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WE'LL HAVE MUCH MORE COMING UP
AT 6:00.
Debby: DANIEL MILLER, THANK
YOU.
OUR OTHER TOP STORY, THE MARION
COUNTY ASSESSOR SAY THERE HAVE
BEEN A MISTAKE OF HUNDREDS IF
NOT THOUSANDS OF NEW PROPERTY
ASEXMENTS.
ERIN MURPHY JOINS US WITH THAT
STORY.
Reporter: YES, DEBBY, JOSEPH
O'CONNOR SAID HIS OFFICE MESSED
UP.
HE SAID DURING THE ASSESSMENT HE
REALIZED MORE THAN 200 HOMES IN
THE IRVINGTON TERRACE WERE
WRONGED.
FROM OUR STANDPOINT IT WAS AN
OVERSIGHT.
WE MADE A MISTAKE.
Reporter: JUST A MONTH BEFORE
PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS ARE MAILED
OUT, THE MARION COUNTY ASSESSOR
REALIZED THAT 221 HOMES FROM
ASSESSED AT THE WRONG AMOUNT.
I'M SURE THERE WILL BE
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WHO WILL BE
APPEALING.
Reporter: IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
WHERE THE MISTAKES HAVE BEEN
MADE.
HE SAID THE PROPERTY TAXES IN
THAT AREA HAVE NOT BEEN STABLE,
NOT ONLY DO THEY WORRY ABOUT THE
TAX BILL BUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
FUTURE.
THE AVERAGE AROUND HERE IS
$900 TO $1,300, AND I'VE SEEN
THEM GO UP TO $2,500 TO $2,600.
THAT SCARES PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE
POTENTIAL BUYING OF A HOME.
Reporter: IN PREVIOUS YEARS
WHEN ASSESSMENTS WERE DECIDED,
O'CONNOR SAID IT'S BASED ON
ANALYSTS WALKING HOUSE TO HOUSE.
IT TOOK 18 MONTHS FOR THE
GENERAL ASSESSMENT, AND O'CONNOR
IS WORRIED MORE HOMES WILL BE
AFFECTED.
IT'S HOW WIDESPREAD IS THE
PROBLEM, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE
TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM?
I DON'T WANT TO TAKE CHANCES
MUCH WORKING THROUGH THE PROBLEM
WHEN WE SEND OUT AN ASSESSMENT
THAT IS WRONG.
Reporter: HOMEOWNERS CAN
STILL APPEAL, BUT AS IT STANDS,
THE OFFICE IS WORKING ON APPEALS
FROM 2007.
O'CONNOR SAID HE WILL SPEND THIS
WEEK FIGURING OUT HOW MANY MORE
PROPERTIES ARE AFFECTED.
HE BELIEVES THOUSANDCHES
ASSESSMENTS COULD BE WRONG, AND
HE SAID NO MORE LETTERS WILL BE
SENT OUT.
PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS ARE
SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE MAIL BY
MID-NOVEMBER, BUT O'CONNOR HAS
ASKED FOR AN EXTENSION.
IF GRANTED, THEY WOULD GO OUT
MID DECEMBER.
Debby: THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF
ISSUES WITH THIS OFFICE OVER THE
YEARS.
WHAT IS DIFFERENT THIS YEAR.
Reporter: THIS YEAR IS THE
GENERAL ASSESSMENT, AND BY STATE
LAW THEY HAVE TO HAVE A GENERAL
ASSESSMENT.
THE LAST TIME THERE WAS A
GENERAL ASSESSMENT WAS IN 2002.
THAT'S WHEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT
GOES OUT TO EACH PROPERTY,
LOOKING AT THE PROPERTY VISUALLY
TO SEE WHAT CHANGES HAVE BEEN
DONE.
BECAUSE OF THAT SOME PROPERTY