November 25, 2024

Happy Thanksgiving! The Auditor's office will be closed Thursday and Friday. We will reopen on Monday December 2nd.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The County Treasurer, not the County Auditor, is in charge of your Real Estate Taxes. Please contact the Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org with your property tax questions or if you need to update your tax bill mailing address.

November 12, 2024

November 8, 2024

The Auditor's office will be closed Monday November 11th, Veterans Day. We ask you to join us in honoring those who sacrifice so much to keep us safe and to protect our freedom.

November 6, 2024

Congratulations to all the winners in Tuesday's General Election!

November 4, 2024

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5th. Polls are open in Ohio from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM. Take time to make your voice heard. Vote!

October 24, 2024

Election Day is Tuesday November 5th. In Ohio, you can vote in person on Election Day, by absentee, or by early voting at your County Board of Elections. Early voting hours are extended to include Saturday and Sunday for the next two weekends. Make sure you read up on all the pertinent candidates and issues in your community, and then do your part. Vote!

August 26, 2024

Ohio Law requires all residential rental property be registered with the local County Auditor. The completed registration form is scanned and available to view by clicking on the rental registration link for a particular parcel on our website. If you come across a property for rent advertisement, we urge you to verify the owner information on our website and verify the property is registered, before giving anyone a down payment, security deposit or first month's rent. Make sure you are dealing with a legitimate owner or rental agent.

July 30, 2024

Now is a good time to print out the tax distribution page for your parcel. Just pull up your parcel and select Tax Distributions from the views listed on the right side of the Property Information page. This page shows you how your tax bill is distributed. You can also print last year's report from this page. This page is extremely helpful for those who escrow. We suggest you print this page annually for your records. You might also find it helpful to print the entire property report. Print Options are listed under "Views".

July 4, 2024

If you find a licensed dog that may have gotten loose from its home, you can use our license search look-up. If you find an unlicensed loose dog, please contact the dog warden at https://cincinnatianimalcare.org.

June 24, 2024

Starting today through July 3rd, dog owners with new dogs or dog owners who neglected to renew licenses back in January, can now do so without penalty through 7/3 by purchasing licenses on-line or at area vendors. If an owner purchases at Cincinnati Animal Care in Northside, for an additional $5, your dog can be microchipped and can get free annual vaccinations.

June 20, 2024

The County Treasurer mailed tax bills on 5/24. Tax bills are due June 20th. Please email the County Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org with any tax bill questions, or go to the Treasurer's website for more information.

June 19, 2024

County offices, including the Auditor's office, will be closed Wednesday June 19th in celebration of Juneteenth. Offices will reopen on Thursday June 20th.

June 14, 2024

May 2, 2024

In the summer, when homeowners are focused on outside projects, we get numerous questions about property boundaries and fencing. Many local governments require a property survey before issuing a permit. Please check with your local building department. Failing to do so may cause you to have to take down your fence if it encroaches on your neighbor's property. Both the CAGIS link and the Aerial Imagery link show approximate boundaries. Only a surveyor reading the legal description on your deed can mark the exact property boundary.

April 4, 2024

Now is a good time to print out the tax distribution page for your parcel. Just pull up your parcel and select Tax Distributions from the views listed on the right side of the Property Information page. This page shows you how your tax bill is distributed. This is extremely helpful for those who escrow. We suggest you print this page annually for your records. You might also find it helpful to print the entire property report. Print Options are listed under "Views".

April 1, 2024

There is a visitation for Brigid Kelly on Wednesday from 4pm -8pm at Naegele Kleb & Ihlendorf Funeral Home, 3900 Montgomery Rd, Norwood, OH 45212. Mass of Christian Burial is Thursday April 4 at 10am at Bellarmine Chapel, 3801 Francis Xavier Way, Cincinnati, OH 45207. It will also be livestreamed. (Livestream info: https://youtube.com/live/qL4O9WlwMXg?feature=share). Here is the link to Brigid's obituary: https://www.naegelefuneralhome.com/obituary/Brigid-Kelly. And here is a link to the WVXU story about Brigid: https://www.wvxu.org/local-news/2024-03-26/former-state-lawmaker-hamilton-county-auditor-brid-kelly-has-died.

March 26, 2024

Statement from the family of Brigid Kelly

We sadly report that our dear one, Brigid Kelly, passed on Tuesday evening at her home. She was surrounded by love and peace after waging a two-year battle with cancer. Brigid's failing health necessitated her recent resignation as Hamilton County Auditor. She was a treasured wife, daughter and sister, a valued friend and a true public servant. Funeral services are pending.

March 26, 2024

The Board of Revision filing period ends March 31st. Complaints must be postmarked by March 31st or dropped off in the Auditor's office by close of business Friday March 29th at 4 pm. We cannot accept emailed complaints. Go to the Board of Revision webpage for filing instructions, complaint copies, and further details.

February 16, 2024

Dear Property Owner,

During the last few years, the real estate market went sky high, with buyers outbidding each other amidst a low interest borrowing market. It did not matter much whether a property was completely renovated, partially renovated, or in original condition. If buyers wanted a house in a specific area, they were, in many cases, willing to pay whatever it took to successfully buy the property while interest rates were low. This was not unique to Hamilton County, but rather (continue reading)

February 7, 2024

If you have questions about your tax bill, please email the County Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org or call 513-946-4800. If you have questions about your property value, please email County.Auditor@Auditor.Hamilton-co.org or call 513-946-HOME. If you want to see how your tax bill amount is distributed, please pull up your property and click on the tax distributions tab. If you have questions about the Board of Revision, please go to https://hamiltoncountyauditor.org/bor.asp.

January 16, 2024

The County Treasurer has mailed the tax bills. Payment is due to the County Treasurer by February 5^th. If you have questions about your tax bill, email county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org or call 513-946-4800. If you have questions about your property value, please email County.Auditor@Auditor.Hamilton-Co.org or call 513-946-HOME.

January 12, 2024

December 28, 2023

The new values and property tax amounts are now posted to our website. Just do a property search for your parcel. The value displayed on the opening page is your new reappraisal value. Click on "Payment Detail" to see the new tax amount. If you have questions about your taxes, please email the County Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org. The Treasurer will mail tax bills in early January.

