ATLANTA (April 1, 2009) – This week the Georgia General Assembly voted in favor of property owners with the passage of Senate Bill 240. Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) sponsored the legislation which enables property owners to go directly into arbitration over property assessments rather than going through the regular lengthy government process.
“As a record number of property owners rush to gain a fair assessment from their local government and lower their property taxes, many will get caught up in a nightmare of bureaucratic processes. The General Assembly has recognized property owners’ need for relief during a tough economy and soon they will have more flexible options for resolving assessment disputes and achieving fair arbitration,” said Rogers.
Today is the last day for property owners to file paperwork demonstrating that recent declines in the housing market have affected their property values. Property owners around the state are requesting anywhere from a 10-70 percent reduction in taxes based on their values. Counties are reporting a record number of assessments filed within the past 30 days alone. Gwinnett and DeKalb Counties have had over 22,000 returns filed. Clayton County, which normally gets a few hundred returns filed, has reported over 3,800 as of last Friday. Rogers’ legislation will put burden the government rather than the property owner to provide proof of fair market value.
“As government officials, we have a responsibility and duty to our citizens in protecting their best interests. The government needs to act in favor of property owners and reduce their tax burdens,” said Rogers.
Current government processes force property owners to go through local assessment boards and could take two or three months to resolve. SB 240 gives property owners another option to resolve assessment disputes with their county by allowing them to go directly into arbitration. This would significantly speed up the resolution process. Whoever loses the assessment dispute pays for the arbitration.
Sen. Chip Rogers serves as Senate Majority Leader. He represents the 21st Senate District which includes portions of Cherokee and Cobb counties. He can be reached at his office at 404.463.1378 or by email at chip.rogers@senate.ga.gov.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
April 1, 2009
For Information Contact:
Raegan Weber, Director
raegan.weber@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028