St. Charles County Assessor Advises Homeowners to be Cautious of Using Valuation Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2013
Contact: Colene McEntee, Public Affairs Coordinator, 636.949.1864, cmcentee@sccmo.org

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MO – With real estate assessments arriving in mailboxes this month, Scott Shipman, St. Charles County Assessor, advises homeowners to be cautious of using valuation services. For a fee, these services offer to help consumers determine if they are overpaying their property tax bill because their property is overvalued, as well as offer materials to help appeal property values.

“In many cases, the information presented by these companies is generated without regard to important aspects such as location of property, size, architectural type, condition, lot size, etc.,” said Shipman. “The information provided is usually of little relevancy to the market value.” Shipman adds that property owners and taxpayers are always welcome to provide valuation evidence; however, representatives or tax agents submitting appraisal or valuation information must be certified or licensed in the state of Missouri. In addition, many of these services buy public data and use information that St. Charles County homeowners can access for free via the Assessor’s web site, http://assessor.sccmo.org, or by coming in to the Assessor’s Office.

Rather than pay for a service, concerned homeowners can perform research online or make an appointment with the Assessor’s Office to discuss their real estate assessment, check to ensure property characteristic information is correct, and discuss sale(s) information. “Frankly, what many of these companies put together to help a homeowner file an appeal is inferior to what a homeowner can research on their own, or discuss with our office, at no cost,” said Shipman.

Further details about real estate assessments and appeals can be found on the Assessor’s website under Real Estate or by calling 636.949.7425.

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