| By Bob Weaver
Properties in 24 West Virginia counties will be reassessed this year, part of a three year program by the West Virginia Tax Commission.
Calhoun Assessor Jason Nettles, having been contacted by state officials, says the appraisal will be coming to Calhoun.
State Tax Commissioner Christopher G. Morris said appraisers will be reviewing property values in all 55 counties.
Mon county commissioners have complained that the reassessment project is calling for revaluing property that is exempt from paying taxes, such as those owned by churches and charitable organizations.
Nettles says he understands all the appraisers will carry photo identification cards that indicate they are contractors for the State Tax Department.
Some residents may receive phone calls or questionnaires concerning property sales, but no one should ask for personal information, according to a state press release.
Other counties include Braxton, Cabell, Clay, Doddridge, Gilmer, Greenbrier, Jackson, Lewis, Mason and Monroe as well as Nicholas, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Putnam, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Upshur, Webster, Wirt and Wood.
Morris says as part of the West Virginia State Tax Department's Statewide Property Tax Equalization Study, independent appraisers will review property assessments on behalf of the state.
As part of the appraisers' duties, field personnel will review land values, neighborhood boundaries, data collection, and sold vs. unsold properties, Morris said. The appraisers will also perform an assessment/sales ratio study. To validate sales, the appraisers will make phone calls or send questionnaires to the buyer, seller, or other person(s) with adequate knowledge of the sale.
The appraisers' questions will concern the actual sale. They will not ask for any personal information.
The appraisers will conduct field work within the counties, meaning that they may be observing or taking pictures of certain houses that are part of the equalization study, says a press release from the state.
"If any property owner questions the validity of an appraiser, the property owner should contact his or her County Assessor's office," says the release.
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