KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Many pockets in Jackson County are being impacted by high property assessments this year, from the Washington Wheatley neighborhood to Grandview. It's an issue that does not discriminate, and people are looking for help in any way possible.
ReeceNichols and Stacey Johnson-Cosby have been hosting workshops to explain what people need to do to appeal. The latest workshop was held Saturday, and hundreds turned out to listen.
"I’m 80, retired and have a doubled tax," said Grandview homeowner Lillian Carr. "That’s just too much, for senior citizens, for anybody. It’s too much. If it’s doubling now, what’s in the future?"
One Blue Springs homeowner, Janet Reimer, compared her assessment to her neighbors.
"Some went up a little bit, some went up far much more than mine," she said. "And it makes you question where they got that assessment, where they got that valuation."
The pressure also falls on those who own apartment buildings.
"I own an apartment building and the taxes went up from a $1,000 to almost $3,600, and the profit margins on that building are really low, so the question is, 'Am I going to pay that, or is it going to get passed on to the tenants?'" said Ryan Gritters, who's also a real estate agent. "These are in low-income situations where the rents are already high cause we’ve had so much inflation over the last three years."
KSHB 41 has been talking with Jackson County homeowners about this issue for weeks. Today, we talked with a young couple starting a family, who received the unimaginable.
"Our property taxes went up by 775%," said Christi Aly. "How… how is this math working?"
Christi and her husband Cameron have owned their home on Montgall Avenue for three years. It was built in 1908 and partially updated over the years. They say they've made cosmetic changes to the house, but nothing that warrants this kind of increase.
Out front, Cameron shows us how the retaining wall is falling apart.
"The trees and brush have started to crack the wall in several spots," he said.
Inside the home, the pair points out how the back part of the house, which was added at a later date from the original foundation, is starting to fall away from the rest of the house. Cameron said it wasn't done correctly.
"The floor boards underneath this portion are cracking and falling apart," he said. "It wasn’t properly ventilated either when they fixed the AC and heat, so there’s actually routine maintenance we have to do to remove the mold."
They're hoping they're able to keep their heads above water, but they're frustrated.
"This feels unjust and unrealistic for people to continue to be homeowners and continue to invest in the communities in Kansas City if these jumps keep happening," Christi said.
Despite the increase, they don't want to move.
"We love this neighbor, so the people aren’t the problem, but the resources that we were given and what we have access to are pretty limited," Cameron said.
The last day to appeal in Jackson County is July 10. There will be another workshop from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27, at the "28 Event Space" on West 28th Street in Kanas City, Missouri.
—
