CorinthHills.org

It is believed that given the current real estate market conditions most Gwinnett County property assessments are valued too high.

Gwinnett County has published the following on its website newsletter:
The Board of Tax Assessor’s Office will be adjusting the 2010 tax value on several thousand properties in Gwinnett County as assessors review the real estate sales and foreclosure data occurring in certain areas of the county. To make sure your property is included on the review list, you should file a Real Property Tax Return. The property tax return will allow you to declare your opinion of the value of your property.

If your value is not accepted, a Notice of Change in Assessment will be issued to you (scheduled mailing by mid April 2010). The notice allows you to appeal the value, which will result in a review process and possibly further into hearings.

The property tax return process begins with the timely filing of a Real Property Tax Return. You may visit the Tax Assessor’s web page at www.gwinnett-assessor.com to print a partially completed form between January 1 and March 1, 2010. Complete and mail the Real Property Tax Return anytime between January 1 and March 1, 2010. If you are mailing your return, it must be postmarked by the USPS no later than March 1, 2010. Your completed return will not be accepted via email or fax - no exceptions.

Should you have questions about the process, you may call 770.822.7200 or e-mail assessor@gwinnettcounty.com.

Bear in mind that your tax bill is the product of the millage rate x property assessment equation and Gwinnett County just increased its millage rate.

Interesting reading:
• Metro Atlanta property valuation comparison map
• Why you’re paying too much in property taxes

One Response To “Gwinnett Property Tax Valuations”

1. CorinthHills.org Says:
   February 12th, 2010 at 10:26 AM

   Received via email yesterday:

   PROPERTY TAX RETURNS DUE MARCH 1 IN FOUR METRO COUNTIES

   If you own real estate in DeKalb, Gwinnett, Hall or Newton counties, you have only until March 1 to file a property tax return with your county tax assessor’s office asking that your property value be lowered for 2010. Most other Georgia counties allow until April 1 to file. After that, your county assumes you agree that your property is worth what they currently say it’s worth, and your tax bill will be calculated based on that valuation.

   The only problem with that assumption is that literally tens of thousands of owners have seen their property values go down in recent months, but their local governments have failed to reflect that decrease in value. As a result, you can easily end up paying more property tax than you rightfully owe.

   The process of asking your county tax assessor to review your valuation begins with the filing of a single page form, PT-50R, the Georgia “Taxpayer’s Return of Real Property.” This form requires you to find out what the county currently thinks your property is worth, then you must state what you think the correct value should be. My advice: guess low.

   The form is available for download on my money99.com website. Obtain your parcel info and previous year’s value by calling your tax assessor’s office. Then, in Section C, you will need to estimate the value of your property as of January 1, 2010.

   The county is not required to ask you if you wish to lower your estimate of value unless they are proposing an increase. And most Georgia counties are content to let the current values stay as they are.

   That’s fine if your property value has held up well over the past two years, but many neighborhoods have seen significant declines in market value. And if that is the case in your community, or if you believe values have declined for your property generally, now is the time to file a return.

   Estimating value is a tricky business at best, and requires detailed information about recent sales in your area. Real estate professionals have access to this info, but may charge a fee for a “broker’s price opinion.” A formal appraisal is likely to cost substantially more. But the more facts and comparable sales info you have when you make your return, the greater the likelihood that your assessment will be lowered.

   In any case, there is no charge for estimating low, and it preserves your right to present your case to both the tax assessor and the board of equalization. Typically, one in three requests to lower the value results in some relief from the county. And once lowered, your assessment is likely to stay put for three years.

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Thanks in great measure to a campaign by Lee Baker of the Gwinnett Sports Council and Touchdown Club of Atlanta, the Stone Mountain Olympic Tennis Stadium may yet be saved.

To help bolster the effort, the Evermore CID is planning to move its base of operations from its current location in Snellville to the stadium’s pro shop located next to the stadium.

The stadium, owned by the Stone Mountain Memorial Association (SMMA) - a Georgia state authority - had entered into an agreement with Gwinnett County in May 2009 for a $1 per year, 50 year lease to operate the 25 acre facility. Part of the agreement included a provision to demolish the stadium structure itself this month, but the SMMA, citing cash flow problems, has been forced to delay the $1.5 million dollar demolishion to 2011. This budget induced delay has created an opportunity for Evermore to facilitate a salvage of the venue.

Evermore CID had previously commissioned a study that concluded that transforming the structure into a multipurpose facility could bring in over $100 million dollars in new revenue over the span of 10 years as well as creating new jobs. A new feasibility study is to be commissioned in order to determine long-term viability.

Optimism of the planned salvage varies with Curtis Branscome, SMMA CEO stating his lack of optimism due to the capital required and with Baker stating that the project is very viable in his opinion.

