TOLEDO, Ohio — Property owners in Lucas County are set to receive new tax bills following a programming error that caused inflated property valuations for some homeowners. The error, which affected 346 properties, led to tax assessments based on inaccurate property values, resulting in higher-than-expected tax bills for affected residents.
The issue first came to light when the Gross family of Oregon, Ohio, saw their home’s value increase by 101% in the most recent assessment, a figure that came as a shock to the homeowners. “We were shocked when we saw the initial value. We thought it had to be a mistake,” said Michele Gross.
After further investigation, the Gross family learned their property was among those impacted by a programming glitch that led to incorrect property valuations. While the error has since been corrected, the tax bill they received was based on the original inflated value. Dan Gross expressed frustration, saying, “It’s all on one page there. It should have flowed through and they should have corrected.”
The Lucas County Auditor’s Office confirmed the issue and announced plans to recalculate the tax bills for the affected properties. Auditor Katie Moline emphasized that the revised tax bills would be sent to homeowners, with the payment deadline extended until February 28 for those on the list of affected properties.
For those who have already paid their taxes based on the incorrect values, refunds will be issued. Michele Gross said that while she was relieved to hear of the refund process, she would wait for the corrected amount before making any further payments. “I don’t agree to pay the over-inflated amount because I’m not guaranteed to get that money back. We’re talking a few thousand dollars,” she explained.
In addition to addressing the current issue, Auditor Moline’s office is continuing to investigate other potential errors in property valuations. Residents who believe their property values are incorrect still have the option to dispute them through the Board of Revisions, a process that remains open.
As the situation unfolds, many homeowners in Lucas County are left questioning whether similar errors could be affecting other properties in the area. While the auditor’s office works to address the problem, residents are urged to stay informed and take action if they believe their property values do not accurately reflect the market conditions.