Private company may start looking at revaluation numbers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Complaints about the county's revaluation have gone on for more than two years, but on Wednesday a private company will start looking at every home in Mecklenburg County to see which values are right, which are wrong and who might get a refund out of the deal.

By now it is no secret that thousands of home values from the 2011 revaluation were too high.

On Tuesday night, county commissioners are expected to hire a firm to take a second look at every home in Mecklenburg.

The firm is headed by Fred Pearson who has already been working for the county to re-adjust faulty values in targeted neighborhoods – starting Wednesday he will go county-wide.

"We will have out people out there. They will be putting their eyes on the property," said Pearson.

It is good news for homeowners who complained loudly about the accuracy of the 2011 reval. Emily Zuyus has already gotten a refund, but said she is glad to know every home value will get a second look.

"I am happy they are going to come back and clean up the entire mess and we will start from ground zero," said Zuyus.
If values are found to be too high homeowners will get a refund, but if the new review finds any values too low, those homeowners could be told to pay more.

"If we find additions that are missing, that we can see from the road we will be shooting pictures of them and be reporting that to the county," said Pearson.

County Commission Chair Pat Cotham knows there are still hiccups ahead, but said getting every home value reviewed is a start.

"I hope that taxpayers will feel that this is a priority and will continue to be a priority. We will just keep going until we get it right," she said.

Where lower values are determined, the county will pay refunds to whoever owned the house in 2011 and 2012 even if they no longer live there.

The county will pay Pearson's appraisal $3.4 million to get this review completed over the next 16 months.

WSOC