7/12/2012 - West Side Leader
     

Real estate tax relief available for storm damage

MEDINA/SUMMIT COUNTIES — County officials are reminding residents real estate tax relief is available for those whose properties sustained storm damages recently.

State law enables property owners to claim a reduction in the taxable value of their damaged or destroyed property at any time, regardless of the cause of the damage, according to Medina County Auditor Michael Kovack’s office. Damage to trees or property not defined as structures is not included in this provision, officials with that office added.

Summit County Fiscal Officer Kristin Scalise’s office reported that anyone with property damage from this month’s storms should file an Application for Valuation Deduction for Destroyed or Damaged Real Property. The forms are available through the Fiscal Office by calling 330-643-2710, emailing the office at summittreas@summitohio.net or by going to the website fiscaloffice.summitoh.net to download the application DTE 26. Completed forms should be returned to the Fiscal Office at 175 S. Main St., Room 304, Akron, OH 44308.

The filing deadline for storm damage is Dec. 31. Fiscal Office officials said any deduction from value would affect the tax bills mailed in January.

They added the amount of the deduction equals a percentage of the reduction in value caused by storm damage. That percentage is determined by the calendar quarter in which the damage occurred. The reduction would be 50 percent in value of the destroyed portion.

Real estate taxes are billed one year in arrears, so the reduction would be for tax year 2012 and collection year 2013.

Once the application is filed, the office’s Appraisal Department will conduct inspections to determine the amount of damage. Damage to trees, landscaping and fencing, as well as personal items, is excluded on residential properties. The Fiscal Office tracks the repairs based on the applications received and building permits that have been filed from all the townships and cities affected by the storm, officials said.

In Medina County, officials from Kovack’s office recently surveyed the hardest hit areas of the county and distributed information on the tax relief. Not all homeowners were available, they added.

Applications for Medina residents are available at www.medinacountyauditor.org under the Forms link. Completed applications can be returned to the auditor’s office at 144 N. Broadway St., Medina, OH 44256. For additional information in Medina, call 330-725-9759.

— Kathleen Folkerth contributed to this report.

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