DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Metro Atlanta residents are reporting drastic increases in their property tax assessments, specifically in DeKalb County.
Some homeowners 11Alive talked with said the assessed values of their homes have increased two to three times compared to recent years.
Gordon Burns lives in East Lake. When he checked his assessment, he owed $8,000 in property taxes.
"Having seen the post in the Oakhurst neighborhood page, I got out of bed last night, because I saw my mail come in from DeKalb County," he said. "So, I thought, 'Let me go see what mine looks like.' And sure enough, mine was increased -- my property value, my assessment of my home by $146,000."
And Burns is not alone. Other residents commented on that Facebook page saying they're seeing $100,000, $200,000, and even $600,000 market value increases.
Burns said his family can afford the bill, but he understands that others cannot. He's also never had to file an appeal before.
"When you're adding three, four, five thousand, if not more, in annual taxes—that's a big sum of money for a family," Burns said.
Property tax attorney Hap Richardson said homeowners could expect to see this all across the metro.
"It's not a personal attack. Nobody's mad at you. That's not the reason your property taxes went up," Richardson said. "It's a reflection of the real estate market. And the computer model is not perfect."
Owners may be wondering if they should sell their houses and pocket the money if their market value increases like Burns' did. Burns said several houses in his neighborhood are selling for upwards of $1 million.
"Just because a piece of paper shows up in the mail that says your house is worth a million bucks -- it may not be worth a million bucks," Richardson said.
Richardson said if you disagree with the value, file an appeal. You'll need your parcel I.D. number and the access code found on your notice if you're in DeKalb County. Here's what you shouldn't do:
"Mistakes is when you get angry and start screaming at the county assessors. That's not necessary and usually does not help your argument," Richardson explained. "The other mistake I've seen is people turn in a 400-page presentation about the value of the real estate that's under appeal. And that usually does not help their appeal ideal."
Richardson said the county usually spends 10 to 15 minutes reviewing your appeal. And the values aren't made up. It is decided in January. And just because you file, doesn't mean your tax assessor will accept it.
Richardson recommended homeowners file for a homestead exemption if they haven't already. For more tips from Richardson, click here.
You have 45 days from the date on your assessment notice to file an appeal. You can submit it through your county's website or by mail.