Time to assess property

BENTONVILLE — Benton County officials are working with residents to assess their personal property in 2012.

Arkansas residents have until May 31 to assess their personal property, said County Assessor Glenn “Bear” Chaney. But there’s nothing to be gained by waiting, he said. Under Arkansas law, the property tax people will pay this year is based on their assessment from last year and their assessment this year will determine what they pay in property tax next year. Failure to assess or pay on time makes property owners liable for tax penalties.

Benton County plans to open some “off-site” locations this month to help those who prefer to assesstheir property in person, but who may not live near the assessor’s offices.

Linda Hambrick, administrative assistant with the assessor’s office, it is possible to assess by phone or over the Internet.

Chaney said the office had gotten some complaints from people about difficulty of assessing by phone, which is another reason the office will offer the remote locations as an option this year.

Chaney said the office is also beginning work on the county’s next reappraisal cycle, which begins this year and will be complete in 2016. John Williams, the real estate supervisor for the assessor’s office, said appraisers will begin the process this year in the northwestern corner of the county and in the Bella Vista area.

Williams said appraisers will visit each parcel and do a more detailed appraisal than has been done in most years. The appraisers will get out of their vehicles, measure the exterior of the buildings and ask residents for information about their homes.

“We’ll be asking about the interior of the home,” Williams said. “Typical questions will be ‘How many bathrooms are there?’ ‘What kind of floor coverings are there?’ and ‘How many years ago was the house built?’”

All of the appraisers will work in vehicles marked with Benton County Assessor’s Office emblems and will have photo identification badges with them, Chaney said. Anyone with questions can call the Assessor’s Office, he said.