Marion Co. general assessment shows increased property values - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Tens of thousands of local homeowners could be in for a little sticker shock.

Property tax assessments haven't hit mailboxes in Marion County yet, but Eyewitness News has learned certain areas are dealing with increases between 15-25 percent.

Butler Tarkington resident Jeremy Stewart noticed he will now pay an extra $300 each year in property taxes.

"My value has gone up 17.53 percent. All the red indicates going up more than 10 percent," he said.

Check your home's assessed value here.

Stewart and his wife have lived in their home for the last four years. The couple is expecting their first child. When the soon-to-be dad happened to check his home value online earlier this month, he realized the new tax assessment numbers were out. Stewart's home increased in value by nearly $30,000 over the last year.

"If I could sell the house at what they appraised it at, that would be great. But, based on the appraisals I have and the other houses sold, I wouldn't be able to do that," Stewart said.

The Butler Tarkington neighborhood resident noticed he wasn't alone. Nearby homes in the Meridian Kessler area have increased in value as well.

Filing an appeal on a property tax assessment is simple. A homeowner can pick up a form at the assessor's office or can send in three pieces of information: name, property address, and contact information.

While the appeal process is easy to start, it's backlogged.

Marion County Assessor Joe O'Connor tells Eyewitness News they are still taking care of appeals from 2007. In total, some 30,000 homeowners are waiting to have their home reassessed.

Jeremy Stewart was one of those "victims" - he just won his 2008 appeal this past April. The assessor says this giant reassessment process was a two-year project and the department's numbers may not be perfect.

"We are not infallible. The quicker we recognize there is a problem, the better before the tax bills hit," said O'Connor.

The updated tax bill won't come in the mail until mid-November. However, it is available online.

Homeowners can appeal their value at any point, even without the tax bill form. Appeals must be filed by January.