Ultimate Union County Real Property Tax Guide for 2024
Guide Overview
Learn how Union County levies its real estate taxes with our full review. If you are already a resident, planning on it, or perhaps planning to invest in Union County, read on to gain an understanding of what to expect.
Average Property Tax Rate in Union County
Union County Property Taxes Range
Union County Property Taxes Range
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You May Be Charged an Unfair Property Tax Amount
Maybe you aren’t informed about your tax bill containing a higher figure than is warranted by your property’s real value. This may happen given estimated market values are set collectively in groups, i.e. like properties are combined and assigned the same market value with no onsite inspection. Also, assessors’ offices often make mistakes. Luckily, you have the right to challenge, and with favorable evidence submitted timely, your assessment will be lowered.
Check for duplicate installments that take place especially if you’ve recently refinanced. It’s crucial to analyze your tax assessment scrupulously. Levy details are quickly accessible on the Internet for everybody to see. Contrast your home’s estimated worth with similar real estate – particularly with newly sold in your locale. Analyze recent increases or slowdowns in property market price trends.
If you conclude there’s been an overstatement of your levy, don’t delay. Not a worry should you feel confused. There are firms ready to protest bills on your behalf at no peril to you, no upfront expense. More details later on in the guide.
What Is a Tax Protest Procedure?
You can question the county’s appraisal of your property’s tax value if you believe it is larger than it should be. The county is responsible for assessing the tax value of your property, and that is where you will register your protest.
You can locate the required appeal process and the documents on the county’s website or at the county tax office. Take your time reviewing all the procedures before you start. If you leave out mandatory details or forget a filing time limit, your protest will be kicked out or sent back to you to finish.
The county will deliver you a notice of the real property tax assessment and how much time you have to file your protest. Make sure that you begin preparation of your filing immediately so that you don’t run out of time.
You’ll be more successful if you get a complete copy of the assessment file from the county. Your case may depend on this. If the tax assessor made mistakes, like contrasting your property with the wrong properties, you’ll have strong cause to protest.
If you file a complete package with corroborating evidence, the county may decide without requiring that you proceed with a formal protest. If not, you might have to make a comprehensive submission to the county review board. Your case will depend on showing that your property’s tax value is erroneous. Excessive property tax rates and rapid property value growth in your neighborhood are not legitimate reasons to contest.
If you feel that you have proven your arguments but the county just won’t concede, you can appeal their determination to your state’s tax assessment authority. If the case requires going to court, it may make sense to get service of one of the best property tax attorneys in Union County OH.
Any property owner can challenge a property tax assessment. But first, take a look at what the assessment actually does to your yearly property tax payment. Determine your actual property tax bill, incorporating any tax exemptions that apply to your real estate. Then ask yourself if the amount of the increase justifies the work it will take to challenge the valuation.
How to Get Your Taxes Reduced for Free?
You’ll pay only when there’s a tax decrease when you partner with protest specialists on a contingent fee basis. You’ll pay an amount that’s a percentage of any tax reduction. No savings in taxes means they get paid nothing.
Appeal firms are encouraged to fully explore your levy, prep for and participate in conferences, uncover mistakes, locate missing exemptions, and prepare for any court involvement. Companies are particularly active on exemption matters, which have shown to be confusing and sometimes result in legal challenges.
Two traditional methods for appraisal revisions are mostly used to buttress protests. A re-appraisal frequently will include one of these methods, i.e. a “sales comparison” or an “unequal appraisal” analysis. Сarried out locally, sales comparisons set market value employing current sale prices while unequal appraisals unmask alike homes having inordinately high estimated values.
Typically a sales comparison approach is the pick of boutique companies. An onsite investigation of the property is routinely required. As a full in-person review performed by an appraiser licensed by the state, its re-evaluations are widely unassailable. Modifications could only follow from, yet again, an entire re-examination. E.g., four area alike houses sold for $1M recently, however the disputed property with $100K in wind damage now has a $900K revised value.
Big companies in particular utilize an unequal appraisal method for tax savings even when appraised values aren’t out of line with current market values. A localized list of comparable properties having similar estimated market values is generated. After that, a comparison of those properties’ tax billing amounts is undertaken. Properties reflecting a mismatch with tax assessed being 10 percent or more over the representative median level will be singled out for more analysis. Be aware that instead of an upfront service fee, clients usually pay on a contingency basis — only when they get a tax reduction.
Select a firm corresponding to your needs in our directory featuring the best property tax protest companies in Union County OH.
How Does Union County Real Estate Tax Work?
Ohio gives real estate taxation power to thousands of locally-based public entities. Nonetheless taxpayers usually receive a single combined tax levy from the county. Each entity then receives the assessed amount it levied. There are three main phases in taxing real estate, i.e., setting tax rates, estimating property market worth, and taking in receipts.
Taxing units include city, county governments, and a number of special districts like public colleges. As recognized legal public entities, they’re administered by elected officials or appointees. These entities operate within outlined geographical boundaries, such as a recreational park or hospital district.