Dwight Harrison, of Dwight Harrison VW, and vice-chair of the CID states that the interest in the project is greater than the stadium itself as the venue is the gateway to the CID from the west.

Gwinnett County Commissioner Mike Beaudreau has stated that any project would have to be a private venture and that the county is not prepared to “sink a bunch of money into this thing.”

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Vigilance prevents volunteer victimization
A public safety message from Major Bart Hulsey, Gwinnett County Police

There were just over 3,000 incidents of entering autos, or car break-ins, in unincorporated Gwinnett County between April and December 2009. The Gwinnett County Police Department has worked diligently to curtail this increase of theft and made 112 entering auto arrests during that same time. Once a pattern is identified, GCPD conducts “directed patrol” in that area, which generally results in entering auto crimes dropping in that area and rising in another. In other words, we simply move the criminals around.

Our Crime Analysis Unit has studied this specific crime and compiled some startling facts from the period April through December 2009:
• Approximately $38,000 in cash was stolen from vehicles
• 69 guns were stolen out of vehicles
• 48% of the vehicles entered were unlocked

Those guns are now in the hands of criminals, and that makes everyone less safe. Some of these criminals will graduate from breaking into cars to committing armed robbery or worse.

GCPD has reached out to the public on numerous occasions this year, imploring them to follow simple crime prevention steps to avoid being a victim of this crime. Despite these public education efforts, citizens continue to become “volunteer” victims by leaving valuables in plain sight in unlocked vehicles. Shoppers purchase a TV, computer, or other high-dollar electronic device at a big box store and then go directly to a restaurant to eat without unloading their expensive merchandise. When they return to their car, an observant criminal has taken their stuff. There is no elaborate planning necessary to commit this crime, which is why perpetrators stake out these particular stores.

As easy as this crime is to commit, it is even easier to prevent just by taking these simple steps:
• Always lock your vehicle
• Do not invite theft by leaving valuables such as GPS devices and laptop computers in plain sight inside the vehicle
• After shopping, lock items in the trunk or take the merchandise home
• At the end of your day, park your vehicle in the driveway or garage and take all valuables inside the house
• Be particularly aware when you are at a restaurant or gym because the perpetrators know you are going to be away from your vehicle for an extended period of time and simply wait for you to go inside to break into your car
• For bank deposits or withdrawals, always alternate your times and routes, be aware of your surroundings, and never leave cash in the car unattended

Many people believe that it is solely law enforcement’s responsibility to keep them safe from crime. They long for the days when they were able to leave their doors unlocked without fear of theft or violence. However, this is just not the case today. Citizens must step up to the plate and take responsibility for helping the police keep them safe. Citizens must “target harden” their environment and stop being volunteer victims. Make yourself a difficult person to victimize. Every security measure comes with a certain amount of inconvenience, whether it is an alarm system that has to be armed and unarmed, a door that has to be locked and unlocked, or having to carry your valuables from the car to the house everyday. It is inconvenient but vitally necessary.

The number of thefts from vehicles could be drastically reduced if we all commit to thinking ahead and making the necessary changes in our daily routine. The Gwinnett County Police Department is dedicated to arresting as many of these perpetrators as possible; we would never ask a citizen to confront a criminal. We simply ask for citizens to help us by removing valuables from plain sight and locking their doors.

I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to address those individuals who commit this type of crime. Many of the perpetrators are juveniles or young adults who do not seem to realize the consequences of being convicted for Entering Auto (Georgia Code 16-8-18). This crime is a felony, regardless of the value of the item stolen from the car, and carries a possible sentence of not less than one year nor more than five years - for a single count. This is not a game or child’s play; it is a serious crime. Police officers and the courts spend considerable resources dealing with this issue and take a grave view of people convicted of this crime. Parents, teachers, youth ministers, scout leaders, or anybody else that has influence over young people should take the time to counsel with them that engaging in this behavior could alter their future in a very significant way.

Thank you for the opportunity to address this issue. Please, let’s all work together to make Gwinnett County a safer environment in which to live and work.

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Gwinnett Clean Water Campaign is sponsoring a free septic system maintenance workshop to be held at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center Auditorium on February 17th, 2010 at 7:00 PM.

Registration is required:
GwinnettStormwater.com
dwrswreg@gwinnettcounty.com
678.376.7126

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Heard some talk this weekend that Costco is negotiating for the property that will be vacated by Target on January 30th.

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The special grand jury requested by Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter empaneled to investigate questionable land purchases by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners began proceedings today (Friday, January 15, 2010).

Political connections between developers and county commissioners along with purchase price verses appraisals will be the main focus, but the special grand jury has greater latitude than other grand juries and may widen their scope as they deem necessary.

More details:
• Gwinnett D.A. Porter Requests Special Grand Jury
• Grand Jury To Investigate Gwinnett BoC

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