First Notices from New Assessment to Arrive Soon By: Orange County Communications Department
Orange County established a new Real Estate Assessment Office in 2024 to conduct annual assessments of real estate property using modern techniques and technologies. Previously, reassessments had been conducted only once every four years, and were handled by a private vendor. The infrequency with which reassessments were conducted meant that assessed values were often significantly out of line with true market value. State code requires all real estate in the County be assessed at 100% of fair market value, and the Real Estate Assessment Department has striven to accurately and fairly assess properties to achieve that goal and bring values much more in line with their true worth. Shortly after this edition of the Insight is published, property owners in Orange County will receive the first notices from the new department advising them of their property’s reassessed value. For convenience and reference, a sample document is included on the opposite page. It’s important to remember that the assessment notice is NOT a tax bill . Tax bills will be mailed later this year from the Orange County Treasurer’s Office. Those bills will be the first bills for the newly aligned tax year. A few items will be different about this year’s notices. They are highlighted below: The Change Column The change column provides a quick reference for comparison between the taxes related to the current assessment and previous ones - in the form of a percentage change. Due to rising property values and a more accurate assessment process, most owners will notice a significant increase in assessed value. However, that will not necessarily translate to a large increase on real estate tax bills since the Board of Supervisors voted to “equalize” tax rates for all but the Fire & EMS levy. In other words, tax rates were set at a level that helps balance out the increase in property values. Land Use This is the first year that land use has been included on assessment notices. Please note, the impacts of the new land use field are not reflected in the change column or the tax calculation. In other words, the tax bill which will come later may show a different (probably lower) tax amount because land use has not been factored into the amounts shown on the assessment notice. Appeals Process Those wishing to appeal their assessment may do so by submitting an appeal to the Department and/or the Board of Equalization. An appeals form is available online; they can also be requested by emailing assessmentappeals@orangecountyva.gov. The form must be completed and returned to the Real Estate Assessment Department to begin an appeal. Appeals made this way must be submitted by close of business on August 14 . The Board of Equalization presents a second opportunity for appeals. Appeals to the Board must be made by September 15. It is recommended that those wishing to appeal begin with the departmental appeal (the first opportunity). Keep in mind that there must be a reasonable reason and legal basis for any change to be made to their property’s assessed value. Examples could include any factual inaccuracies regarding the property, the property being assessed in excess of fair market value, or the assessment for the property in question being inconsistent with comparable properties.
Questions should be directed to the Real Estate Assessment Department at (540) 672-6173.
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OCI July 2025
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