December 26, 2023

The Auditor's office and the Treasurer's office are now in the process of calculating and verifying the new property tax amounts. Once the verification process is completed, the tax amounts and new values will be posted to the Auditor's website. We are working as quickly as we can to complete this complicated process.

December 21, 2023

The Auditor's office will close at noon on Friday 12/22, along with the County Recorder's office and the County Treasurer's office. We wish you a blessed and peaceful Christmas holiday. We will reopen on Tuesday, 12/26.

November 27, 2023

Barring any changes to State Law regarding the reappraisal process, we anticipate receiving the new tax rates from the State of Ohio in December, after which we can calculate tax bills for the upcoming tax year. Until that time, new tax bill amounts will not be available.

November 17, 2023

*** The Auditor's office will be closed Thursday 11/23 and Friday 11/24 for the Thanksgiving Holiday***

Barring any changes to State Law regarding the reappraisal process, we anticipate receiving the new tax rates from the State of Ohio in December, after which we can calculate tax bills for the upcoming tax year. Until that time, new tax bill amounts will not be available.

November 8, 2023

Friday, November 10^th, the Auditor's office will be closed in honor of Veterans Day. Please take a moment this weekend to thank and honor the more than 19 million men and women who have served in our military.

November 6, 2023

Tuesday 11/7 is Election Day. Please take time to vote. In Ohio polls are open from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. (https://www.vote411.org/ohio). In Kentucky, the hours are 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. (https://www.vote411.org/node/7806). You can get specific information on races, issues, and levies in your county by going to your County's Board of Elections. For levies in Hamilton County, use our website to pull up your parcel and then click on the levy information tab to understand how the levies may impact your future tax bill. Once the State of Ohio sets tax rates after the election, we can calculate taxes. Until then, the tax calculator on our website may not be accurate.

October 10, 2023

The levy summary for the November 7th election is now posted below under News and Notes. You can also pull up your parcel and click on the levy tab to see how the passage of each levy may affect your taxes. Please keep in mind, this is an estimate since we do not yet have the new tax rates from the State of Ohio. Do your research and then vote, either on Election Day or through early voting opportunities.

August 18, 2023

Here's the media release about the 2023 Reappraisal along with the County's Aggregate Report. It can also be accessed below in News and Notes. Please review the additional information you can access on the Real Estate Valuation Department Page and below in "2023 Reappraisal Process". Keep in mind that in Ohio reappraisals take place every six years. Three years after a reappraisal is a triennial update. The 2023 reappraisal follows the 2020 triennial update which adjusted values three years ago.

August 9, 2023

Please take a moment to read my post in the News and Notes section below regarding the 2023 Reappraisal process. Also, please go to the Real Estate Valuation page, under Departments, to read general information about the 2023 process and about how your taxes are calculated.

All Commercial/Industrial tentative value notices have been mailed. We will start mailing Residential Tentative Value Notices shortly. Notices will be mailed to the owner's mailing address on our website for each parcel.

July 25, 2023

Please take a moment to read my post in the News and Notes section below regarding the 2023 Reappraisal process. Also, please go to the Real Estate Valuation page, under Departments, to read general information about the 2023 process and about how your taxes are calculated.

All Commercial/Industrial tentative value notices have been mailed. We are still working with the State of Ohio to finalize residential tentative values. Once finalized, tentative value notices will be mailed to the owner of record of each residential parcel in the County. Stay tuned.

May 26, 2023

Please take a moment to read my 5/25 post below in the News and Notes section regarding the 2023 Reappraisal process. Also, please go to the Real Estate Valuation page, under Departments, to read general information about the 2023 process and about how your taxes are calculated.

May 8, 2023

Now is a good time to print out the tax distribution page for your parcel. Just pull up your parcel and select Tax Distributions from the views listed on the right side of the Property Information page. This page shows you how your tax bill is distributed. This is extremely helpful for those who escrow. We suggest you print this page annually for your records. You might also find it helpful to print the entire property report. Print Options are listed under "Views".

May 1, 2023

The Primary Election is Tuesday, May 2. There are several important levies on the ballot. If a levy passes it may influence your tax bill amounts starting in 2024. Take time now to understand the levies and make your voice heard by voting. Forest Hills Local School District, Loveland City Schools, Northwest Local School District, Winton Woods City Schools, Delhi Township and the Village of Woodlawn have levies. The levy information tab for each parcel in these tax districts now shows a projection of what the passage of the respective levies will cost in taxes on an annual basis. Simply do a Property Search and then click on the Levy Information view to see the levy information.

April 24, 2023

The Primary Election is Tuesday, May 2. There are several important levies on the ballot. If a levy passes it may influence your tax bill amounts starting in 2024. Take time now to understand the levies and make your voice heard by voting now through early voting or in person next Tuesday. Forest Hills Local School District, Loveland City Schools, Northwest Local School District, Winton Woods City Schools, Delhi Township and the Village of Woodlawn have levies. The levy information tab for each parcel in these tax districts now shows a projection of what the passage of the respective levies will cost in taxes on an annual basis. Simply do a Property Search and then click on the Levy Information view to see the levy information.

March 16, 2023

Forest Hills Local School District, Loveland City Schools, Northwest Local School District, Winton Woods City Schools, Delhi Township and the Village of Woodlawn have levies on the May ballot. The levy information tab for each parcel in these tax districts now shows a projection of what the passage of the respective levies will cost in taxes on an annual basis. Simply do a Property Search and then click on the Levy Information view to see the levy information.

March 13, 2023

I am honored that you, the voters of Hamilton County, chose me to be your County Auditor. I pledge to take the best of what my predecessor, Dusty Rhodes has given this office during the past 32 years, and with your help, make the County Auditor's office even more responsive, transparent and accessible. The Auditor's office has many responsibilities; I look forward to serving you well with the highest level of accountability, dedication and fairness.

March 2, 2023

I will be retiring as County Auditor on Friday, March 10. My heartfelt thanks to the voters for entrusting me with this important office for the past 32 years, and the wonderful staff who worked with me to serve the citizens of Hamilton County. And my best wishes to Auditor-elect Brigid Kelly who will be sworn in on Monday, March 13. To insure continuation of our services a thorough transition effort has been underway since last November's election.

