Mecklenburg County revaluation notices to be mailed soon

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — In the next week or so, Mecklenburg County officials will start mailing notices of property owners’ new home values.

County officials expect most home values to rise by an average of 44 percent and the values of commercial properties to rise by an average of 77 percent.

Commissioner Pat Cotham is expecting people to have sticker shock.

“I'm going to get one of these, too, and I am probably going to go, ‘Oh, my gosh,'” Cotham said. “I am going to be very thoughtful about this. I have not forgotten the rancor we caused the last revaluation.”

The notice being sent to property owners is not a bill.

Homeowners can request an informal review of their assessed value within 30 days of receiving a notice. Property owners can file a formal appeal request with the Board of Equalization and Review by May 20.

Mecklenburg County is under pressure to make sure the 2019 revaluation goes off without a hitch.

The 2011 revaluation was plagued by issues.

Many homes were grossly overvalued, leading to tens of thousands of appeals, $100 million in refunds and a redo of the process.

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To assist people in 2019, local law firm owners Bob McIntosh and Larry Shaheen Jr. formed Carolina Revaluation Services.

Shaheen was the chief of staff for former State Sen. Jeff Tarte, who authored the bill addressing the botched 2011 revaluation.

“This is a legal process. Folks have a right to appeal,” Shaheen said. “You want to make sure you have relevant qualified evidence and you meet your burden of proof as a taxpayer.”

Attorneys George Cunningham and Chris Gelwicks are also a part of Carolina Revaluation Services. The firm is based in Davidson and SouthPark, but covers all counties.

“People are going to open these notices and go, 'Wow, my property is worth that? I don't understand it,'” Gelwicks said.

While there may be surprising notices, the key will be the tax rate. Mecklenburg County officials are set to discuss the tax rate at their annual budget retreat next week.

Cotham stresses it is not just property owners who have to worry about revaluation. She says renters should also be aware of the process since their landlords will be affected.

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