JACKSON COUNTY, Mo. — Homeowners in Jackson County had until 5 p.m. Monday if they wanted to appeal their property assessments in person.
Some residents were left with sticker shock recently when they received their new assessments.
Jess Buck, a Kansas City resident, said his assessment was $78,295 last year. He was shocked when this year, that number jumped to $204,106.
He has since filed an appeal to the county for his home near 59th Street and The Paseo, now known as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
"I went and got the form online and did it online actually on Friday the 21st," Buck said.
He isn't alone in his fight to appeal the assessment. His girlfriend bought a house not too far from his residence in May. After Buck received his assessment, she became curious what her assessment would be.
"We decided to look mine up, and we saw the property tax on mine had almost tripled," Melanie Philavah said.
She said she was stunned by the increase.
"We haven't done anything to it for it to gain that kind of value," Philavah said. "It's just a big shocker to me."
Like Buck, Philavah chose to appeal the assessment.
Jackson County officials have said the assessments are calculated using computer modeling. It's a widely used method, but it doesn't mean the computerized assessments are foolproof.
"What we want people to know is we want the opportunity to work with you," Jackson County Director of Assessment Gail McCann Beatty said.
Now that the appeal deadline has passed, the next step in the process for residents will take months.
"We will certify our values in the fall, and then the tax jurisdictions will set their final levy," McCann Beatty said. "So, that is not their tax bill. It is simply their estimate. Much can change between now and in the fall."
The deadline to file an appeal online is 11:59 p.m. Monday.
Residents who plan to file an appeal with the Board of Equalization must do so by July 8.
