Procedures for Administrative Review

Staff from the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District are available to conduct an administrative review of the assessment assigned to your property or properties. This “Request for Assessment Review” procedure will involve only a few moments of your time. Information and directions on how to request a review of your property follows below.  

1. A parcel owner may print out the “Request for Assessment Review” form or contact the MWCD toll free (866) 755-6923 to learn how they may obtain a copy of the “Request for Assessment Review” form
   
   The “Request for Assessment Review” form also is available via:
   
   
   • E-mail
   • Fax
   • US Mail
   • Auditor’s & Treasurer’s Offices
   
   Note: The “Request for Assessment Review” form must be signed by either a parcel owner or power of attorney or other legal representative.
   
   
2. The minimum information required for review is:
   
   
   • Parcel owner’s name
   • County the parcel is located in
   • Reason(s) for requesting a review
   • Signature of parcel owner or power of attorney or other legal representative.

3. The “Request for Assessment Review” form or letter may be delivered to the MWCD in person, or by mail to:

   MWCD Main Office
   1319 Third Street NW
   New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663

   FAX
   (330)364-4161

4. When the MWCD receives the written request it is date stamped. Requests for assessment review will be reviewed by MWCD staff members in the order they are received; the staff will contact the parcel owner if more information is needed to complete the review. When a review is completed, either a “Notification of Change” letter is sent to the parcel owner outlining the changes made to their assessment or a letter indicating why the assessment calculation is correct and no change is warranted.

   If you receive a Notification of Change letter, please be aware that your county tax bill may not reflect any changes to the assessment amount. Any billed assessment over the amount indicated in the Notification of Change letter will be refunded after second-half disbursements are received from the county. The Notification of Change letter also will detail the refund procedures.

   **NOTE** For a complete understanding of the Request for Assessment Review process, please see the Request for Assessment Review Process Summary page.

5. The Request for Assessment Review Form is designated to resolve issues with current and future year assessments. If you believe your parcel(s) has been assessed incorrectly in the previous year(s), Maintenance Assessment Billing Policy 8 allows for retroactive billing adjustments for any and all types of discovered billing errors. These errors typically include:  

   • Parcel Identification Number matched with incorrect property.
   • Estimated impervious area was either too high or too low (incorrect land use or errors in gross area).
   • Incorrect consolidation of adjacent Agricultural, Residential, and/or Vacant parcels.

   To have your parcel(s) reviewed for a retroactive billing adjustment, please submit an Assessment Payment Verification Form and appropriate supporting documentation with your Request for Assessment Review.

Accepted forms of supporting documentation are as follows:  

• Tax bills paid through your mortgage escrow account – Please provide your Real Estate tax payment information provided by your mortgage company.
• Tax bills paid in person with cash or money order – Please provide the receipt given to you by the County Treasurer at the time of payment.
• Tax bills paid by check – Please provide a statement showing a copy of the canceled check and the associated tax bill.

For many counties, proof of payment may be obtained via the Auditor’s real estate web site by searching for previous tax years. Request a copy of your paid taxes statement by going to your County Treasurer’s office for proof of previous payment.

Note: Submitting only a copy of your tax bill is not sufficient evidence of payment.

When a review is completed, a letter detailing the results will be sent to the parcel owner(s). If a retroactive billing adjustment is warranted, refunds will be issued for a period not to exceed three years preceding discovery of the error.