February 21, 2023

Now is a good time to print out the tax distribution page for your parcel. Just pull up your parcel and select Tax Distributions from the views listed on the right side of the Property Information page. This page shows you how your tax bill is distributed. This is extremely helpful for those who escrow. We suggest you print this page annually for your records. You might also find it helpful to print the entire property report. Print Options are listed under "Views".

February 16, 2023

The Auditor's office will be closed Monday, February 20, 2023 in honor of Presidents' Day.

February 2, 2023

Now is a good time to print out the tax distribution page for your parcel. Just pull up your parcel and select Tax Distributions from the views listed on the right side of the Property Information page. This page shows you how your tax bill is distributed. This is extremely helpful for those who escrow. We suggest you print this page annually for your records. You might also find it helpful to print the entire property report. Print Options are listed under "Views".

January 26, 2023

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The County Treasurer, not the County Auditor, is in charge of your Real Estate Taxes. PAYMENT IS DUE JANUARY 31st. Please contact the Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org or (513) 946-4800 with your property tax questions. New values and tax amounts are now posted on this website. If you plan to pay your taxes in person go to the County Treasurer's office on the 4th Floor of the County Administration Building. If you plan to mail your tax payment we urge you not to deposit your mail in a blue USPS postal box, but rather go inside a post office to mail your payment.

January 13, 2023

The Auditor's office will be closed Monday, January 16, 2023 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

December 27, 2022

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The County Treasurer, not the County Auditor, is in charge of your Real Estate Taxes. Please contact the Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org with your property tax questions. New values and tax amounts are now posted on this website. If you plan to pay your taxes in person go to the County Treasurer's office on the 4th Floor of the County Administration Building. If you plan to mail your tax payment we urge you not to deposit your mail in a blue USPS postal box, but rather go inside a post office to mail your payment.

November 16, 2022

Congratulations to State Rep. Brigid Kelly on her election as the next Hamilton County Auditor. She will be taking office on Monday, March 13, 2023. My staff and I will be working with her to ensure a smooth transition and unimpeded continuation of the office's work and service.

September 21, 2022

Now is a good time to review your property's data on our website. Make sure your mailing addresses are current. Make sure the data associated with your property is accurate. Write to me at Dusty.Rhodes@fuse.net if you have any corrections. 2023 is a reappraisal year for Hamilton County. We will be corresponding with you as we set new values.

September 8, 2022

State law requires all rental property in Hamilton County be registered with the County Auditor. Any additional municipal registries are an additional requirement for property owners and do NOT exempt them from registering with our office. You can see information about the program and a list of registered properties on our website under "Departments", "Rental Registration".

July 11, 2022

July 6, 2022

June 30, 2022

The Hamilton County Auditor's office will be closed on Monday July 4th in honor of Independence Day. We will reopen on Tuesday July 5th. Have a safe and peaceful holiday weekend.

June 15, 2022

Hamilton County offices, including the Auditor’s office, will observe Juneteenth on Monday June 20th. All county offices will be closed.

May 31, 2022

Now is a good time to pull up your property on our website and run a property report. Simply click on "Property Report" in the lower right corner of the property information screen for your property. The property report includes real estate data and your tax payments for this tax year as well as recent years. It also includes the tax distribution page which shows how your tax payments are distributed to your local government and to levies. Save the report with your tax documents for future reference.

May 27, 2022

Our office will be closed, Monday, to honor all service men and women who gave their lives to protect our freedom, and the life we are fortunate to enjoy as Americans. They are heroes in every way. This Memorial Day, remember those who sacrificed to protect our God-given rights.

April 3, 2022

March 1, 2022

The Auditor's office is open for walk-in business, but we urge you to continue conducting your Auditor business through email, fax, USPS, or courier service. If you are coming in to pay your property tax bill, please note it is the County Treasurer whose office is on the 4th floor who handles your taxes, not the County Auditor. You can reach the County Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org.
Please check out our FAQs icon below which answers many of the frequented asked questions of our office.

February 7, 2022

Although the Auditor's office is open, we urge you to conduct your Auditor business with us through email, fax, USPS, or courier service since the COVID pandemic is still very much with us. If you are coming in to pay your property tax bill, please note it is the County Treasurer whose office is on the 4th floor who handles your taxes, not the County Auditor. You can reach the County Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org.

February 3, 2022

Due to the winter storm, the Auditor's Office will be closed Friday, February 4th. Many of our services are available online, we will have some staff working remotely to answer emails and process online work. We will respond to all emails and voicemails as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.

February 2, 2022

Due to the winter storm, the Auditor's Office will be closed Thursday, February 3rd. Many of our services are available online, we will have some staff working remotely to answer emails and process online work. We will respond to all emails and voicemails as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.

January 3, 2022

December 20, 2021

The Holiday Season is here. The Auditor's office will be closed Christmas Eve Friday December 24 and New Year's Eve Friday December 31. We strongly encourage you to continue to put your safety and the safety of our employees in the forefront by conducting your business with us through email, fax, USPS or courier service since the COVID pandemic is still very much with us.

November 15, 2021

The Holiday Season is coming up. The Auditor's office will be closed on Thanksgiving Day Thursday November 25; the day after Thanksgiving Friday November 26; Christmas Eve, Friday December 24; and Friday December 31. We encourage you to continue to conduct business with us through email, fax, USPS or courier service since the COVID pandemic is still with us.

July 6, 2021

The Hamilton County Auditor's office has remained open throughout the pandemic for those persons who are unable to conduct business with us through email, fax, USPS, or courier even though other departments in the County Administration Building (Todd B Portune Center) were closed to the public. It is our understanding that all departments in the building are now open. I encourage you to continue to work with us via email, fax, USPS and courier services whenever possible for both your convenience and your safety, given the fact COVID is still with us.

June 21, 2021

June 16, 2021

On Friday June 18th, Hamilton County offices, including the Auditor's office, will be closed in recognition of Juneteenth.

If you have tax bill questions, please contact the County Treasurer who bills and collects your property taxes at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org.

