Property due; tornado relief offered
Montgomery County taxpayers must apply by Friday for extension.
Second-half Montgomery County property taxes are due Friday, but homeowners with substantial tornado damage may find some relief offered by the county’s treasurer and auditor.
The auditor’s office has a program that could lower the tax value of damaged properties, potentially reducing bills in 2020. Homeowners with substantial damage can file for an extension that may defer payment until next year.
“Families and businesses should not be stuck paying a full tax bill on a property that has been damaged or destroyed,” County Auditor Karl Keith said.
But any tax relief won’t be felt until next year because property taxes in Ohio are paid a year in arrears. The tax bills that property owners just received this summer are based on the condition of the properties as they were on Jan. 1, 2018, according to the auditor’s office.
Homeowners, however, whose properties sustained a 25% or greater loss may be able to delay property tax payment because of a seldom-used Ohio law, according to Russ Joseph, the Montgomery County treasurer.
If approved, property owners would get a one-year extension without penalty to pay their taxes currently due Friday, but must still apply before Friday’s deadline to be eligible. Taxpayers would be responsible for paying both the amount originally due this week and the amount that will be regularly payable in July 2020.
“This extension will give people extra time to receive insurance claims, and hopefully make needed repairs to their homes before needing to worry about paying their taxes,” Joseph said.
A checklist along with the needed documents for both programs can be found on the treasurer’s website at www.mctreasurer.org.
For everyone else, Friday is the last chance to pay property taxes and avoid late fees. Taxpayers can pay their property tax bills with cash, check, or debit and credit card at the treasurer’s office, as well as make a payment on the treasurer’s website, which provides a property search page and option to pay by electronic check or debit and credit card.
A payment sent by mail is considered paid on time if postmarked on or before Friday. Online payments are considered on time if processed by 11:59 p.m. Friday.
Property owners wanting to apply for the damaged property deduction with the auditor’s office should do so by Aug. 30. After the application is submitted, an appraiser will review the affected property and reduce the taxable value based on the severity of structure damage, according to the auditor’s office.
Packets with the information can also be picked up in either the treasurer or auditor’s offices and can be mailed upon request. Any resident who has questions or concerns about paying their property taxes can call the treasurer’s office at 937-225-4010 and select Option 1.
Questions about the values of properties should be addressed to the auditor’s office at 937-225-4326. Property owners can visit both offices at the Montgomery County Administration Building, 451 W. Third St. in Dayton between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on normal business days for assistance.