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Appraisers coming to Webster Co.

Some residents question need for in-home visits

Assessments throughout Webster County are scheduled to start soon.

Professional appraisers from Vanguard Appraisals, of Cedar Rapids, will be visiting every home within a town in Webster County over the next year in hopes of bringing property assessments up to date.

County officials have asked people to allow these appraisers into their homes, but not everyone is happy about the idea.

Dennis Jones, from the Coleman District south of Fort Dodge, said several residents from the neighborhood asked him to bring questions to the Webster County Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

“I’ve had several people approach me and ask about this tax deal,” Jones said. “They want to know basically how you can justify to have unknown people come into your home, and invade your privacy. There’s several people who said they are not going to do it because they don’t think it’s right, and invasion of privacy is the wrong thing to do in the United States.”

While officials are recommending people let the appraisers in, they have the right not to, said Webster County Attorney Darren Driscoll.

“They are not required by law to let these people on their property. They have an expectation of privacy in their home. We are strongly encouraging it, because then you will get the most accurate valuation for assessment purposes,” Driscoll said.

If they’re not allowed in, the appraisers will have to guess at what’s inside.

“If you don’t let them in, there’s some degree of speculation, perhaps, and your assessment might be higher,” Driscoll said.

The county has released names, photos and types of cars for each of the five appraisers who will be visiting homes, Driscoll said. He recommended people print out the notice from the Assessor’s office and keep it by the door.

If someone who isn’t on that list tries to enter a house for appraisals, Driscoll said, it might be a scam.

The appraisers will also carry photo ID signed by the assessor, according to a press release on the assessor’s website.

“The purpose of the reappraisal program is to equalize property assessments so that each taxpayer is responsible for paying only his/her fair share of the property tax burden,” the assessor wrote. “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.”

Assessor Angie Vinson previously said this process hasn’t been done since 1997.

The company will begin with houses in Fort Dodge, then work through other towns in the county. Information will be published about where they will be.

Anyone who wants to make an appointment can contact the assessor’s office and give their address and phone number, said Chief Deputy Assessor Lori Owen. Then the office will pass this along to Vanguard, and Vanguard will then call them to schedule an appointment.

The sheriff’s office and various city police departments will know when the appraisers will be here and who is authorized to enter homes, Supervisor Merrill Leffler said. If anyone has a question they can contact the sheriff, the police or the assessor’s office.

If appraisers can’t get inside, they will still walk around the property and take measurements, Leffler said. After making home visits, experts will drive around and create the final valuation numbers using the data gathered.

The board of supervisors doesn’t oversee this process, Leffler added. The work is being done through the assessor’s office.

Anyone looking for more information should contact the assessor’s office at 576-4721, or email assessor@webstercountyia.org.

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