Reappraisal of your property to begin
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The Ringgold County Assessor’s Office and the Ringgold County Conference Board have contracted with Vanguard Appraisals, Inc, to complete a reappraisal of all residential and ag dwelling properties in Ringgold County beginning February 27, 2024.
The Ringgold County Conference Board approved this reappraisal in 2021 and authorized the Assessor to contract with Vanguard Appraisal.
The last door-to-door residential reappraisal in Ringgold County was done in 1995.
The purpose of the project is to equalize property assessments, so that each taxpayer is responsible for paying his/her fair share of the property tax burden.
“While the assessor’s office does similar work each year, we generally complete revaluations on a mass appraisal basis,” states Ringgold County Assessor, Melinda England, “In odd numbered years, we are subject to equalization by the Iowa Department of Revenue. In those years, a complete sales analysis is completed by the Assessor’s office to determine valuations for that year on a mass appraisal basis.”
“This reappraisal project will realign the values to be more equitable between similar types of property and update the listing of every property at the same time,” states England.
Periodic inspections and reappraisal of properties is necessary as all types of properties do not increase or decrease in value at the same rate.
Some properties physically deteriorate faster than others, and in many instances, similar homes located in different areas of the county will differ greatly in value due to economic factors.
Ringgold County Assessor, Melinda England, notes that door-to-door inspections of all residential and agricultural dwellings in Ringgold County will begin as early as next week.
Representatives of Vanguard Appraisals, Inc. in conjunction with the Ringgold County Assessor’s Office will be conducting this project.
Data collectors from Vanguard Appraisals, Inc will have a photo ID signed by the assessor and will make interior and exterior inspections of all residential properties in the county.
They will be compiling information to be used to estimate the fair market value of each property. Information to be collected includes type of construction, type of interior finish, physical condition of the property, age of structures and exterior measurements.
A complete sales analysis, local construction costs, and economic conditions are also considered. No estimate of value will be given at the time of inspection.
Property owners are asked to cooperate by allowing a complete inspection of their property and providing accurate information so that a fair and equitable assessment may be determined for each property.
The preliminary data collection process is expected to take roughly two years, and is scheduled for completion around December 31, 2025.
The information collected during the duration of this project will be used to set the January 1, 2026 valuations on Residential and Ag Dwelling property throughout the county.
Notice of final value estimates will be mailed to each property owner after January 1, 2026.
Property owners will have an opportunity to meet, informally, with Vanguard appraisers to discuss their revaluation in the spring of 2026.
The new assessed values will be effective for January 1, 2026 for taxes payable in fiscal September 2027 and March 2028.
All law enforcement agencies as well as the Ringgold County Assessor’s Office will be apprised of the areas where data collectors are working. They will also have a listing of all names and license plate numbers of anyone involved in the project.
If any property owner has questions regarding the reappraisal project, they are urged to contact the Ringgold County Assessor’s Office at 641-464-3233 or email mengland@ringgoldcounty.us