June 14, 2021

May 21, 2021

The Hamilton County Auditor's office has remained open throughout the pandemic for those persons who are unable to conduct business with us through email, fax, USPS, or courier even though other departments in the County Administration Building (Todd B Portune Center) were closed to the public. It is our understanding that all departments in the building will open to the public on June 1st. I encourage you to continue to work with us via email, fax, USPS and courier services whenever possible for both your convenience and your safety, given the fact COVID is still with us.

May 14, 2021

Check out my 5/13/2021 news release below in Front Page News. I suggest we provide relief to Hamilton County homeowners by using some of the American Rescue Funds to make good on the prior promise by County Commissioners regarding the stadium sales tax credit to Hamilton County property owners.

February 16, 2021

The County Auditor's office is open to the public for limited in-person services. Since many walk-in same day services are not available at this time, we strongly advise you to continue to interact with our office by mail (138 East Court Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202), by email ( Dusty.Rhodes@fuse.net .), by telephone (946-4000) or by courier services. Those entering the building will be temperature screened and must wear a mask. The County Treasurer handles tax bills. Contact the Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org for tax bill questions. For all deed related questions, go to the County Recorder's website at https://recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org/.

February 12, 2021

The Auditor's office will be closed Monday February 15th for Presidents' Day. You can communicate with Auditor Rhodes by email at Dusty.Rhodes@fuse.net .

February 09, 2021

The Auditor's office is CLOSED today, Tuesday February 9th. We will open tomorrow Wednesday February 10th with limited same day services available. We urge you to contact the Auditor at Dusty.Rhodes@fuse.net or by USPS at 138 East Court Street, Room 304, Cincinnati Ohio 45202.

February 08, 2021

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The County Treasurer, not the County Auditor, is in charge of your Real Estate Taxes. Please contact the Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org with your questions. If you plan to pay your taxes in person go to the County Treasurer's office on the 4th Floor of the County Administration Building. New values and tax amounts are posted on this website. We are open for very limited same day services due to COVID restrictions. We urge you to use email, fax, courier services or US Mail rather than coming to our office.

February 05, 2021

The County Treasurer has informed us that their website is down. If you want to make an online payment of your tax bill, go to https://www.paydici.com/hamilton-county-oh/search/new. If you wish to pay in person go to the Treasurer’s office on the 4th floor of the County Administration Building, 138 East Court Street. Payments can also be made by mailing your check to County Treasurer, 138 East Court Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.

December 31, 2020

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The County Treasurer, not the County Auditor, is in charge of your Real Estate Taxes. Please contact the Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org with your questions. If you plan to pay your taxes in person go to the County Treasurer's office on the 4th Floor of the County Administration Building. New values and tax amounts are posted on this website. We are open for very limited same day services due to COVID restrictions. We urge you to use email, fax, courier services or US Mail rather than coming to our office.

December 29, 2020

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The County Treasurer, not the County Auditor, is in charge of your Real Estate Taxes. Please contact the Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org with your questions. If you plan to pay your taxes in person go to the County Treasurer's office on the 4th Floor. New values and tax amounts will be posted to this website after tax rates are calculated in late December. The Auditor's office will be closed on January 1, 2021. Otherwise we are open for very limited same day services. Due to COVID, we urge you to use email, fax, courier services, or US Mail rather than coming to our office.

December 09, 2020

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The County Treasurer, not the County Auditor, is in charge of your Real Estate Taxes. Please contact the Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org with your questions. If you plan to pay your taxes in person go to the County Treasurer's office on the 4th Floor. New values and tax amounts will be posted to this website after taxes are calculated in late December. The Auditor's office will be closed on December 24th and December 25th. Otherwise we are open for very limited same day services. Due to COVID, we urge you to use email, fax, courier services, or US Mail rather than coming to our office.

November 30, 2020

The County Auditor's office is open to the public for limited in-person services. Since many walk-in same day services are not available at this time, we strongly advise you to continue to interact with our office by mail (138 East Court Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202), by email ( dusty.rhodes@fuse.net), by telephone (946-4000) or by courier services. Those entering the building will be temperature screened and must wear a mask as ordered by the Governor of Ohio and the City of Cincinnati. Remember, the County Treasurer handles tax bills. Contact him at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org for tax bill questions. For all deed related questions, go to the County Recorder's website at https://recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org/.

November 23, 2020

The Auditor's office will be closed for business on Thursday November 26th and Friday November 27th for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will re-open for limited in-person services on Monday November 30th.

November 12, 2020

The County Auditor's office is open to the public for limited in-person services. Since many walk-in same day services are not available at this time, we strongly advise you to continue to interact with our office by mail (138 East Court Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202), by email ( dusty.rhodes@fuse.net), by telephone (946-4000) or by courier services. Those entering the building will be temperature screened and must wear a mask as ordered by the Governor of Ohio and the City of Cincinnati. Remember, the County Treasurer handles tax bills. Contact him at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org for tax bill questions. For all deed related questions, go to the County Recorder's website at https://recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org/.

October 13, 2020

The County Auditor's office is open to the public for limited in-person services. Since many walk-in same day services are not available at this time, we strongly advise you to continue to interact with our office by mail (138 East Court Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202), by email ( dusty.rhodes@fuse.net), by telephone (946-4000) or by courier services. Those entering the building will be temperature screened and must wear a mask as ordered by the Governor of Ohio and the City of Cincinnati. Remember, the County Treasurer handles tax bills. Contact him at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org for tax bill questions. For all deed related questions, go to the County Recorder's website at https://recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org/.

October 9, 2020

The County Auditor's office will be open on Columbus Day, Monday 10/12 for phone and limited walk-in services. HOWEVER, many walk-in same day services are not available at this time, so we strongly advise you to continue to interact with our office by mail (138 East Court Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202), by email ( dusty.rhodes@fuse.net), by telephone (946-4000) or by courier services. Those entering the building will be temperature screened and must wear a mask as ordered by the Governor of Ohio and the City of Cincinnati. Remember, the County Treasurer handles tax bills. Contact him at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org for tax bill questions. For all deed related questions, go to the County Recorder's website at https://recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org/.

September 14, 2020

The County Administration Building has reopened to the public. HOWEVER, many walk-in same day services are not available at this time, so we strongly advise you to continue to interact with our office by mail (138 East Court Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202), by email ( dusty.rhodes@fuse.net), by telephone (946-4000) or by courier services. Those entering the building will be temperature screened and must wear a mask as ordered by the Governor of Ohio and the City of Cincinnati. Remember, the County Treasurer handles tax bills. Contact him at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org for tax bill questions. For all deed related questions, go to the County Recorder's website at https://recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org/.

