Online Property Tax Appeal Management System

About the Program

Category: County Administration and Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

In the Spring of 2014, Durham County implemented an online appeals system that was the result of approximately two years of research and planning. By customizing a variety of existing technologies, Durham leveraged the strengths of each to develop a platform for increasing the efficiency of resolving taxpayer appeals, and for providing taxpayers with a new level of access to information. Several issues related to appeals provided the drive for adopting this new system: • Taxpayers contacting the tax office for appeal purposes in multiple ways • Physical and logistical barriers to convenient communication with taxpayers • Variation in taxpayer inquiry volume (different times/stages of tax year) • Time involved in routing inquiries appropriately • Ability of taxpayers to develop meaningful appeals • Keeping track of documentation • Consistency in responses from tax office • Ability for managers to provide oversight • Getting consistent information in front of the local Board of Equalization and Review • The need to manage everything with our current computer-based mass appraisal system, but not be dependent on it The system is accessible online at https://dconc.modria.com, is available to taxpayers 24/7, and provides simple methods for property owners not only to submit their appeals and supporting documentation, but also to research and submit a list of comparable sale properties that are from the time period relevant to the general reappraisal date. We have designed the system to help educate our citizens about both the process of appealing their property values, and the importance of developing their appeals in a way that is more meaningful in the context of the time period for which their properties have been appraised.