Audit of 2024 Lucas County Property Values Underway Amid Growing Appeals

TOLEDO, Ohio – The audit of the 2024 Lucas County property values has officially commenced, as property owners continue to challenge their assessments. Thousands of residents are gearing up to appeal their property values, spurred by concerns over inaccurate appraisals.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that a programming error had overvalued approximately 1,400 properties in the county. Auditor Katie Moline has confirmed that the issue has been addressed and the affected values corrected. However, a comprehensive third-party review of the entire valuation process is now in progress, with interviews expected to begin soon.

“They’ve already started work, there have been documents shared with Mr. [John G.] Cleminshaw. He’ll be starting interviews shortly. So the work has started,” said Moline.

Moline stressed that the audit is crucial to understanding what went wrong and establishing more effective practices for future property valuations.

As the audit unfolds, community meetings are being held to provide property owners with an opportunity to voice their concerns and discuss their assessments. These sessions have seen significant participation, with hundreds of residents already making their voices heard. So far, 175 board of revision hearings have taken place, and more than 3,400 property owners have filed appeals.

“Typically, we can handle 200-300 appeals in a non-revaluation year. We have gone as high as 13,000 in past years, especially following the housing market crash of 2008,” Moline noted.

Although the current situation is not as severe as the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the ongoing revaluation process has put the spotlight on property assessments. The next major revaluations in Lucas County are scheduled for 2027 and 2030, making the scrutiny of current practices even more critical.

“I want a road map of best practices so that the taxpayers of Lucas County in the next reappraisal know that we are doing the best job we can and that everything is being done fairly and equitably,” Moline said.

The third-party audit aims to ensure transparency and fairness in the process, and Moline hopes it will provide the county with a clearer path for future valuations. Property owners have until the end of March to schedule appointments to contest their assessments. The next community meeting regarding the property valuations will be held Tuesday at the Jerusalem Township Hall.