Seward County property owners may have received a notice of valuation change in the mail within the past couple of weeks.
The county assessor is required by state law to review all properties in the county every six years and make valuation adjustments as needed.
This time around, residential properties in Cordova and Beaver Crossing and all farms and acreages in B and G Precincts (Seward) were examined, according to Seward County Assessor Marilyn Hladky.
“Those properties were all inspected and had new analysis and appraisal done,” Hladky said.
That process involves talking with property owners (if available) about changes to the property in recent years, photographing the property and using mass data tools to calculate an accurate valuation for this area.
Hladky said ag land is assessed based on sale price, soil quality and use.
“We look at what was driving the market, irrigated or dry,” Hladky said. “Irrigated properties were selling for more than what the assessed value was, but dry was OK, so we only raised grassland and irrigated.”
Most communities in the county, except Staplehurst and Pleasant Dale, also got a market adjustment.
“Seward got 12% on just the houses. We didn’t do any land adjustment this year,” Hladky said.
That 12% adjustment was driven by the housing market, which has seen homes selling for far more than they’re worth in the past two years.
“Because the market has been so crazy, properties are not on the market for very long,” Hladky said. “Most times they continue to sell for more than the assessed valuation. Houses are still going for more than my new assessment.”
Residential and commercial markets continue to be on the uphill swing, and Hladky said she doesn’t see an end in sight.
“It’s the buyers and sellers that are telling me what I have to do,” she said.
In the past two years, 200 homes have sold in Seward, but all homes received the 12% adjustment.
“I can’t just change the ones that sold,” Hladky said.
She does not use family sales or foreclosures in her calculations, only situations with a willing buyer and a willing seller.
State law dictates that the median value of certain types of property over a two-year period must be within certain ranges. If it isn’t, Hladky must look at what she has to do to get it within the range.
“Each year we drop off the old year, and we add the new year and recalculate,” she said.
Those who believe their new valuation is incorrect may file a protest with the county board of equalization in the county clerk’s office. Protests must be solely on the basis of the valuation, not taxes, as the assessor’s office does not set taxes.
The protest form may be obtained from the county clerk’s office or online at www.pat.ne.gov/general/forms (Form 422).
All protests must be written and contain the following: name and address of owner on record, legal description of real property, parcel number if assigned, value before change, value after change and a statement of the reason(s) why a change in value should be made. Failure to provide all required information will result in automatic dismissal of the protest.
The deadline to submit a protest form is June 30.
