,” Duvall explained.

The tax payer will have to decide which pathway they would want to go if the appeal is not settled between the tax payer and the Board of Assessors.

There are different pathways: the Board of Equalization, arbitration, hearing officer, or go directly to the superior court.

There is a box on the form that is a requirement to fill out, which is the owner’s value assertion.

“If you do not agree, what do you feel your property would bring today, if you were to sell it out on the open market,” Duvall said.

There is also a space on the form for comments. Duvall noted that more comments would help the Tax Assessors Office to make a decision.

“Please come in and talk to us before you file your appeal. Let us show you how we got the value,” Duvall said.

If a change is made to the property value, the owner will receive another assessment notice in the mail with the adjusted value. There will be a 30-day appeal time for that new value.

Alison Henderson, Dade County 4-H Educator, reminded citizens that there are upcoming 4-H summer day camps for different age groups of students.

Register at the Ag Center, 114 Pace Drive, Trenton (the lower parking lot of the Middle School.) The Ag Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m – noon and 1-5 p.m. Call (706) 657-4116 for more information.

The D.A.D.E Grass Class first meeting will be Thursday, June 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ag Center. The meeting topic will be hay production. To confirm you will be returning for the 2021 series, to register as a new member, or to learn more information, call (706) 657-4116.

Public Information Officer Carey Anderson noted that there are a lot of upcoming events on the county calendar, which can be found online at dadecounty-ga.gov. If anyone wants to submit a calendar event, email Anderson at canderson@dadecounty-ga.gov or send it via Facebook messenger to the Dade County, Georgia Facebook page.

Dade County has seen 13 cases in the past two weeks, for a total of 1,249 COVID-19 cases. The number of cases can be found at https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report.

“The numbers are going down nationwide, but it’s still out there. We still have people getting this. If you haven’t gotten your shot, think about getting your shot. If not, try to wear your mask and use common sense,” County Executive Ted Rumley said.

The weekly county update is broadcast on Facebook and YouTube on Thursdays at 3 p.m.