Valuation

The Assessor’s Office studies the Real Estate market and collects information about properties to estimate value. The goal of the Assessor’s Office is to estimate each property’s fair, current market value – the price your property could sell for today on the open market. To estimate current market value, the Assessor’s Office considers the characteristics of the property, the neighborhood, recent sales of similar property and local building and construction costs.

Property Value Changes

A property’s value can change for many reasons, the most obvious is the property changes – an addition, a new garage, or the property undergoes renovation or demolition. Another frequent cause of change is a change in the market – properties in certain neighborhoods begin selling for higher prices. The Assessor’s Office must, however, maintain property values that are at least 90% of recent sales prices. A quick method to determine if your value is fair is to compare it to sales prices in your neighborhood, taking into account various differences in structures. A comprehensive annual sales and contruction analysis occurs annually which has typically resulted in a 3-5% assessed value increase in Class II owner-occupied homes. Larger increases have occurred recently, however, due to the economic growth associated with the Marcellus Gas Industry and increases in sales prices for homes in certain areas through the County. In 1990, the West Virginia Legislature ordered a statewide reappraisal of all property in West Virginia. Reappraisal occurs annually. At least once during a 3 year period, however, the Assessor’s Office must visit every piece of real estate to confirm and update characteristics of the property. If a property’s assessed value increases by more than 10%, the owner is notified by mail in January. If at anytime, however, you believe there is an error in the value of your property, you should contact the Assessor’s Office. An official from the office will visit the property to determine if a reduction is warranted. Individual Assessment records, including assessed values, property characteristics, and tax maps along with aerial photography can now be viewed as part of this website by visiting Assessment Records Online.

Exemptions

If you are 65 years of age or older, or if you are permanently and totally disabled, you may be eligible for the Homestead Property Tax Exemption. If approved, $20,000 will be deducted from the assessed value of the home used as your primary residence. To claim this exemption, you must file the application with the Assessor’s Office between July 1 and December 1. The Homestead Exemption saves senior citizens in Marshall County over $1,000,000 in property taxes annually. A Senior Citizens Tax Credit is also available for eligible senior citizens. It is based on the amount of property taxes paid on the first $20,000 of the taxable assessed value over the $20,000 Homestead Exemption. If for example, the assessed value of your home is $35,000, the Homestead Exemption automatically exempts $20,000 from the payment of property taxes, which is shown on your annual property tax bill. The additional $15,000 is then eligible for the Senior Citizens Tax Credit. You must first pay the property tax due, but after filing the proper forms with the State Tax Department, the amount paid is credited to any State Income Tax owed. If no state income tax is owed, the homeowner will receive a refund check from the State Tax Department. There are low income guidelines associated with the Senior Citizen Tax Credit, although Social Security benefits are not included in the income limits. To claim the credit, a one-person household must have income less than $18,090. A two-person household must have income less than $24,360.

Personal Property Assessments

Personal property assessments differ somewhat from real estate assessments. All persons must report to the Assessor all personal property owned as of July 1 of each year whether visited by a deputy or not. This can be done in one of four ways:

1. Necessary forms and a return envelope are mailed to every property owner in the County prior to July 1 of each year. Simply complete and return the form to the Assessor’s Office prior to October 1.
2. While visiting the courthouse, report the information to the Assessor’s Office personnel.
3. Taking the form to any high mileage checkpoint held weekly each summer.
4. You are now able to complete the Individual Personal Property Report form online. Simply visit the Assessor’s Formpage, click the Personal Property Report icon, complete the applicable sections, and then click “Submit”.

Vehicle assessments are based on 60% of the lowest value listed in the N.A.D.A. Used Car Guide. Assessment discounts for vehicles with high mileage are available. High Mileage Certifications must be turned in each year prior to October 1. By being assessed for your vehicles each year, you will avoid any late penalties and interest, be eligible for 2 1/2% discount, and reduce the time it takes to renew your vehicle registration each year. The 2018 High Mileage Schedule is contained in the Assessor’s Forms link.

Business Personal Property

All business in the county are mailed a blue, four-page reporting form in early July. The form requests that accurate costs be entered for all personal property owned as of July 1 of each year, including machinery and equipment, inventory, computer equipment, vehicles and furniture and fixtures. All business returns must be submitted no later than September 1st. Those businesses not submitting a return are automatically subject to a 10% increase on the previous year’s assessment, are liable for a $100 penalty, and lose any right to appeal the value established.

Appealing Your Property Rights

An assessment appeal is not a complaint about higher taxes. It is an attempt to prove that your property’s estimated current market value is not accurate. You can ask for a review of your assessment by the Assessor’s Office at any time during the year if you believe either of two things:

• Items that affect the value on your property record card are incorrect – you have one bath not two; you have a carport, not a garage.
• The estimated market value is too high and you have evidence that similar properties have sold for less than the estimated market value of your property. Evidence should include a recent certified appraisal or bank refinancing documents.

If you are not satisfied with the Assessor’s Office review, you then have the opportunity to appear before the Board of Review and Equalization during the month of February each year. The Board is only concerned whether the value placed on your property is fair and accurate, not whether or not your taxes are too high. After the Board adjourns at the end of February, no changes in assessments can be made until the following year.

Your Tax Bill

The Sheriff’s Tax Office is responsible for the layout, printing, and mailing of the tax bills. Questions regarding any of those processes should be directed to the Sheriff of Marshall County. You should also pay your bill at the Sheriff’s Tax Office. If you do not receive a bill and believe that you should have, questions regarding amounts due, delinquencies, or payment due dates should also be directed to the Sheriff’s Office.

