Saint Louis County Assessor Jake Zimmerman announces that the 2011 residential Change of Assessment Notices are on their way.
Missouri state law requires the Assessor to "take a snapshot in time" on January 1 of the reassessment year (every odd year, such as 2009 and 2011) by establishing the fair market value of real property as of January 1 of that year. The value established on January 1 serves as the value of the property for taxing purposes until the next reassessment in two years.
Owners of residential property in Saint Louis County can expect to receive their 2011 Change of Assessment Notice by mid-May; owners of commercial property will receive their notice by mid-June.
In addition to the Change of Assessment Notice, property owners in Saint Louis County will receive, in the same envelope, another notification called a "Projected Tax Liability Notice". The Projected Tax Liability Notice is required by Missouri state law to provide property owners with an estimate of their 2011 real property taxes.The information provided on the Projected Tax Liability Notice is as follows:
a list of all taxing authorities to whom property owners pay taxes; a description of the purpose of each property tax levy along with that levy's tax rate ceiling, the 2010 tax rate, the estimated 2011 tax rate and the amount of taxes resulting from each levy; a phone number to contact each taxing authority in case there are questions about the tax rates or amounts; a calculation of the total estimated 2011 taxes resulting from all of the estimated tax rates listed.
The 2011 tax rates listed in the Projected Tax Liability Notice are estimates and may be subject to change. Actual property tax bills will be mailed by the Collector of Revenue in early November 2011.
Residential property owners who disagree with the Assessor's preliminary estimate of the value of their property may schedule an informal conference. Informal conferences are a courtesy provided by the Assessor, and are not mandated by law.
They offer an opportunity for residential property owners to review and correct information the Assessor has on their property record and to discuss the Assessor's opinion of the value of their property. Says Zimmerman: "Everyone deserves an opportunity to be heard and to get a fair valuation, whether their home is worth $50,000 or $500,000."
Property owners provide information that supports their own opinion of value. Any supporting evidence or documentation must clearly represent conditions as of January 1, 2011, with the exception of natural disasters. Conferences will be scheduled by appointment only and can be requested by calling 314-615-4595 Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Appointments for conferences will be available at the locations below, and are scheduled at the location of choice until all available times are filled.
North County: 11130 Old St. Charles Road (in the Northwest Square Shopping Center immediately South of Northwest Plaza), Saint Ann, MO 63074
South County: 9059 Watson Road, Crestwood, MO 63126
Clayton: Government Center, 41 S. Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105
Requests for Informal Conferences must be made no later than June 3, 2011 or until all appointments have been filled, whichever is first. Conferences will be held between May 23 and June 13, 2011 between the hours of 8:00 am ?5:00 pm.
Assessor Zimmerman has added an extra day of Informal Conferences to accommodate tornado victims: June 14, 2011 is reserved for residential property owners who wish to discuss any valuation concerns due to storm damage. Zimmerman encourages those property owners to call 314-615-4595 for an appointment and be sure to mention that their conference concerns tornado damage.
In addition, all property owners in Saint Louis County have the option to call the Assessor's office and report severe tornado damage to their property:
Owners of residential real estate: 314/615-4230Owners of commercial real estate: 314/615-4968 |
