Most Yazoo County residents who live outside the city limits saw the assessed value of their homes increase anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 this year.
One resident told the Board of Supervisors Monday that he doesn’t think the process applied equally to everyone, and he thinks the value attached to his property is unrealistically high.
Yazoo County resident Frank Henson said he doesn’t mind paying his fair share of taxes, but he doesn’t believe he’s being treated fairly.
He took issue with Bruce Templeton, who assesses properties for the county.
“Every time I turn around he’s coming out there and going up on my taxes,” Henson said. “Every time I talk to Bruce, he says the state says he can do it, and he can do what he wants to do. That’s the reason I had to come to this board.”
Templeton said he is simply following the state law with the appraisals. Templeton said the agriculture use classification for Henson’s additional acreage is actually lower than market value.
“You’re saying that, but why did you go up $9,000 on my house and building,” Henson asked. “You told me on the phone that you can do what you want to because the state says you can. That ain’t right.”
“I did not say that,” Templeton responded. “I tried to explain it to you just like I’m trying to explain it to the board right now.”
Henson said he believes there are people with nicer buildings that are taxed at lower rates.
“I’d have to look at those buildings,” Templeton said.
“You just got through appraising properties, what do you mean you’d have to go look at them,” Henson said.
Templeton produced photos of Henson’s properties and his shop that was the topic of discussion. He also showed similar buildings in the area that he said fall under the same classification.
Henson said the other buildings were nicer than his.
“My building is made out of junk,” he said.
Henson said he believes the assessed value of his home is higher than what it’s really worth.
“You have my house jacked up, and I know where a house is that’s bigger than mine that’s appraised at less value,” Henson said. “It’s appraised for $63,000, you’ve got mine appraised for 80-something. Every time you come out there you go up on it.”
Templeton said Henson gets homestead rates for individuals over age 65 that is set by the state.
“I think Mr. Henson would like to be exempt for the 103 acres and his house, and that’s just not going to happen,” Templeton said.
“I think you’re talking too much,” Henson said. “You’re putting words in my mouth. I don’t like that. I pay my taxes.”
Henson said he simply wants to know why his assessed value increased.
“Why did you raise my property taxes $9,000,” Henson said.
“This was our update year,” Templeton said. “I didn’t change any land values except for agriculture use land values that were dictated by the state. They give us those numbers. On the buildings I find new construction and find out what it was built for, and I put it through the state system. The state then gives me what’s called an index. We apply that to every building in Yazoo County, and then when I come and do my visual inspection we class and depreciate according to the property’s actual physical condition. Then you take the building value and the land value and put those together to get the appraised value. Once you get that total appraised value, the last thing you do is take the market sales that have occurred in Yazoo County. That gives us a ratio.”
“The market is down,” Henson said.
“I’d like to think that, but it really isn’t,” Templeton said. “In the city it has gone down some, but in the county it hasn’t.”
Henson said he has evidence that a similar home did not get a higher assessed value this year.
“Are you telling me that you can go out and look at a house the same size as mine and say it didn’t go up on market value,” Henson asked. “I know for a fact you didn’t go up on one man’s house because I pulled the paperwork on it. I’m not calling names, but I’m telling you.”
“I can tell you that pretty much every house in Yazoo County out in the county, depending on its age, probably went up from three to five thousand dollars. The newer ones probably went up from ten to 15 thousand dollars.”
“My house is 30-something years old,” Henson said.
“I have your property appraised at $125,000 for tax purposes, and I dare say you’d take that for it,” Templeton said.
“I’ll sell you my house for $125,000,” Henson responded.
“That’s the house and the whole 103 acres,” Templeton said. “I have your house appraised for $75,000.”
Collins asked Templeton if he would revisit the property to take another look.
“He can come anytime he gets ready,” Henson said. “The appraisal doesn’t bother me, and the taxes don’t bother me, but the point is that he keeps going up on me every year. If I put a nail in a board, he’s out there.”
“I’m at everybody’s property,” Templeton said.
“No, you got mad at me back in 2005 and ever since then you’ve been on may case,” Henson said.
“It doesn’t matter how mad you make me, I’m going to treat you the same as everybody else,” Templeton said.
