Class action lawsuit filed over Jackson County assessments

[Hammock Parties]

https://www.kctv5.com/2023/06/25/cla...y-assessments/

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A new class action lawsuit challenges the quality of Jackson County’s property assessment. It calls into question if some increases are even legal considering some notices came in the mail after the June 15 deadline, as required by state statutes.

The filing asks a judge to step in and offer injunctive relief. It also calls for a jury trial.

The lawsuit was filed by attorney and developer Ken McClain on behalf of Trevor and Amanda Tilton of Odessa and two businesses.

The lawsuit is critical of the methodology used by Jackson County to reach new values. It argues the newly-built assessment system fails to include sufficient information and there’s a lack of physical inspections.

It points out assessments should consider current market conditions. It argues that didn’t happen when it came to commercial property.

The lawsuit claims Jackson County uniformly increased the value of every non-vacant commercial property with an improvement by 25%. And vacant commercial properties had an across-the-board increase of roughly 50%.

KCTV5 has heard from numerous homeowners who are shocked by the large increases in their assessments. Some question if they’ll be able to keep their homes. They also question if they can realistically sell when property tax assessments increase so much in one fell swoop.

READ MORE: Jackson County property assessment workshops kick off
There has been a 30% average increase in Jackson County. The Assessor’s Office argues homeowners are seeing large increases because Jackson County real estate has not been assessed with Fair Market Valuations (FMV) for a long time and building costs have increased.

The lawsuit is filed against Jackson County Executive Frank White, Assessor Gail McCann Beatty and other members of the Board of Equalization.

KCTV5 reached out to Jackson County’s public information officer for comment but we have not heard back yet.

Politicans exempt from insane take hikes



Legislation drawn to overturn insane tax hikes:



Protest scheduled at Jackson County Courthouse:



KC Town Hall scheduled July 15

[Hammock Parties]

As the thread has now gotten cluttered with trolling, here are the latest updates:

Politicans exempt from insane take hikes



Legislation drawn to overturn insane tax hikes:



Protest scheduled at Jackson County Courthouse:

[penguinz]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

As the thread has now gotten cluttered with trolling, here are the latest updates:

Politicans exempt from insane take hikes

You could stop lying.

[BigRedChief]

In this thread there has been feedback that the same thing is happening nationwide. There ain’t enough commies to commit this heinous act on god fearing Americans.

[Eureka]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

In this thread there has been feedback that the same thing is happening nationwide. There ain’t enough commies to commit this heinous act on god fearing Americans.

Not in California (prop 13).

Although we already pay a shit load of taxes.

[Eureka]

Originally Posted by Pablo

If you can’t rent Phillip are you really living?

The answer is no. Hopefully the tax hike doesn't ruin the travels Clay will have with his lady, sitting in Phillip, and driving to see the wonder sites of Kansas/Missouri.

[Hammock Parties]

Seems fine!

Jackson County homeowner stunned by $2M property tax assessment on $200k home https://t.co/aawR7PLyIp

— Kathleen Choal (@KathleenChoal) June 30, 2023

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Salina Contreras moved to her dream home on seven acres in Kansas City in 2019.

She lives there with her husband and dogs.

"He wanted land and I wanted a porch, so here we are," Contreras said.

For the past several years, Contreras' property tax assessment on her home came in at around $200,000.

This year her home saw a stunning 950 percent increase to more than $2 million.

"If I'd have known I was a millionaire, I'd retire," Contreras said.

Contreras said she never received her tax assessment in the mail as required by law.

It wasn't until a neighbor encouraged Contreras to look online that she discovered her home is now valued at $2.1 million.

"This isn't just a little mistake, this is a huge mistake," Contreras said.

If she didn't catch the error and appeal, $40,000 in taxes could've automatically come out of Contreras' escrow account for the assessed price of her home, according to Chris Wolfenbarger, a 25-year veteran appraiser.

"She wasn't ever notified by the county her assessment had gone from $200,000 to $2 million—and because of that—you can't fight," Wolfenbarger said. "You can't appeal. You don't know. If she didn't have a neighbor looking out for her she'd be on the hook and that's what makes me furious."

Wolfenbarger pulled properties nearby for comparison and said those homes fall between $260,000 and $351,000.

It's unknown how many homeowners across Jackson County are getting inaccurate assessments but workshops to teach people how to appeal have filled to capacity.

