“We believe there are probably several hundred if not a thousand or more properties that should apply or could apply based upon our preliminary look of the damage,” Keith said.
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Today was the original deadline for the property tax deduction applications. As of Thursday, the auditor’s office had received 757 requests to have values lowered for tax purposes due to tornado damage.
“No property owner should be stuck paying a full tax bill on a property that has been damaged or destroyed,” Keith said. “That’s why we have given property owners more time to apply.”
A comprehensive property survey by the auditor’s office indicates that as many as 2,200 properties with major or moderate damage could be eligible for tax relief, Keith said.
Earlier this month, the auditor’s office released a new map of damaged properties damaged using sophisticated technology that allowed analysts to compare aerial photos of structures taken in March to those made days after the tornadoes.
The survey showed twisters affected 4,434 parcels of property in Montgomery County — destroying or inflicting major damage to 915 — according to the data.
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But just 267 of the applications have come from owners of the 915 properties that the survey shows were either destroyed or sustained major damage, leaving a potential 71 percent that group not yet applying for a deduction, according to the auditor’s office.
The office is holding a mobile assistance center today in Old North Dayton where property owners can get one-on-one help with the application. The session is from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Electra C. Doren Branch Library, 701 Troy St. The next scheduled session is Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Harrison Township Government Center, 5945 N. Dixie Drive. Additional sessions are scheduled through September.
INTERACTIVE MAP: See where thousands of properties were damaged in Montgomery County tornadoes
Affected property owners can find the damaged property deduction application online at www.mcauditor.org or can call 937-225-4326 to request a form by mail. Owners can also fill out the form at the Montgomery County Administration Building, 451 W. Third St. in Dayton between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on normal business days.
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