Albemarle County 2019 Change of Assessment notices will be mailed to taxpayers on Friday, Jan. 25. The notices reflect changes in property values resulting from the County’s annual reassessment process.
The notices provide historical assessed values and associated tax levies for 2017 and 2018, as well as the 2019 assessed values and an estimated tax levy for 2019. The estimated tax levy applies the 2018 tax rate to the 2019 assessed values. The Board of Supervisors will set the 2019 tax rate at a later date; therefore, the actual tax levy for 2019 may differ from this notice. Please direct any questions regarding the new assessment notice to the Office of the County Assessor by calling 434-296-5856.
The County’s total tax base has increased by 4.0% over the 2018 year-end tax base due to the reassessment.
Overall taxable assessment changes by property type for 2019:
- Urban Residential (County water & sewer): +4.80%
- Residential up to 20 acres: +4.20%
- Rural (20 to 99.99 acres): +3.30%
- Rural (100 acres and over): +3.90%
- Commercial Properties: +1.30%
- Multi-Family: +6.50%
Average annual reassessment changes by magisterial district:
- Rio: +4.00%
- Jack Jouett: +4.10%
- Rivanna: +3.60%
- Samuel Miller: +3.40%
- Scottsville: +5.60%
- White Hall: +4.00%
- Town of Scottsville: +0.40%
The 2019 assessment changes are driven by general increases in the real estate market; however, individual neighborhoods and sections of the county tend to change at different rates and assessments of some individual properties can vary substantially from the average change for the County based on updated property information during the reassessment process. The Assessor’s office completed detailed reviews of thousands of properties. Many required updating of information in the assessment record and some resulted in larger-than-average changes to assessments.
The reported reassessment percentages only reflect the changes to properties that existed and were assessed in 2018. New parcels created by plats and new improvements added are counted separately.
New construction is estimated to be valued at $225,000,000 for the assessment period and includes new parcels created through a subdivision.
Virginia by Statute requires localities to assess property at 100% of fair market value, based on an objective analysis of the property’s fair market value, independent of any influence on the part of County Leadership or the County Board of Supervisors.
The first half real estate tax bills, based on the new assessments, will be mailed in late April 2019. County officials recommend that anyone who would like more information, or would like to request a review of their assessment, contact the Office of the County Assessor at (434) 296-5856. You can find real estate assessment information on the County’s GIS Website, gisweb.albemarle.org. Online information includes property descriptions, maps, and sales information. The Assessor’s Office provides a computer that can be used by the public during normal business hours to access the GIS-Web.
Appeals
There is a process in place to appeal disputed assessments. As a first step, taxpayers are encouraged to contact the Assessor’s Office to ensure the correctness of County records and to receive an explanation of the basis of their property’s valuation. If visiting the Assessor’s Office, we highly recommend that citizens make an appointment to ensure that the appropriate staff member who can best explain the valuation of their specific property is available.
If a taxpayer desires to request an official internal review, they can submit a 2019 Administrative Review form, located on the County Assessor webpage, www.albemarle.org/assessor. This form can also be mailed, emailed or faxed upon request. The deadline to return this form is February 28, 2019. If a property owner is not satisfied by the official internal review’s outcome, they can request an appeal by the Board of Equalization (BOE), whose members are appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The BOE is comprised of Albemarle County citizens who have completed training by the Virginia Department of Taxation. All appeals to the Board of Equalization must be filed by March 29, 2019, or within 30 days of the date of the response letter for a previously requested 2019 Administrative Review.
Land Use Program
The Assessor’s Office will accept applications for qualifying properties to enter the Land Use Tax Deferral Program, with the $15 (minimum) application fee, through February 25, 2019. A new application for each parcel is required to enroll in the program. Documentation of a five-year history of the qualifying use must be provided to qualify. A new application is not needed for properties currently under the land use assessment program.
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