Property appraisals begin this month

MARENGO — Door-to-door inspections of all commercial, industrial and multi-residental properties in Iowa County will begin this month, Iowa County Assessor Liz Kriegel said last week.

The reappraisal project was approved by the Conference Board in February 2020.

The purpose of this reappraisal project is to equalize property assessments so that each taxpayer is responsible for paying only his or her fair share of the property tax burden, said Kriegel in a news release.

Periodic inspections and reappraisal of properties is necessary because properties do not increase or decrease in value at the same rate, said Kriegel.

Some properties physically deteriorate faster than others, and, in many instances, similar properties located in different areas of the county will differ greatly in value due to economic factors.

Data collectors from Vanguard Appraisals, Inc., of Cedar Rapids, will make the property inspections. The data collectors will carry photo IDs signed by the assessor for identification.

Data collectors 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.

Kriegel asked property owners to cooperate by allowing a complete inspection of their properties and by providing accurate information so that a fair and equitable assessment may be determined for each property.

The preliminary data collection process will begin in October 2023. The project is scheduled for completion Dec. 31, 2024.

Notice of final value estimates will be mailed to each property owner after Jan. 1, 2025. Property owners will have an opportunity to meet informally to discuss their revaluation in the spring of 2025.

The new assessed values will be effective for Jan. 1, 2025 for taxes payable in fiscal 2026-2027.

All law enforcement agencies and the Iowa County Assessor’s Office will be apprised of the areas where data collectors are working. They also will have a list of all names and license plate numbers of anyone involved in the project.

Property owners with questions regarding the reappraisal project, should contact the Iowa County Assessor’s Office at 319-642-3851 option 6 or email lkriegel@iowacounty.iowa.gov.