Thinking about appealing your Sedgwick County property valuation? Here’s what to know
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With Wichita home prices increasing almost 11% by the end of this year — and another almost 7% by the end of 2022 — Wichitans may worry what that could mean for their property taxes.
Typically, the Sedgwick County Appraiser’s Office mails notices to residents in early March only if there’s been a change in their appraisals year over year.
Homeowners have 30 days from the date their valuation notice was mailed to file what’s called an informal equalization appeal. If you didn’t get a notice or lost yours, you can find it online at ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/propertytax.
To initiate the appeal process, simply fill out the back of the valuation notice with the information requested, including the reason for your dispute and what you think your home is worth. Then return the signed form to the Sedgwick County Appraiser’s Office, 271 W. Third St., Ste. 501 in Wichita.
The county will mail back a confirmation letter that lists your meeting day, time and location. You can meet with an appraiser in person or over the phone.
For more information about the appeals process, go to www.sedgwickcounty.org/appraiser/appeals.
How the county figures value
The county appraiser’s office updates appraisals annually. But usually appraisers physically inspect properties only once every six years, unless there’s a sale or if building or demolition permits are pulled.
County appraisers only survey a property’s exterior when they conduct in-person inspections. So they won’t know about any improvements or disrepair inside of your home that might effect its value unless you tell them.
The condition of your home, though, isn’t the only factor that the county takes into account when figuring your valuation. It uses mass appraisal, which also figures in the market value and selling prices of similar houses in your neighborhood. You can find out what homes the county is comparing yours to by looking at your “Comparable Sales Report,” which is available by searching your address at ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/propertytax and clicking on the “Documents/Reports” tab on the return page.
Sedgwick County Appraiser Mark Clark said his office takes a conservative approach to home valuation. To stay in compliance with state laws, county appraisers across Kansas are supposed to appraise homes at between 90 and 110% of their sales price.
Clark said Sedgwick County aims for 95%.
You can find the selling price of similar properties in your neighborhood at ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/propertytax/salesauthorization.aspx.
Preparing for an appeal
Clark said appeal meetings with county appraisers are informal and non-confrontational. He suggested homeowners “do their homework” before filing for an appeal including checking what information the county has about their home by searching for their address at www.sedgwickcounty.org/appraiser, or calling the appraiser’s office at 316-660-9000.
Documents you can find online include your property record card, which shows the age, square footage and other characteristics of your home; your home’s cost valuation report; a list that shows the sales price and date of nearby properties; and a comparable sales report, which shows the characteristics and market-adjusted sales prices of homes similar to yours.
To prepare for a meeting, Clark suggests gathering up any photos of damage, cost estimates for repairs, private third-party appraisals and other documentation that might justify what you think your home is worth.
Take all it with you to your meeting and be prepared to share it with the county appraiser, he said.
Although appealing property valuation is an owner’s right, in reality few do — about 1% overall, Clark said.
If you decide to file an appeal seeking a lower valuation, don’t worry: You won’t be penalized with a higher one.
“If they come in and appeal, we’re not going to just jump their value,” Clark said. “No, we’re not going to do that.”
This story was originally published October 17, 2021 at 4:00 AM with the headline "Thinking about appealing your Sedgwick County property valuation? Here’s what to know."
