EDITOR:
I thought it might be interesting to do a side by side comparison of two letters regarding the 2021 reassessment process. The first letter is from David Cox, the Platte County Assessor.
Dear Resident,
Due to recent passage of Missouri Senate Bill 676, proposed by your elected Senator Tony Luetkemeyer, our office is required to conduct a physical inspection of any residential property that may be reassessed above 15% of the previous year assessed value, excluding instances of new construction or improvements on the property. It is now required of our office to notify that a physical inspection will be undertaken, as well as provide a notice of your rights relating to the physical inspection, including your right to request an interior inspection within 30 days from the date of the letter. No increase in property valuation will occur before our office conducts the physical inspection of your property. To conform with the newly passed Tony Luetkemeyer Bill, my office will be conducting an on-site physical inspection of your property located at: _______ This will include a review of all land and exterior portions of any buildings on your property, after 30 days from the date of this letter. Currently our intention is to reassess your property which will result in an increase above 15% from the prior year assessed value. This determination of value may change after the physical inspection of your property is undertaken. No taxpayer is required to allow the assessor into their home or other building during this inspection. If you wish to request an interior inspection during the physical inspection, please do so within 30 days from the date of this letter. To make this request, please contact our office by email at: reinfo@co.platte.mo.us or phone at (816)858-3316. You may choose to send my office interior pictures by downloading the Survey 123 App on a smartphone or tablet with the QR Code – below as a convenience, Please visit: www.co.platte.mo.us/asrforms for instructions. We thank you for the ability to be of service during the 2021 reassessment.
Sincerely
David Cox, Platte County Assessor
The second letter (below) is from Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, clarifying since the letter from David Cox left many with the false impression that they were being reassessed at higher rates because of legislation the senator had sponsored.
Dear Platte County resident,
You may have recently received a letter from the Platte County assessor stating your real estate assessment may increase by 15% or more. That letter has caused some confusion, and I would like to take this opportunity to clarify. In several places, the assessor’s letter references me by name and a bill I sponsored. First, let me assure you that my office does not control whether your real estate assessment increases. Such increases are set by the assessor, not by me as your state senator. My legislation referenced in the assessor’s letter – Senate Bill 676 – is a taxpayer protection measure I sponsored to protect you from runaway real estate assessments. That bill received broad bipartisan support and was signed into law by the governor last year. Senate Bill 676 protects you in several ways:
1. Taxpayers must receive property valuation increase notices at least 30 days prior to the deadline for filing assessment appeals. This is to give you adequate time to appeal your assessment and prevent last-minute notices.
2.The assessor’s office must perform an actual physical inspection of your properly (rather than a computerized or “drive-by” appraisal) before assessing any increase of 15% or more. This is an extra layer of protection for homeowners when a larger assessment is planned by the assessor. The assessor is not permitted to do an interior inspection of the home without a request from the homeowner.
3. The burden of proof is shifted from the taxpayer to the assessor in the property valuation appeal process when the assessment increases by 15% or more. So if you appeal an assessment, the assessor has to prove the validity of the assessment, rather than you having to disprove it.
All of these changes protect you as the taxpayer. In the event you disagree with the assessor’s change in your assessed valuation, you have a right to appeal that assessment to the Platte County Board of Equalization and or the Missouri Tax Commission. More information about the appeals process can be found on the reverse side of this mailing.
As your state senator, I will always fight for you, the taxpayer. This year, I filed another bill to cap the amount residential assessments can increase. I hope you will join me in supporting this important legislation. As always, if there is anything my office can do to be of service to you, please do not hesitate to contact me. Yours in service,
Tony Luetkemeyer, State Senator
–Dr. Tim Altenburg, DDS.
Kansas City in
Platte County