Appraisal / Sales Data Section

Positions & Responsibilities

The Appraisal / Sales Data Section is comprised of the following positions and responsibilities:

A team of three appraisers handles the following:

a) Residential/Urban Appraisals and Segregations - one-tenth of the county is reappraised each year as well as all new parcels created by segregation, partition or subdivision, and all new residential construction.

b) Agricultural/Forest/Rural and Special Use - an extensive part of Klamath County is made up of agricultural and/or forest lands on which four separate values must be maintained and up-dated, and all of which come under special assessment provisions.

Commercial/Industrial appraisals - an extensive inventory of commercial and industrial properties must be appraised and reappraised each year. One appraiser specializes in this category of properties.

Sales Data Analyst - collects, collates, verifies and analyzes all sales in the county each year. From this data a Certified Sales Ratio Report book is produced that sets the property value ”trends” for each year. The Sales Data Analyst also specializes in the reappraisal of manufactured structures (mobile homes).

According to Value

“Ad-valorem” means “according to value.” Since property taxes are assessed “according to value,” accurate real market values are all-important. Market value directly determines the amount of taxes assessed against a property for about 10% of the property accounts in Klamath County. It indirectly determines the amount of taxes of all other accounts by determining the “change property ratio” by which the “Assessed Value” of all other new properties is established. Additional reasons for maintaining “Real Market Value” under Measure 50 are presented in the section “Reasons Why We Need To Maintain Real Market Value."

Appraisal Techniques

Since it is not feasible to physically appraise each of the 71,000 total property accounts every year, mass appraisal techniques have been adopted statewide. This involves appraising a limited number of properties each year and using area sales to adjust the prior years’ value of those properties not reappraised via the “trending” program based on the sales ratio study. State law requires that the assessor’s office make every effort to adjust the real market value of every property to as close to “100 percent of real market value” each year as is possible via the mass appraisal process.

Tax Exemptions

Some properties are exempt from taxation, such as government buildings and property or that of charitable organizations. Some properties are assessed at less than market value such as farm or forestland. There are over 40 such statutory programs the assessor’s office administers.

New Construction Appraisal

It is the responsibility of the appraisal staff to determine the taxable status of each property. Appraising new construction is obviously a priority since new properties add new value, which add new revenue for each taxing district under Measure 50.

Questioning an Appraisal

Once values are established questions often arise as to the accuracy of the appraisal. This can be done by requesting an appraisal review at the assessor’s office, by appeal to the Board of Property Tax Appeals or to the Oregon Tax Court.