Board of Revision - General Overview

Board of Revision Membership
The Shelby County Board of Revision consists of three statutory members: the County Auditor, the County Treasurer, and the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. The statutory members may appoint representatives to serve with them or in their stead as needed to carry out the business of the Board.

BOR Responsibilities and Scope of Authority
The Board of Revision exists to assure the equitable administration of Real Estate taxes within the County. Pursuant to that responsibility, the Board is authorized to consider and recommend settlement of certain matters regarding real estate valuations, disputed applications for various special benefits relating to real estate taxation, interest or penalties on late payment of taxes, etc.

The Board is NOT authorized to consider such matters as the tax rate in a given district, percentage of increase of taxes, the CAUV valuation formula, or the amount of a tax bill.

Factors Affecting Your Tax Bill
Current year tax bills reflect values established by the Auditor as-of January 1st of the
previous calendar year. Physical changes to the property such as an addition or demolition of a structure during the previous year will normally cause a parcel’s value to rise or fall accordingly. Also, the amount of your tax bill can be affected by new, adjusted, or expired tax levies, or by an overall increase or decrease in the total valuation in your taxing district. None of those events alone gives rise to an occasion for filing a BOR complaint.

The most common complaints filed with the Board of Revision by taxpayers are to contest the Auditor’s valuation of a specific parcel.

Forms and Filing Dates
To contest your 2013 Real Property Valuation or your 2014 Manufactured Home Valuation, you must file a complaint form at:

between January 1 and March 31, 2014.

The “mailbox rule” is in effect pursuant to ORC 5715.19. If the complaint is filed by mail or certified mail, the date of the United States postmark placed on the envelope or sender’s receipt by the postal service shall be treated as the date of filing. A private meter postmark on an envelope is not a valid postmark for purposes of establishing the filing date.

Complaint forms and instruction sheets can be obtained by clicking on the appropriate link directly below, by visiting the Auditor’s Office, or by calling (937)-498-7253.

Filing Fees
There is no fee or other charge to file a BOR complaint with your County Auditor.

Complaint Process
To avoid confusion and to help prevent potential invalid filings, it is suggested that individuals contact the Auditor’s Office for a general discussion about a potential BOR complaint before submitting it.

The filing of a complaint is an initiation of a legal proceeding. Please read the instructions relating to the appropriate complaint form and the Board of Revision Rules of Practice and Procedure. An incomplete or flawed application may result in the automatic dismissal of your petition. If you have any legal questions regarding the filing of a complaint, please consult your attorney. It is unlawful for Auditor’s employees to give legal advice.

Generally, the Ohio Revised Code allows only one BOR complaint filing per parcel in a triennial (3 year) period unless the property has been sold or has suffered a significant casualty or income production loss since the previous filing. Once a complaint form has been filed by the owner or his/her attorney and later withdrawn, it will be considered as an official filing for this triennial period.

Proving Your Case
The burden of proof is on the complainant… usually the property owner. Failure to properly make your case could jeopardize your chances for a solution satisfactory to you. Based upon its investigation, the Board of Revision has the authority to increase, decrease or make no change in the valuation of your property.

The Board will determine the fair market value of your property based on the information submitted to them. The Board can consider:

Please note that the Board cannot consider the Auditor’s valuation of a neighboring property or other purported similar property as reason to file a claim or to adjust a valuation if there are no recent sales statistics available regarding those specific properties.

Sheriff’s sales, bank sales, short sales, or any other sale where the buyer or seller are under unusual pressure to buy or sell are not considered arms-length sales and will not be considered as valid comparables by the Board of Revision in establishing property values for taxation purposes.

Along with each complaint form, the applicant should file copies of the supporting documents intended to be introduced at any subsequent hearings by the BOR.
Also, an updated and completed questionnaire concerning property-related information should be submitted along with each application regarding residential property. Questionnaire forms may be obtained by clicking immediately below or by contacting the Auditor’s Office.

Residential Property Questionnaire

Multiple Parcels
Parcels must be contiguous and/or one economic unit, be in the same taxing district, and have identical ownership to be included on one complaint form. When in doubt, file separate complaints.

Process After Filing
The normal procedure in Shelby County upon receipt of a properly filed BOR complaint concerning the value of real property is for the Board and/or its designated representatives to visit the parcel and do a physical inspection of the premises. Photographs will be taken and notations made concerning pertinent items affecting valuation. A comparison will be made between physical property features observed vs. the Auditor’s records or information submitted by the property owner.

Normally, subsequent to the on-site visit and upon consideration of the information on hand, the Board will communicate with the applicant by certified letter. That communication may make an offer concerning a change in valuation (either upward or downward), state that the valuation is not proposed to be changed, or may request additional information.

If a settlement (up, down, or no change) is offered, the applicant will be given the opportunity to accept the Board’s decision or to request a hearing. If a hearing is requested, or no reply received from the complainant within 10 days, a time and place (normally in the County Annex building in Sidney) will be established for a hearing. Notice of such hearing will be mailed to the applicant by certified mail at least 10 days prior to the hearing.

After the hearing or any continuance thereof, the BOR will issue a final opinion of value and will notify the complainant in writing of its decision.

If the complainant property owner continues to be in disagreement and unwilling to accept the Board’s ruling, the taxpayer may appeal to the State Board of Tax Appeals or the local common pleas court. Information on who to contact concerning an appeal to the BTA may be obtained from the Auditor’s office or on the State website at www.bta.ohio.gov.