Action 9: Homeowners delayed receiving property revaluation refund checks

CHARLOTTE — Many of you fought and won your Mecklenburg County property revaluation appeal. But, after months of waiting, you still haven't gotten your refund.

One of those homeowners emailed Action 9, "So, once again, Charlotte takes advantage of its residents by holding on to that money as long as humanly possible." 

Another homeowner, Myers Park resident and County Commission candidate, Emily Zuyus, says she got her refund, but is frustrated for others.

"(It is) very frustrating. Yeah, it's ridiculous," Zuyus said.

Action 9's Jason Stoogenke asked County Tax Assessor, Kenneth Joyner, "Why so many months? What takes so long?" 

Joyner admits it's been slow going. For example, he says, in February, County Commissioners approved refunds for roughly 40,000 parcels. Three months later, Joyner says, the county still hadn't mailed 17,000 of them.

The problem is his team is working on all 360,000 properties in the county in just 18 months, a job that usually takes four to eight years. It's supposed to wrap up by February. 

But, he says, thanks to new software, the pace is picking up. From January to the end of April, his office mailed 5,600 refunds.  From the end of April to the end of May that number was 14,600.

"We are working as quickly as we can.  We're trying to get things caught up.  And we have a plan in place," Joyner said.  He says, if there's anyone in the county impatient right now, it's him.

Click here to visit the revaluation site for Mecklenburg County.

WSOC