"She wasn't ever notified by the county her assessment had gone from $200,000 to $2 million—and because of that—you can't fight," Wolfenbarger said. "You can't appeal. You don't know. If she didn't have a neighbor looking out for her she'd be on the hook and that's what makes me furious."

Wolfenbarger pulled properties nearby for comparison and said those homes fall between $260,000 and $351,000.

It's unknown how many homeowners across Jackson County are getting inaccurate assessments but workshops to teach people how to appeal have filled to capacity.

'We as taxpayers are getting screwed'

She lives there with her husband and dogs.

"He wanted land and I wanted a porch, so here we are," Contreras said.

For the past several years, Contreras' property tax assessment on her home came in at around $200,000.

This year her home saw a stunning 950 percent increase to more than $2 million.

"If I'd have known I was a millionaire, I'd retire," Contreras said.

Contreras said she never received her tax assessment in the mail as required by law.

It wasn't until a neighbor encouraged Contreras to look online that she discovered her home is now valued at $2.1 million.

"This isn't just a little mistake, this is a huge mistake," Contreras said.

If she didn't catch the error and appeal, $40,000 in taxes could've automatically come out of Contreras' escrow account for the assessed price of her home, according to Chris Wolfenbarger, a 25-year veteran appraiser.

"She wasn't ever notified by the county her assessment had gone from $200,000 to $2 million—and because of that—you can't fight," Wolfenbarger said. "You can't appeal. You don't know. If she didn't have a neighbor looking out for her she'd be on the hook and that's what makes me furious."

Wolfenbarger pulled properties nearby for comparison and said those homes fall between $260,000 and $351,000.

It's unknown how many homeowners across Jackson County are getting inaccurate assessments but workshops to teach people how to appeal have filled to capacity.

"We're seeing a 100 percent to 200 percent increase across the board," Wolfenbarger said.

Many of the homes seeing large increases are because the properties were assessed at too low of a cost for too long.

But, several mistakes are occurring in the process.

The KSHB 41 I-Team learned Contreras' home was evaluated as commercial property, which created a false value in the database that generates the assessments.

"To go from $200k to $2 million is a computer error that's so egregious that human oversight should've caught that and didn't," Wolfenbarger said.

Tyler Technologies is the company used by the county that generates the property values. The county entered into an $18 million contract with Tyler.

It's a contract that's paid for by taxpayers like Contreras.

"We as taxpayers are getting screwed," Contreras said. "Who's at fault here?"

Neither the county assessor nor Tyler Technologies would acknowledge how the error occurred, only that it was human error.

The county sent the I-Team this statement:

Tyler and the Assessment department work closely together. I think the important thing is that the mechanisms in place, namely the Value Review, worked as intended. The mistake was identified, corrected expeditiously and without the need for an appeal hearing. The Assessment department is completing about 250 Value Reviews daily, providing expedited resolution for many property owners.

The county did fix Contrera's assessment, which is back in the $200,000 range.

While the county credits its safeguards for identifying issues, Contreras said, like so many others across the county, she's the one who caught the error.

"We shouldn't have to," Contreras said. "Get these assessments right. Somebody absolutely needs to be held accountable."

Contreras did not have to pay for an appraisal to appeal the assessment due to the obvious nature of the error. However, in instances where it's not so clear, Wolfenbarger said it's the homeowners who have to pay to fix the county's mistakes.

"Let's just call it what it is...theft," Wolfenbarger said. "If you assess my house so poorly after you've been paid $18 million to do it right, and I got to pay Chris Wolfenbarger $500 to come out and prove you wrong, you stole $500 from me because you didn't do your job."

[notorious]

JFC

[ToxSocks]

The KSHB 41 I-Team learned Contreras' home was evaluated as commercial property, which created a false value in the database that generates the assessments.

Tyler and the Assessment department work closely together. I think the important thing is that the mechanisms in place, namely the Value Review, worked as intended. The mistake was identified, corrected expeditiously and without the need for an appeal hearing. The Assessment department is completing about 250 Value Reviews daily, providing expedited resolution for many property owners.

So this is a case of incompetence. Glad they figured it out for this lady because that would've been ridiculous.

[ToxSocks]

Many of the homes seeing large increases are because the properties were assessed at too low of a cost for too long.