July 8, 2020

The County Administration Building has reopened to the public. HOWEVER, many walk-in same day services are not available at this time, so we strongly advise you to continue to interact with our office by mail (138 East Court Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202), by email (dusty.rhodes@fuse.net), by telephone (946-4000) or by courier services. Those entering the building will be temperature screened and must wear a mask as ordered by the Governor of Ohio and the City of Cincinnati. Remember, the County Treasurer handles tax bills. Contact him at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org if you have tax bill questions.

July 7, 2020

The County Administration Building has reopened to the public. HOWEVER, many walk-in same day services are not available at this time, so we strongly advise you to continue to interact with our office by mail (138 East Court Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202), by email (dusty.rhodes@fuse.net), by telephone (946-4000) or by courier services. Those entering the building will be temperature screened and must wear a mask as ordered by the City of Cincinnati. Remember, the County Treasurer handles tax bills. Contact him at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org if you have tax bill questions.

July 6, 2020

On Monday July 6th, the County Administration Building reopens to the public. Those entering the building will be temperature screened and must wear a mask. Not all same day counter services will be available. We highly recommend you continue to interact with our office by mail, email dusty.rhodes@fuse.net, fax, telephone or courier services. Remember, the County Treasurer handles tax bills. Contact him at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org if you have tax bill questions.

July 1, 2020

The Auditor's office will be closed Friday July 3rd in recognition of Independence Day. On Monday July 6th, the County Administration Building reopens to the public. Those entering the building will be temperature screened and must wear a mask. Not all same day counter services will be available. We highly recommend you continue to interact with our office by mail, email dusty.rhodes@fuse.net, fax, telephone or courier services. Remember, the County Treasurer handles tax bills. Contact him at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org if you have tax bill questions.

June 19, 2020

The County Administration Building will reopen to the public July 6th. For your health and safety, we strongly urge you to continue to use email (dusty.rhodes@fuse.net), phone (946-4000), or USPS (138 East Court Street, Room 304, Cincinnati Ohio 45202) to transact your business with the Auditor's office. Should you choose to come in to the office, please wear a mask. You will be asked to maintain proper physical distancing and may have to leave your documents for us to process. Remember, the County Treasurer handles tax bills. Email him at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org.

June 4, 2020

The County Treasurer, Robert Goering, bills and collects your property taxes, not the County Auditor. Please direct all tax bill questions to county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org. For information regarding upcoming tax bill deadlines go to the Treasurer's website at https://www.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/government/departments/treasurer.

May 29, 2020

The County Administration Building, where our office is located, is still closed to the public. We are working hard to answer your requests during this closure. Please send your documents or questions by email, fax, USPS, FedEx, UPS, or courier service. If you wish to speak to a specific Auditor department, please use the phone directory under "About Us" on our website or call the general number, 946-4000, for assistance. As soon as we have a re-opening date we will post it here. AS A REMINDER, the Forfeited Land Sale will not be held this year due to COVID-19 and Ohio House Bill 598.

April 30, 2020

April 21, 2020

In the spring, when homeowners are focused on outside projects, we get numerous questions about property boundaries and fencing. Many local governments require a property survey before issuing a permit. Please check with your local building department. Failing to do so may cause you to have to take down your fence if it encroaches on your neighbor's property. Both the CAGIS link and the Aerial Imagery link show approximate boundaries. Only a surveyor reading the legal description on your deed can mark the exact property boundary.

April 10, 2020

Thank you to all the heroes, including our staff, who are coming to work every day during the coronavirus pandemic. It is not easy. They are not the only heroes though. Our hearts are with the many whose businesses followed the State's order to shut down. Each employee now without work, doing the best they can do, is also a hero. Please continue to follow our State's leadership. Practice social distancing. Reach out by phone or social media to your neighbors. Be patient with those who continue to work during these difficult times. Do the best you can do. Our office continues to be closed to the public, but we are working to serve you. Email me at Dusty.Rhodes@fuse.net if you need anything from my office.

March 23, 2020

The Auditor's office will remain open during Ohio's shelter in place to time sensitive transactions by US mail, email, phone, courier services, UPS, FedEx and fax. No walk-in traffic will be allowed in the building. No exceptions. Please be patient as our response time may be slower than normal due to reduced staffing. For general questions, call 946-4000 or email Dusty.Rhodes@fuse.net. Stay home and be safe.

March 19, 2020

Due to the coronavirus situation, the County Administration building is closed to the public. All business with the Auditor's office must be by email, phone, courier services, UPS, FedEx, or US mail. And as a reminder to title companies, we strongly recommend e-filing. For general questions email Dusty.Rhodes@fuse.net or call 946-4000.

March 18, 2020

In order to protect your health and the health of our employees, please transact your Auditor business by email, phone, courier services, UPS, FedEx, or US mail. And as a reminder to title companies, we strongly recommend e-filing. For general questions email Dusty.Rhodes@fuse.net or call 946-4000.

March 16, 2020

Yes, the Auditor's office is open for business. HOWEVER, we urge you to use email, phone, courier services, UPS, FedEx, or US mail to transact your business with us. And as a reminder to title companies, E-filing is available.

February 18, 2020

Ohio's primary has been moved from May to March 17th. Go to the Hamilton County Board of Elections https://votehamiltoncountyohio.gov/ for details.

February 12, 2020

The Auditor's office will be closed Monday, February 17th, in honor of Presidents' Day. It is a day to celebrate all US Presidents. Perhaps it is also a good day for all of us to familiarize ourselves with the ballot for the Ohio March 17th primary. Ohio's primary has been moved from May to March. Go to the Hamilton County Board of Elections https://votehamiltoncountyohio.gov/ for details.

February 3, 2020

Check out my press release on Hamilton County exempt property in Front Page News https://www.hamiltoncountyauditor.org/pdf/news_Taxexemptpropertygrowth2020.pdf.

February 3, 2020

Check out my press release on Hamilton County exempt property in Front Page News https://www.hamiltoncountyauditor.org/pdf/news_Taxexemptpropertygrowth2020.pdf.