A city’s property tax rules should comply with state statutory rules and regulations. Taxation of real property must: [1] be equal and uniform, [2] be based on present market value, [3] have one appraised value, and [4] be held taxable except for when specially exempted. Appropriate notification of any rate hike is another requisite.
Within those boundaries, the city sets tax levies. Reserved for the county, however, are appraising property, mailing levies, performing collections, carrying out compliance, and resolving conflicts.
Union County undertakes real estate appraisals for cities and special purpose public districts. Once again, the state mandates regulations regarding assessment techniques. Equity in estimating real property across the state is the aim. Evaluation approaches and precision matters are promising points for possible appeals.
With numerous forms, there are three primary appraisal methodologies for determining real property’s worth. The Sales Comparison method entails contrasting recent equivalent houses’ sale prices in the same area. An Income Method for commercial real properties weighs the expected business income to determine present fair market worth. One Cost Approach version assumes commercial real estate value should equal the present cost for a structure replacement while factoring in depreciation and land value.
Generally once per three years or more often a county appraiser re-examines and determines whether to recalibrate property’s estimated worth. A newly determined market value is then taken times a composite levy from all taxing entities together to set tax billings. They range from the county to city, school district, and different special purpose entities such as water treatment plants, water parks, and property maintenance facilities.
Who and How Determines Union County Property Tax Rates?
Ohio constitutional regulations dictate fair real estate values be set by in-state counties. Any revenue ramification of that evaluation is prohibited from being a consideration in this process.
Under the state code, reappraisals must be conducted on a regular basis. Generally, a broad-based evaluation scheme is utilized with that same methodology applied en masse to similar property types. Any individual property value discounters, such as flood damage, will be overlooked with you losing a possible tax cut.
For properties previously listed, appraisers start with bringing the tax rolls (home listings) up to date. A tax roll depicts by address all real estate within a specific neighborhood. Assembled from many sources, these properties were categorized predicated on square footage, use, amenities, and building type. The property’s location and how it was utilized were also variables employed to form these sets and then give market values collectively to them all. These days, without a new checkup, armed with often old, possibly inaccurate descriptions — with only recent property sales numbers being current — appraisers must rely on those collectively assigned estimated market worth.
To secure some semblance of fair market value evaluating, the state has instituted this procedure throughout the state. Because of this broad-brush method, it’s not just likely but also inevitable that some market price evaluations are off the mark. Grounds for appeal abound here!
With a total estimated taxable market value recorded, a city’s budget office can now determine needed tax rates. A composite rate will produce anticipated total tax receipts and also generate each taxpayer’s assessment amount. So it’s largely all about budgeting, first setting a yearly expenditure amount. Then they determine the tax rates required to equal those budgeted expenses. In theory, at least total revenue should equal the fund required for all budgeted undertakings that year.
Ohio has a number of local governmental entities, including counties and special districts such as public schools, hospitals, and water treatment districts. Each entity establishes its independent tax rate. Almost all the sub-county entities have arrangements for Union County to bill and collect their tax.
The budget/tax rate-setting process generally involves customary public hearings to discuss tax problems and related budgetary matters. County residents have the right under state law to petition for a public vote should proposed tax hikes exceed established ceilings.
In establishing its tax rate, the city is compelled to observe the Ohio Constitution. Tax rates are prohibited from being increased before notifying the public. Then a public hearing on any proposed hike should be held before any increases.
If Union County property taxes have been too high for your revenue causing delinquent property tax payments, you may want to obtain a quick property tax loan from lenders in Union County OH to save your home from a looming foreclosure.
What Are Union County Real Estate Taxes Used For?
Property taxes are the main source of income for your city and other local public districts. They’re a capital mainstay for governmental services funding cities, schools, and special districts, such as water treatment stations, fire safety services, transportation, and more.
The number and importance of these governmental services relying upon real estate taxpayers can’t be overstated. Again, real property taxes are the main way your city pays for them, including over half of all public school funding. All other budgetary categories, e.g. safety, health, recreation, transportation, and water/sanitation facilities, receive similar fiscal support.
Usually, local school districts are a significant draw on real estate tax funds. Employment costs for public workers also present a large expenditure. Public protection with police and fire departments is a big consumer of the budget, as well. Then you have highway construction and many other transportation needs. Another requisite is water and sewage treatment facilities, and garbage removal. Don’t forget about organized recreation offerings, like walking trails, and other entertainment amenities. Given this and more, it’s no wonder why tax bills are many times so substantial.
How Are Property Taxes Handled at Closing in Union County?
Typically entire-year property taxes are paid upfront at the beginning of the tax year. Then who pays property taxes at closing when buying a house in Union County? When buying a house, at closing, homeownership switches from sellers to buyers. Likewise, liability for the tax goes with the ownership transfer. From that point, purchasers repay sellers on a proportional basis.
Generally, this is not a proportional tax remittance paid straight-through to former owners, however. Instead, tax repayments will be part of all other obligations of the new owner on final settlement.