9/13/2012 - West Side Leader
     

Medina County Auditor’s Office announces informal appeals, issues warning about scam

MEDINA COUNTY — Chief Deputy Auditor Joan Heller announced Sept. 10 the Medina County Auditor’s Office will hold informal hearings now through Oct. 12.

These appeals are designed for homeowners who want to dispute their valuations for calendar year 2013.

Normally, informal hearings are only held by the Medina County Auditor’s Office every six years; however, since the beginning of the recession, they have been held more frequently, according to the office, to give an advantage to homeowners hard hit by the current economic times.

In order to appeal, a homeowner must provide evidence such as comparable sales, an appraisal or a sales contract. According to the office, foreclosure sales, bank sales and bank appraisals for purposes of refinancing do not carry the full weight of market sales; however, they will still be reviewed at the hearing. 

Property owners may submit their information via email at auditor@medinacounty auditor.org, in person or to the attention of Joan Heller, chief deputy auditor, 144 N. Broadway St., Medina, OH 44256. Homeowners should send an accompanying letter explaining their situation.

In addition, Heller is warning residents about a public records scam.

According to Heller, in the scam, a document will advise the reader that, “For a complete property profile and an additional copy (sic) the only document that identifies you as a property owner usually called deed, please detach coupon and return with an $89 processing fee in the envelope provided.” The document will be from “Local Records Office, 605 N. High St., #228, Columbus, OH 43215.” 

Medina County residents do not need this service, she said.

Property record information can be printed for free by going to www.medinacountyauditor.org, clicking on the tab “Prop Srch” and typing in the address to get the information. The service is free from the Medina County Auditor’s website.

The deed is available in the Medina County Recorder’s Office for $2, or copies can be made for 10 cents a page, according to the office.

Stephanie Kist and Maria Lindsay contributed to this report.

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