January 17, 2020

The Auditor's office will be closed Monday, January 20, 2020 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As an FYI, if you have tax bill questions, please contact the County Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org. Payment is due 1/31/2020.

January 08, 2020

The County Treasurer mailed the property tax bills on Tuesday January 7th. Tax payments are due January 31st. Please direct all tax bill questions to county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org. The Treasurer's website is https://www.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/government/departments/treasurer.

December 26, 2019

The County Treasurer, Robert Goering, bills and collects your property taxes, not the County Auditor. Please direct all tax bill questions to county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org. The Treasurer's website is https://www.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/government/departments/treasurer.

December 23, 2019

Our office will close at noon on Tuesday, 12/24, Christmas Eve. We wish you a safe and wonderful holiday with family and friends.

December 17, 2019

The County Treasurer, Robert Goering, bills and collects your property taxes, not the County Auditor. Please direct all tax bill questions to county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org. The Treasurer's website is https://www.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/government/departments/treasurer.

December 3, 2019

REMEMBER TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR YOUR DOG! Renew your Hamilton County Dog License now. The fee for a one year license is $19.00 before the renewal deadline of January 31st (late fees apply if renewed after this date). Three year licenses and permanent licenses are also available. Visit our Dog Licensing page for further details and information.

December 3, 2019

The County Treasurer bills and collects property taxes. Tax bill questions can be emailed to County.Treasurer@hamilton-co.org. Tax Year 2019 pay 2020 information will not be available until sometime in late December.

November 25, 2019

We wish you a very safe and blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends. Our office will be closed both Thursday 11/28 and Friday 11/29.

November 18, 2019

November 12, 2019

State law requires all rental property in Hamilton County be registered with the County Auditor. Any additional municipal registries are an additional requirement for property owners and do NOT exempt them from registering with our office. You can see a list of registered properties on our website under "Departments", "Rental Registration".

November 8, 2019

The Auditor's office will be closed Monday November 11th, Veteran's Day. Join us in honoring the sacrifices made by many to protect our freedom.

October 31, 2019

State law requires all rental property in Hamilton County be registered with the County Auditor. Any additional municipal registries are an additional requirement for property owners and do NOT exempt them from registering with our office. You can see a list of registered properties on our website under "Departments", "Rental Registration".

October 02, 2019

The County Treasurer, who bills and collects property tax, recently mailed the delinquent property tax bills. If you received a bill and have questions, please contact the County Treasurer's office at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org or go to the Treasurer's website at https://www.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/government/departments/treasurer.

October 10, 2019

Our office will be OPEN on Columbus Day, Monday October 14th. This holiday was traded for the day after Thanksgiving Day many years ago, and it seems to have worked out well. Banks, post offices and the courts will be closed on Monday however.

October 02, 2019

September 19, 2019

If you own rental property in Hamilton County, Ohio Law requires that you register the rental property with the Auditor's office. This registration provides first responders and other emergency personnel contact information in case of an emergency. Check out our new Rental Registration page https://www.hamiltoncountyauditor.org/tax_rentalregistration.asp for more information and for a downloadable registration form.

September 11, 2019

Hamilton County's November ballot will include twenty-eight (28) proposed new or renewing property tax levies. Go to the levy information tab of your parcel to see how any levy in your taxing district will affect your tax bill if passed.

September 3, 2019

Now is a great time to print out the Treasurer's Payment Detail page and the Tax Distributions page for your parcel so you have a record of your tax bill payments to the Treasurer and a record of how your tax payment amount was distributed to local governments and levies. Simply pull up the Property Information page for your parcel by using the Property Search tool and click on the pages listed under "View".

August 30, 2019

Monday, September 2nd, the Auditor's office will be closed in observance of Labor Day. This holiday was conceived by the labor movement in 1882 as a day set aside to pay tribute to working population of the United States. Later, in 1894, amid labor unrest, President Grover Cleveland signed a congressional bill declaring Labor Day, the first Monday in September, a national holiday. Today Labor Day celebrates not only the labor movement and the workers of our country but it also marks the unofficial end of summer.

August 27, 2019

July 25, 2019

The County Auditors' Association of Ohio includes all 86 elected Auditors and 2 appointed Auditors in the state. The organization shares information to improve the operation of our offices. We also work with the General Assembly on legislation affecting our offices and county government. County Auditors across the state are among the most dedicated public servants I have ever known. I am proud to be associated with them.

July 8, 2019

If you are in the market to buy a home, make sure you ask to see the building permits for any recent renovation or new construction. Permits and inspections are your protection that the construction work has been performed to established building codes.

June 28, 2019

Hamilton County offices, including the Auditor's office, will be closed Thursday July 4th and Friday July 5th. We wish you a very safecelebration of our Nation's Independence.

June 21, 2019

County government is often misunderstood. As a second tier of government, the county should not take the place of local governments. Unlike cities, villages and home rule townships, the county does not have law making authority. We are simply an administrative arm of the state. We can do only what the state permits.

June 11, 2019

It is the County Treasurer, not the County Auditor, who is in charge of property tax bills. Please direct questions about your tax bill to County.Treasurer@hamilton-co.org.

June 7, 2019

The annual Forfeited Land Sale will be held on June 10, 2019 at 8:30am in Room 605 of the County Administration Building, downtown. Please note this recent change: ALL parcels to be sold in the regular portion of the Sale will require a minimum bid of $50. Pre-registration is easy and saves everybody time! You will find pre-registration documents and the list of available parcels here.

June 6, 2019

On this important day, the 75th anniversary of Allied Forces storming the beaches at Normandy France, let us remember all those who have fought for our freedom, in not only that war, but all others. Take a moment to thank and pay tribute to each and every veteran.

June 3, 2019

May 28, 2019

There is a wealth of information available on our website. For example, if you want to compare property taxes between communities and school districts go to "Departments" on this page, then to "Real Estate Tax" and then select "Annual Cost Residential".

May 24, 2019

Our office will be closed on Monday, Memorial Day. Fly the American Flag proudly this weekend in tribute to each who answered the call to serve and paid the price for our freedom. The freedom we enjoy we enjoy because of them. Remember them. Salute them

May 14, 2019

Occasionally we receive e-mails about police service, street repairs, troublesome neighbors and various other community issues. These concerns should be directed to local government officials, city or village council members, mayors, or township trustees. Ours is a county office and we have no authority or control over local matters.

