Many Monongalia County residents have learned that their property assessments will change next year, some falling while others double or even triple.
One thing they have in common:
No one understands why.
County officials said 41,000 letters went out this week, telling people like John Britton that their property values are going to change.
"It was appraised at $84,600," Britton said of his home last year. "This one here says $167,700."
He's not alone.
"I know that I personally, my taxes have more than doubled on my house," Monongalia County Commissioner Bill Bartolo said, "and I think that here in the office there's three or four people that had the same thing."
This started more than a year ago when the Monongalia County Assessor's Office hired Tyler Technologies to conduct a county-wide reassessment. The result has left Britton and many others scratching their heads, wondering how they're going to pay the tax increased on a fixed income while the rest of country battles falling home values.
"Apparently here we are in our small corner of the world in Monongalia County West Virginia," Britton said, "and now our houses are worth twice as much as they were last year. Doesn't make much sense."
Residents will have a chance to appeal their assessment to the county commissioners at the annual Board of Equalization and Review.
Britton thinks they should plan ahead:
"I suggested to them that they'll probably have to rent something no smaller than the Coliseum if all the people I think's going to show up for these, to appeal what's going on."
The letters include a phone number to call with questions and a deadline of November 30. Bartolo said the number belonged to Tyler Technologies, and so residents can still appeal their assessment after that time. Anyone in the county with property assessment rising more than 10 percent will receive a notice in January.
"We will have our work cut out for us in January and we should have our work cut out for us," Bartolo said. "I think that this phenomenal increase in taxes is uncalled for. It was created and I think that the tax payers deserve better treatment that what they're going to get from this."
We couldn't get through to the assessor's office for comment Wednesday.
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