Reassessment

 




2024 Assessment Notices

 

Notices will be mailed to property owners for the 2024 General Reassessment in March 2024. Pursuant to §58.1-3330 of the Code of Virginia, the 2024 levy shown on the 2024 Reassessment Notice is based on the 2023 tax rate. A public hearing on the 2024 Real Estate Tax Rate is scheduled by the Board of Supervisors in the Board Chambers beginning at 5:00 pm on May 28, 2024 at the County Administration building located at 16404 Courthouse Rd in Eastville, VA, 23347. 

Northampton County property owners may email [email protected] to request a copy of a reassessment notice or property record card, change a mailing address, or submit any other request related to real estate assessments. 

Appeal Forms (See below for further information)

- Administrative Appeal Form
- Board of Equalization Appeal Form

Appeal Deadlines

- Administrative Appeal deadline is April 26, 2024.
- Board of Equalization appeal deadline is November 1, 2024.

General Reassessment

 
The Code of Virginia, Chapter 32, provides the legal requirements for Real Property Taxation within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Article 5 of this chapter prescribes the cycles when real properties shall be assessed and reassessed. On September 13, 2011, under this article, the governing body of Northampton County voted to provide for the biennial assessment of real estate.

A reassessment is a mass appraisal process which values a large number of properties. Every other reassessment cycle involves a physical inspection of all properties in the county in order to verify measurements, physical condition, and any changes that may have occurred since the last physical reassessment. Three standard approaches to value are employed in the reassessment process. They include the Sales Comparison Approach, which incorporates analysis of arm's-length sales of comparable properties during a particular marketing time period; the Cost Approach, which values a building as new and subtracts depreciation, then adds its land value; and, the Income Approach, which places a value on an income producing stream based on an appropriate capitalization rate.

§ 58.1-3201 of the Code of Virginia establishes the basis for taxation of real property in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Reassessments are required to be made at 100% of fair market value. The definition of fair market value for purposes of a general reassessment as defined by the Code of Virginia is: "the price which a property will bring when it is offered for sale by one who desires, but is not obliged, to sell it, and is bought by one who is under no necessity of having it." Values stated are to be the most probable price in terms of cash, or in terms of financial arrangements equivalent to cash.

Reassessments must be fair and equitable among all. The uniformity of assessments is achieved through statistical testing and recognized standards of practice of the IAAO (International Association of Assessing Officers). It is of great importance for taxpayers in Northampton County to know that the Real Estate Division of the Office of the Commissioner of Revenue strives to ensure that all reassessments are fair, equitable, and uniformly distributed among all types of property within the county.

Appeal Information

 
You may file an Administrative Appeal with the Commissioner of Revenue on the basis the assessment is not uniform with similar properties. Property owners may mail, e-mail, or fax the Administrative Appeal Form to this office. After its review, a determination will be made.
In order to comply with Standard 2 of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), appraisals not specifically intended for the purpose of appealing assessment values cannot be accepted by the Commissioner of the Revenue or the Board of Equalization.

Appraisals submitted for assessment appeal must include the following:

 The "Purpose of the Assignment" must be stated as "developing market value for the appeal of ad valorem tax valuation."

 The “Intended User” must state “Northampton County, VA Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue - Real Estate Division, the Northampton County, VA Board of Equalization, and the Northampton County Board of Supervisors."

You may also appeal to the Board of Equalization (BOE), which is a three-member board appointed by the Judge of the Circuit Court of Northampton County. Northampton County's local Board of Equalization (BOE) is composed of three members, residents of the county, who are freeholders and broadly representative of the community's diversity. The BOE holds public hearings to hear grievances and make their determinations; the burden of proof is upon the taxpayer seeking relief to show that the property in question is valued at more than its fair market value. The BOE after hearing such petitions and by order, may increase, decrease or affirm the assessment.

Property owners have the right under §58.l-3331 to have at least 45 days prior to the hearing to review and obtain copies of all the assessment records pertaining to the assessing officer's determination of the fair market value concerning their property and to request that the Assessor make a physical examination of the subject property. These records are available at the Commissioner of the Revenue's Office located at 16404 Courthouse Road, Suite 127, Eastville, Virginia, Monday through Friday, between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm.

To appeal with the BOE, complete and mail the Board of Equalization Appeal Form to PO BOX 65, EASTVILLE, VA, 23347. Provide sufficient supporting documentation to prove why the property owner believes his or her property has been inaccurately assessed.

Upon receiving the application, the Board of Equalization Secretary will contact the property owner of the date and time of their appointment.

Additionally, you have the right to further appeal to the Circuit Court of Northampton County. Any or all of these levels of appeal processes are available to property owners.


NOTICE OF PROPOSED EQUALIZED REAL PROPERTY TAX RATE INCREASE


The Board of Supervisors of Northampton County, Virginia, proposes to equalize property tax levies.

1. Assessment Increase: Total assessed value of real property, excluding additional assessments due to new construction or improvements to property, exceeds last year’s total assessed value of real property by 21.18 percent.

2. Lowered Rate Necessary to Offset Increased Assessment: The tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax as last year, when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate with the exclusions mentioned above, would be $0.6272 per $100 of assessed value. The Code of Virginia allows for a 1% growth of the levy which results in an equalized rate of $0.6335.

3. Effective Rate: The Board of Supervisors of Northampton County, Virginia, proposes to adopt a tax rate of $0.685 per $100 of assessed value. The difference between the lowered tax rate and the proposed rate would be $0.0515 per $100 or 8.12%. This difference will be known as the “effective tax rate increase”.

Individual property taxes may, however, increase at a percentage greater than or less than the above percentage.

4. Proposed Total Budget Increase: Based on the proposed real property tax rate and changes in other revenues, the total budget of Northampton County will exceed last year’s by 12.1%

A public hearing on the Equalized Tax Rate will be held on May 28, 2024, commencing at 5:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the County Administration Building, 16404 Courthouse Road, Eastville, Virginia. The hearing will be open to the public. The governing body shall permit persons desiring to be heard an opportunity to present oral testimony within such reasonable time limits as shall be determined by the governing body.

5. The Board will convene a separate public hearing on June 11, 2024, commencing at 5:00 p.m., in the Board Room of the County Administration Building, 16404 Courthouse Road, Eastville, Virginia, to consider the proposed FY 2025 budget which may increase, decrease or retain the Equalized Tax Rate.


Handicapped assistance available: Call 757/678-0440.


Department Staff Information

Consuelo Gonzalez
Commissioner of the Revenue

757-678-0446  ext. 508

[email protected]


Jessica Upshur
Deputy

757-678-0446  ext. 502

[email protected]


R. Todd Simpson
Real Estate Appraiser

757-678-0446 ext. 503

[email protected]


Jennifer Ann Smith
Deputy Personal Property

757-678-0446 ext. 507

[email protected]


Maria Castaneda
Deputy Real Estate

757-678-0446 ext. 505

[email protected] 


Northampton County Commissioner of Revenue
PO Box 65
16404 Courthouse Road
Eastville, VA 23347

Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday
9 AM - 5 PM