April 24, 2019

Just a reminder! We have a free mobile app available for your use. Download the iOS version from your Apple Store or the Android version from the Google Play Store. Use search words "Hamilton County Auditor".

April 15, 2019

Out of approximately 352,500 parcels in the county, 1,431 Board of Revision complaints were filed this year, compared to 4,380 last year. Of the 1,431 complaints 396 are commercial and 1,035 are residential. 697 were filed due to recent sales.

If you are considering the purchase of a newly renovated home, make sure to ask to see copies of the construction permits so you have knowledge the renovation work was performed according to the building codes of your political jurisdiction.

March 20, 2019

March 11, 2019

My eighth four-year term as County Auditor begins today. Thanks to County Prosecutor Joe Deters for administering the oath of office to me and to our Deputy Auditors. We deeply appreciate the excellent legal assistance we receive from the Prosecutor's Civil Division. I am grateful to the voters of Hamilton County for entrusting me with this important office.

February 19, 2019

It is the County Treasurer, not the County Auditor, who is in charge of property tax bills. Please direct questions about your tax bill to County.Treasurer@hamilton-co.org.

February 14, 2019

The Auditor's office will be closed Monday February 18th in observance of Presidents Day.

February 1, 2019

From time to time we receive email asking for historical information on a property. The most complete property history is available through the County Recorder where deeds, mortgages, liens, and other recorded documents are filed. Visit the County Recorder's office on the 2nd floor of the County Administration Building at 138 E Court Street or go to the website at https://recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org/.

January 22, 2019

It is the County Treasurer, not the County Auditor, who is in charge of property tax bills. Please direct questions about your tax bill to County.Treasurer@hamilton-co.org. Tax bills are due 1/31/2019.

January 10, 2019

The County Treasurer, who bills and collects real estate taxes, mailed the tax bills Monday 1/7/2019. Tax Year 2018 pay 2019, which includes the new tax bill amounts, is now posted to the Auditor's website. Questions about your tax bill should be directed to County.Treasurer@hamilton-co.org.

January 17, 2019

Our office will be closed Monday January 21st in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. And as a reminder, if you have questions regarding your tax bill, please contact the County Treasurer at County.Treasurer@hamilton-co.org. It is the County Treasurer who bills and collects property taxes. Taxes are due 1/31/2019.

January 2, 2019

Tax Year 2018 pay 2019, which includes the new tax bill amounts for those who want to pay early, is now posted to the Auditor's website. The County Treasurer, who bills and collects real estate taxes, will mail tax bills in early January. Questions about your tax bill should be directed to County.Treasurer@hamilton-co.org.

December 28, 2018

Our office will be open December 31st and closed January 1st. We wish you a great close to 2018 and very happy start to the New Year.

December 26, 2018

December 21, 2018

We wish you a very blessed, safe, and peaceful holiday, surrounded by friends and family. Our office will be closed Monday December 24th and Tuesday December 25th. .

December 20, 2018

Tax Year 2018 pay 2019, which includes the new tax bill amounts for those who want to pay their real estate taxes early, is now posted to the Auditor's website. The County Treasurer, who bills and collects real estate taxes, will mail tax bills in early January. Questions about your tax bill should be directed to County.Treasurer@hamilton-co.org.

December 4, 2018

The 2019 Dog License renewal period began December 1, 2018 and ends January 31, 2019. Renewal notices have been mailed to all dog owners' registered in 2018. Dog license can be purchased online at www.hcauditor.org/dogs.asp, by mail or at one of our license sales agents. The fee remains $19 through the renewal period (late fees will apply if purchased after the deadline).

November 26, 2018

The Hamilton County Board of Revision completed its work for the 2017 tax year on September 28, 2018. Of the approximate 353,600 parcels in the County, 4,407 had complaints filed on them (merely 1.25%) in 2018. Of those complaints filed there have been 324 (or 7.35%) appeals filed with the Board of Tax Appeals or the Court of Common Pleas.

November 16, 2018

Thanksgiving is upon us. Let us be thankful for our health, but remember the sick; be thankful for family and friends, but remember those who are without; and be thankful for our freedom but remember the enslaved. Our office will be closed Thursday 11/22 and Friday 11/23 in recognition of the holiday.

November 13, 2018

Thanks very much for electing me to a new term as your County Auditor. I'm extremely grateful for your support and trust. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with our terrific staff to provide every Hamilton County resident with topnotch service from your County Auditor's office. Again, thank you!

November 9, 2018

Our office will be closed Monday in observance of Veterans Day. Remember our great country is the "land of the free because it is the home of the brave." Thank the veterans you know for all they have given and continue to give.

November 7, 2018

October 4, 2018

Although some County offices are closed on Columbus Day, Monday October 8, the Auditor's office is open from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm.

October 8, 2018

Hamilton County's November ballot will include nineteen (19) proposed new or renewing property tax levies. Besides the county-wide Children's Services additional levy, there are six (6) municipalities with proposed levies, four (4) township levies, five (5) school districts with levies. Use the levy tab for your property to see how a passed levy will affect your property taxes.

October 04, 2018

Homeowners who received Homestead for tax year 2013, prior to the state-mandated Income rule set in 2014, are considered 'Grandfathered'. If you are "grandfathered" and moving to a new primary residence in Hamilton County, please call our office at 946-4099 to transfer your Homestead to your new residence without the application of the state mandated income rule.

September 12, 2018

A very handy tool on our website is the Tax Distributions page which displays the break-out estimate of the current year tax bill. We suggest you print this page to keep with your financial records for the year. Just go to Property Search, pull up a parcel, and click on "Tax Distributions" from the menu on the right side of the Property Information page.

September 4, 2018

We occasionally receive requests for details on tax levies and how they work. The requirements are set by state law. While it's an "oldie but a goodie" our 2000 Citizen's Report featured a well-written and still applicable explanation of tax levies and effective rates. The information begins on page four of our 2000 Citizen's Report at https://www.hcauditor.org/retax_menu.asp.

