Homeowners Furious After Property Taxes Double in Six Months

Residents of Hamilton County, Ohio, have seen their property taxes more than double in the last six months, and some of them are at risk of losing their homes, according to recent reports.

The taxes of several county homeowners have risen by nearly 500 percent recently, leaving many unable to make the payments due by February 5, according to WXIX in Cincinnati. Some told the local broadcaster they fear they will be forced out of their homes if they don't receive some form of assistance.

The hike in property taxes isn't only a problem for Hamilton County homeowners. By the end of last year, residents across Ohio were reporting higher property taxes following a state-mandated government property assessment that typically takes place every six years.

In November, appraisers in Ashland, Ashtabula, Geauga, Richland, Summit and Wayne counties said they were seeing an average of more than 30 percent increases in residential property values after the reappraisals, as reported by WEWS in Cleveland.

Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece said the formula mandated by the state "is flawed," claiming that "some people are paying more on their property taxes than they are on their actual mortgage."

Reece said she's also working on offering temporary relief for Hamilton County residents to address the property tax hike, as well as the high cost of mortgage.

Newsweek reached out to Reece's office by email on Thursday for comment.

While several counties in Ohio are already struggling with higher property taxes, the problem is expected to continue and even grow in the next couple of years.

This year, several other counties—including Cuyahoga, Erie, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Portage and Stark—are set to reevaluate their properties and could see their taxes rise in the near future.

While Reece and other county commissioners are seeking immediate solutions, Ohio lawmakers are working on a longer-term fix in the form of House Bill 187, which would change the way home property taxes are calculated. The new method would consider the past three years of property values instead of just one year.

The bill, which also stops the state's Department of Taxation from asking counties to hike their property tax value if they come in too low, has already passed in the Ohio State House. If it passes the state Senate, the bill will be valid for three years.

The bill found the opposition of county auditors and treasurers, whose associations issued a statement in October saying the measure would "wreak havoc" on the tax collection process and force counties that have just concluded the reappraisals to repeat the operation.