XENIA — Property owners who sustained damage due to the Memorial Day tornadoes could get relief come tax time.
Greene County Auditor David Graham and Montgomery County Auditor Karl Keith Thursday announced details about the damaged property deduction, which offers property tax relief to tornado victims.
They announced the details of the tax relief program on June 6 at the Montgomery County Administration building. Owners of properties that experienced significant damage are eligible to complete the damaged property form, which reduces the taxable value of the property based on the severity of damage.
More than 3,000 Dayton area properties were damaged by the devastating tornadoes.
“We’re trying to reach every property owner who was impacted by last week’s tornadoes,” Graham said. “If you know someone who was a victim of the tornadoes, please reach out and let them know they should apply for the damaged property deduction.”
The destroyed and damaged property form can be found online at www.mcauditor.org or www.co.greene.oh.us/Auditor. Once a property owner has completed the form, they should mail it to their county auditor’s office. The state requires that the form be notarized, so property owners can visit their county auditor’s office if they need a notary. The auditors say affected property owners should complete the form by the end of August.
In Ohio, property taxes are paid a year in arrears. This means that the property tax bills that residents will receive later this month are based on the value of their property on Jan. 1, 2018, and will not reflect damage done to properties by the tornadoes. Instead, property owners who receive the damaged property deduction will see the tax savings on their 2020 tax bills.
The damaged property deduction is a state program that is administered locally by county auditors. Property owners should contact their county auditor’s office if they have questions about the damaged property deduction. Greene County’s auditor can be reached at 937-562-5065. Montgomery County’s auditor can be reached at 937-225-4326.