I bet. $82,000 homes. Sounds like a lot of people were skating by at egregiously low rates for too long, got spoiled by it, and now the bill is coming due.

[Eureka]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

I bet. $82,000 homes. Sounds like a lot of people were skating by at egregiously low rates for too long, got spoiled by it, and now the bill is coming due.

Well prop 13 has saved us from going through this fiasco. I still hate the .0019% school measure bonds etc I see on my property tax bill. There are 3 of them on my bill + others.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

I bet. $82,000 homes. Sounds like a lot of people were skating by at egregiously low rates for too long, got spoiled by it, and now the bill is coming due.

Some areas didn’t get reviewed in 19 when the county last did this. We got hit then and went to a pretty fair market value.

The issue is that on top of that, people are being assessed at crazy, arbitrary values that are not in line with sale prices.

Mine increased 44 percent (after increasing in 21, too) , and put it at 125,000 clear of what 2 similar SF homes on my literal block have sold for in the past two months.

I didn’t squawk when the increase happened in 19. It was fair. This is not a fair assessment.

There are lots of people with that issue. And I’m sure some whose homes were drastically undervalued for assessment purposes

[Woogieman]

A friend had an appt with the County and sat before Tyler Technologies employees (the flounders responsible for the mass appraisals) and went over the appraisal she has performed. She inherited the home from her father that has the home rebuilt in 1993 after a fire. She had interior pics from the appraisal, but they kept hammering her on things like "are you sure there isn't a new stove?!". They were $100+K over the appraisal and they
were arguing over a stove! If you have a challenge appt. nake sure you have pics of deficiencies, dated decor, and functional obsolescences (ceilings less than 8', bedrooms without hall access, floor levels with no bath etc). From what she gathered, Jackson Co. spent $19mm on Tyler Tech, which is why they had to sent employees to KC to CYA the fiasco.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Woogieman

A friend had an appt with the County and sat before Tyler Technologies employees (the flounders responsible for the mass appraisals) and went over the appraisal she has performed. She inherited the home from her father that has the home rebuilt in 1993 after a fire. She had interior pics from the appraisal, but they kept hammering her on things like "are you sure there isn't a new stove?!". They were $100+K over the appraisal and they
were arguing over a stove! If you have a challenge appt. nake sure you have pics of deficiencies, dated decor, and functional obsolescences (ceilings less than 8', bedrooms without hall access, floor levels with no bath etc). From what she gathered, Jackson Co. spent $19mm on Tyler Tech, which is why they had to sent employees to KC to CYA the fiasco.

Type in Tyler Technologies lawsuit in google. They must be hemorrhaging all that money they got in various payouts for all sorts of shit

[Hammock Parties]

here we go

As Jackson County property tax appeal deadline looms, one group is taking action https://t.co/68OPrg0T4I

— KMBC (@kmbc) July 5, 2023

As Jackson County property tax appeal deadline looms, one group is taking action

JACKSON COUNTY, Mo. —

Jackson County homeowners are running out of time to file an appeal over skyrocketing property taxes.

The deadline is July 10.

One of the final workshops is getting under way later Wednesday night in Kansas City.

Several have been held throughout the area over the past few weeks because so many people have been struggling with their assessments.

Property taxes, in many cases, have gone up 90 percent and higher from over two years ago.

The assessments have left a lot of people angry, confused and scared about what they will do if they are forced to pay taxes based on these new numbers.

One group is doing something about it.

They plan to hold a rally on Saturday down by the steps of the Jackson County Courthouse.

"We have got to somehow in Jackson County figure out a major plan of where they're at in the assessment department, because right now it's basically out of control," said Preston Smith, a Jackson County resident.

The protest is designed to get the attention of Jackson County in hopes that what they are calling a broken assessment system will get fixed before people lose their homes.

Wednesday night's workshop is at the Longview campus.

[MarkDavis'Haircut]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

The properties were undervalued for years. I didn't see anyone complaining when they were paying absolute dick for property taxes. I read an article of someone complaining that their assessment went up like 700% and they showed the YoY assessment. The prior year value was 18,000 and it went up to 120,000. Did these people contact the city in years prior to let them know their property was undervalued?

Unless the county is assessing your property for over what it is actually worth, stop your bitching and pay your taxes.

Did you work for the British Empire in the 1760s?