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Board of Revisions

The BOR is Ohio Law. Please keep in mind, the BOR hears complaints about property values, not the tax dollars you pay. Per Ohio Revised Code, you can contenst the value of your property. Burden is on the representive.

The Complaint Process

The current 2023 tax bills reflect the 2022 values determined by the County Auditor as of January 1, 2022. Value changes may occur due to physical changes to the property, such as an addition or demolition of a building. Tax dollars may have changed due to levies added or taken away in the November election, or any other primary or special election. Property owners may ask for valuation changes through the County Board of Revision. The Board of Revision adjusts values - not tax dollars. The County Board of Revision has three members: the Auditor, Treasurer, and Commissioners each have one representative to sit on the Board. To contest your valuation, you must file a complaint form with the County Auditor, in his capacity as Secretary to the Board of Revision, by March 31, 2023. Complaint forms can be obtained from our website, in-person at the Auditor's Office, or by calling 330-675-2420.

Complaint Forms

The filing of a complaint DTE Form 1 is an initiation of a legal proceeding. Please read the instructions on the back of the complaint form. If you have any questions regarding the filing of a complaint please consult your attorney. It is unlawful for Auditor’s employees to give legal advice. Generally, the Ohio Revised Code allows only one filing in a triennial (3 year) period.

You must enter a value for your property on line 8. The property value is the basis for your complaint, not taxes. By law you cannot contest taxes. You absolutely must fill in this line in order for your complaint to be valid. Make sure your complaint is notarized.

Please bear in mind that once a complaint form has been filed by the owner or his/her attorney and later withdrawn, it will count as an official filing for this triennial period.

Proving Your Case

The burden of proof is on the complainant, usually the property owner. Failure to meet that burden may result in no change in value or possibly an increase in value. The Board of Revision has the authority to increase, decrease or make no change in the valuation of your property. Based on Ohio case law, the Board of Revision cannot and will not consider the following in their decision:

  • a percentage of increase in your taxes, and
  • the difference between your valuation and your neighbor's valuation
The Board will determine the fair market value of your property based on the information submitted to them. The Board can consider:
  • sales of similar properties
  • independent fee appraisals
  • estimates of cost to repair deficiencies in your property
  • if the property has recently been sold, supporting documentation such as the closing statement and purchase contract, and
  • if the property is income producing, income and expense statements

Owner of Record

The owner of record (or deeded owner) as of the date of filing must be on Line 1 of the complaint form. Line 2 and Line 5 must be specific if the filer is other than the owner.

Multiple Parcels

Parcels must be contiguous and/or one economic unit and in the same taxing district, and have ownership. When in doubt, file separate complaints.

Hearing Notification

You will be notified by certified mail not less than ten days in advance of the date and time of your hearing. If a continuance is needed, notify the Assistant Secretary of the Board of Revision immediately. The Board of Revision has instructed the Assistant Secretary to fully comply with their rules that continuances only be granted in extreme circumstances. Read your hearing notice carefully. Failure to appear at the assigned date and time will likely result in dismissal of your case.

Counter Complaints

(B) Within thirty days after the last date such complaints may be filed, the auditor shall give notice of each complaint in which the stated amount of overvaluation, undervaluation, discriminatory valuation, illegal valuation, or incorrect determination is at least seventeen thousand five hundred dollars to each property owner whose property is the subject of the complaint, if the complaint was not filed by the owner or the owner's spouse, and to each board of education whose school district may be affected by the complaint. Within thirty days after receiving such notice, a board of education; a property owner; the owner's spouse; an individual who is retained by such an owner and who holds a designation from a professional assessment organization, such as the institute for professionals in taxation, the national council of property taxation, or the international association of assessing officers; a public accountant who holds a permit under section 4701.10 of the Revised Code, a general or residential real estate appraiser licensed or certified under Chapter 4763. of the Revised Code, or a real estate broker licensed under Chapter 4735. of the Revised Code, who is retained by such a person; or, if the property owner is a firm, company, association, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, or trust, an officer, a salaried employee, a partner, a member, or trustee of that property owner, may file a complaint in support of or objecting to the amount of alleged overvaluation, undervaluation, discriminatory valuation, illegal valuation, or incorrect determination stated in a previously filed complaint or objecting to the current valuation. Upon the filing of a complaint under this division, the board of education or the property owner shall be made a party to the action.

Continuance

If a B.O.R. hearing continuance is granted then the hearing must be conducted by September 1 of the year the appeal is presented. If September 1 falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday then the next business day will be considered the last day to have a hearing.

Homestead Exemption and Owner-Occupancy Reduction Complaint

The BOR is also responsible for receiving and hearing complaints with regard to Homestead Exemption and Owner-Occupancy Reduction Complaints. If you have a complaint on either of these, you may use this form: DTE 106B Homestead Exemption and Owner-Occupancy Reduction Complaint.

BOR forms can be emailed to: BOR@co.trumbull.oh.us

Frequently Asked Questions

After the appeal period of 30 days, we will revise the records and provide a refund or credit accordingly.

Typically, the decision will remain in effect until the next triennial, but the final decision rests with the Auditor.

If the market value being contested exceeds $50,000 market value (or $17,500 assessed), the BOR is required by law to notify the Board of Education for that taxing district.

The decision can apply retroactively to January 1 of the filing year.

As we receive a large volume of complaints annually, we aim to address them in the order received. Each complaint is evaluated on its own merits, and the process can be lengthy.

If the property is deeded to an individual, an attorney is not mandatory. However, for properties deeded to a business entity or a trust, it's strongly recommended to have an attorney represent you. It's always encouraged to have legal representation.