Thousands tell the Franklin County Board of Revision their homes have lost value

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clipped from www.dispatchpolitics.com Droves of property owners are coming to the Franklin County Courthouse armed with area sales prices, reappraisals and a plea: Lower my taxes. And, largely, they're winning. Fueled by economic desperation or thrift, a record number of property owners are arguing that their homes or businesses are no longer worth the amount used to calculate their taxes. The Board of Revision has heard 1,470 of the 6,700 appeals filed; an additional 1,000 decisions are nearly done. Ninety percent of the time, the board has agreed with owners and granted a lower valuation. The high success rate, however, may be misleading. The board front-loaded the easiest cases -- those in which homeowners submitted obvious proof to support a quick judgment. A drop in valuation doesn't translate dollar-for-dollar to a lower tax bill. Taxes are calculated by multiplying the value of a property by the millage of local levies. People are scared, Testa said, and that's fueling the rush to his office.