KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The Missouri State Tax Commission has ordered a rollback of the assessments of some properties in Jackson County that were due to be assessed in 2023.
The move comes amid a legal dispute between Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and the county over the way the property assessment was handled last year.
In its order, the commission found that the county violated state law by failing to conduct proper physical inspections and inform property owners of their rights when such an inspection was conducted on properties whose value had increased by 15 percent or more.
“The order requires a rollback of 2023 assessments to current levels or a 15% increase over the ‘last’ assessment, whichever is less,” a statement from Bailey’s office said. “In most cases, this means a rollback to the 2021 assessment level plus 15%. In a small percentage of cases, this means a rollback to the 2022 assessment level (to capture new construction) plus 15%.”
This means that any estimated value that has increased by 15% or more must be scaled back.
The Commission found in its order that Jackson County assessors failed to inform most property owners that a physical inspection was required and failed to clearly inform property owners in writing of their rights with respect to the physical inspection, including the property owner’s right to an interior inspection as part of the physical inspection.
Other problems identified by the commission were that many of the notices sent to “property owners were undated and did not provide information on the percentage change in assessed value on the front of the notices. In addition, property owners were not given at least 30 days to notify the assessor of a request for an interior inspection,” the order states.
The county sharply criticized the commission’s order, calling it “politically motivated and inaccurate.” Jackson County announced it would appeal the ruling.
“For far too long, many homes have been undervalued, forcing others to overpay,” Jackson County Assessor Gail McCann Beatty said in response to the commission’s order. “We cannot and will not allow this injustice to continue. We will do our job and uphold the law by assessing properties at market value, regardless of these political games.”
A county press release said the consequences of the order would be “catastrophic” for our community. Local school districts, the press release said, say the order could cost them $1,500 per student.
The district said this would be a “devastating blow to our education system.”
In 2023, hundreds of residents were shocked and upset by a sharp increase in their property values.
FULL COVERAGE | Real Estate Appraisals in Jackson County
The reactions led to numerous lawsuits against the county and caused many residents to raise their voices and protest against the increases.
On Wednesday, Bailey’s office filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against the county, citing the commission’s decision.
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