Annual Assessment & Application Deadlines July 1 All property assessed annually, according to its value as of July 1. July 1 – October 1 Filing period for high mileage discount certification. July 1 – September 1 Farm use discount application period. Filing period for business personal property returns. July 1 – December 1 Homestead property tax exemption application period. July 1 – January 31 Period that Assessor’s Office will accept individual personal property returns. January 31 Last day for the Assessor to revise real estate & personal property assessments. February 1 – 28 Board of Review and Equalization meets to hear assessment appeals. August 1 Annual tax statements mailed by the Sheriff’s Tax Office where payments are made and receipts provided.

Dog Licenses

The Assessor’s Office has the responsibility to also collect the fees and issue dog licenses annually. Dog owners must currently have a valid license for each dog owned for the period of July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. The cost for each license depends upon the district in which you live. A schedule of fees is listed in the 2019 Personal Property Instructions under the Assessor’s Forms link. It is against the law to own an unlicensed dog(s) and violators should be reported to the Assessor, dog Warden, Sheriff, or other law enforcement. Citations and fines can be issued by the Dog Warden to those found in violation of the dog licensing laws.

Gas Industry Assessment Procedures & Potential

For over 10 years now, Marshall County has seen a substantial growth in lease and sale transactions related to the Marcellus Shale formation. The potential for creating wealth for the owners of those mineral rights as well as for the gas companies leasing, drilling, and producing natural gas in Marshall County is unlimited. The following is a short explanation of the assessment process for the gas industry in Marshall County. To get a better understanding of the leasing process, view the Explanation of Oil and Gas Leases in West Virginia form under the Assessor’s Forms link. In the gas industry, it is a general practice for a producer to lease the right to drill on a property and, if gas is found, to participate in the revenues from such production. Generally, in past years it was customary for the property owner to receive 1/8 or 12.5% of the revenues from production (royalty interest) and the producer to receive 7/8 or 87.5% of the revenues from production (working interest). These percentages can and do fluctuate, however, according to individual lease terms agreed to by both parties. Both the royalty interest and the working interest created through the lease are subject to property taxation in the State of West Virginia. When production begins, the royalty interest is listed and assessed on the real property books and the working interest is listed and assessed on the personal property books. Therefore, 100% of the receipts from production are assessed annually. When a lease is signed by the owner of the mineral rights, the assessed value of that lease is in most cases placed on the real property books at a minimum value of $180, which results in a tax bill of a few dollars. The minimum value is placed on these mineral accounts because the recorded lease documents do not list the per acre rental amount. The Assessor’s Office has no way of knowing if the owner leased his acreage for $5/acre, $200/acre, or $2,000/acre. Therefore, until a well is actually drilled, gas is produced, and income is generated to both the property owner (royalty interest) and the gas producer (working interest), the $180 minimum assessment is carried on the property books. Once gas is being produced, the assessed value for both the working interest and royalty interest will increase, sometimes substantially, because the assessment is then based upon the amount of income generated to the producer, and the amount of royalties paid to the property owner. This income information is supplied to the West Virginia State Tax Department by operator of the well. The State Tax Department, not the Assessor’s Office, uses this income information to determine the assessed value. The amount of the actual property tax bill related to royalty income can be estimated by using the Oil & Gas Property Tax Calculator link on the Assessor’s Forms page. The appraisal formula for producing wells is somewhat complicated because it includes estimating annual production for 1st year wells, utilizing actual royalties for 2nd year wells, and calculating a 3 year average for older wells. The appraisal model then capitalizes that value to predict a future income stream and then discounts that future income to a present worth value.In our area the appraised value of the royalty interest usually equals 2-5 times the amount of one year’s income. The assessed value would be 60% of that amount. The Assessor’s Office now has over 24,000 mineral accounts because of the leases being signed. The County and Board of Education have begun to receive additional property tax revenue resulting from these leases because wells have been drilled, gas produced and income generated to both the producer and royalty owner.The Board of Education has received over $30 Million in increased property tax revenue over the past five years because of growth in the gas industry. The amount of revenue will also depend on the price of gas. It was selling for $14.50 per MCF several years ago, and is now fluctuating between $2.00 and $4.00 per MCF today. Marshall County has seen over $6 billion of investment in new gas drilling, processing facilities, and pipeline networks. Additional such facilities are planned for the future according to published reports.

ASSESSOR’S OFFICE STAFF AND EXPERIENCE

Employee	Years of Service	Job Description
Eric Buzzard ebuzzard@marshallcountywv.gov	4 – Assessor 7 – Commercial Appraiser	Assessor
Don Krupica dkrupica@marshallcountywv.gov	32	Real Estate Deputy
Joe Twigg jtwigg@marshallcountywv.gov	31	Real Estate Deputy
Lindsay Jura ljura@marshallcountywv.gov	12	Data Entry Deputy
Amanda Lockhart alockhart@marshallcountywv.gov	12	Business/Commercial/PP Deputy
Amy Zumbrunnen azumbrunnen@marshallcountywv.gov	8	Personal Property Deputy
Tina Ebbert tebbert@marshallcountywv.gov	5	Transfer Deputy
John McCombs jmccombs@marshallcountywv.gov	4	Real Estate Deputy
Taylor Straughn tstraughn@marshallcountywv.gov	4	Real Estate Deputy
Randy Highley rhighley@marshallcountywv.gov	3	Real Estate Deputy
Phil Bohn pbohn@marshallcountywv.gov	3	Senior Commercial Appraiser Deputy
Kathleen Johnson kjohnson@marshallcountywv.gov	3	Oil and Gas Deputy
Matthew Baker mbaker@marshallcountywv.gov	2	Real Estate Deputy
Tammy Hill thill@marshallcountywv.gov	2	Estate Transfer Deputy