August 31, 2018

Though Labor Day may mean the end of summer and the start of the school year, remember that it is also a celebration and recognition of the hard work ethic upon which our country was founded. Yes, take the day off, but also make a point to thank the work force that supports you.

August 26, 2018

We are finishing up this year's Board of Revision cases. 60% of the commercial filings have been heard and 84% of the residential filings have been heard. We expect to conclude all remaining hearings by the end of September.

August 23, 2018

This weekend we will be performing maintenance on our web servers. Our website will be accessible, but you may possibly see brief interruptions during this time.

August 17, 2018

August 1, 2018

Great News! I'm returning $14 million from the Real Estate Assessment (REA) Fund to local governments, school districts and taxing entities. Complete details in the post on Front Page News dated August 1, 2018.

July 31, 2018

July 24, 2018

To facilitate public review of the sales tax referendum petitions, we have scanned and posted them under "Downloads" on our website. There are 1403 part petitions with a total of just over 38,000 signatures. The originals are available for viewing in our office during regular business hours until they are delivered to the Board of Elections on Monday for the signature verification process.

July 16, 2018

The sale price listed on the property summary page reflects the most recent transfer. At a real estate closing a property may be transferred more than once, and sometimes the last transfer is one where there is no exchange of money - a transfer into a trust, LLC, partnership, new deed due to consolidation etc. If there is no exchange of money, $0 will display. Go to the transfer tab to see all transfers since computerization of our records.

July 5, 2018

There is only one levy to be voted on in Hamilton County in the Tuesday, August 7 Special Election. That is an Oak Hills School District levy. Property owners in the Oak Hills District can see what additional amount they will pay starting next year if the proposed levy is passed by a majority of the voters in the district by going to the levy tab for their properties.

July 3, 2018

Have a blessed and safe Independence Day surrounded by family and friends. Fly the American flag and give thanks to the incredible freedoms we have been granted.

June 29, 2018

June 21, 2018

June 15, 2018

As the deadline for paying property tax bills approaches (June 20th) please remember that the County Treasurer is responsible for billing and collecting while the County Auditor has the duty to value the property. Your questions and inquiries regarding your tax bill should go to the County Treasurer at County.Treasurer@hamilton-co.org. Valuation questions should be sent to the County Auditor.

June 12, 2018

Some property owners choose to formally challenge the valuation of their property in the Board of Revision where representatives of the Treasurer, Board of County Commissioners and Auditor decide such cases based on evidence presented. Sometimes School Boards counter-file to defend the current valuation as Ohio law requires they be notified when a certain level of reduction is sought. The burden of proof in hearings is on the complainant to prove the value sought is accurate. Board of Revision decisions can be appealed to the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals or the Court of Common Pleas.

June 4, 2018

The annual Forfeited Land Sale will be held on June 11, 2018 at 8:30am in Room 605 of the County Administration Building, downtown. Please note this recent change: ALL parcels to be sold in the regular portion of the Sale will require a minimum bid of $50. Pre-registration is easy and saves everybody time! You will find pre-registration documents and the list of available parcels here.

May 29, 2018

Monday is Memorial Day. We are grateful to all service men and women who gave their lives to protect our freedom, and the life we are fortunate to enjoy as Americans. They are heroes in every way. This Memorial Day, remember those who sacrificed to protect our God-given rights.

April 30, 2018

If your property is part of a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) District, as designated by your local political jurisdiction, you still pay the full amount of property taxes, but your tax amount is sent directly to the local jurisdiction for distribution to the schools and the various other entities receiving tax monies. If your property has a TIF value, you will see it listed on the Property Information page. The tax distribution info is on the Tax Distribution page. Tax Distribution details should be requested of the local political jurisdiction.

May 24, 2018

April 30, 2018

We have received several e-mails recently questioning a $1,810,182 sale price showing on a number of smaller parcels. A 36-parcel transfer was presented to our office on one deed with one sale price. So this sale price shows on all of the parcels. When individual sale prices are desired on a multi-parcel sale, each legal description would need to be described on its own deed with individual conveyance documents.

April 20, 2018

April 4, 2018

It is not too early to read up on the issues appearing on the May 8th primary ballot. Click on the Levy Information tab for your parcel to see what levies are up for a vote in your taxing district and how the passage of the levy will impact future tax bills. Details on these levies can be accessed through the Hamilton County Board of Elections.

March 16, 2018

We are excited to announce our mobile app now includes the Treasurer's payment detail information! An update is required from your Apple Store (iOS) or Android Google Play Store. Depending on your phone settings, this may require a manual update.

March 26, 2018

March 05, 2018

If you worry about paying your property taxes on time, or if you simply want a more convenient way to pay, consider enrolling in the County Treasurer's TOP Program whereby property owners pre-pay tax bills in five easy installments, similar to a mortgage lender's escrow account. There is no service fee. Here's the Treasurer's link to the TOP Program: http://www.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/government/departments/treasurer/t_o_p_program/.

February 20, 2018

Property owners often inquire about whether we have on file "lot lines" or how a property owner knows where a property's boundaries are. Your property lines are described in the legal description of your property which is part of your deed. If a survey has been done previously, you might be able to find the metal surveyor pins marking the corners of your property. If you cannot find the pins, you would have to hire a surveyor to use the legal description to mark your property's boundaries.

February 16, 2018

The Auditor's office will be closed Monday for President's Day.

February 1, 2018

Your property taxes change due to a variety of different circumstances including property value changes, voted tax levies and the State of Ohio's annual rates of taxation and applied reduction factors, along with specialized programs such as 2.5% owner occupancy credit, stadium tax credit, abatements, CAUV, and Homestead. The percentage by which a value increases does not mean the taxes will increase by that same percentage.

January 12, 2018

The County Treasurer, who bills and collects Property Taxes, has mailed the tax bills which are due January 31st. You are responsible for paying your taxes, even if you do not receive your bill. The new property values are now posted to our website, along with the County Treasurer's real estate tax bill amount. If you have questions about your tax bill, go to the Treasurer's website at http://www.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/government/departments/treasurer/real_estate_taxes.

The Auditor's Office will be closed on Monday, January 15, 2018 in observation of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

January 10, 2018

January 2, 2018

The new property values are now posted to our website, along with the County Treasurer's real estate tax bill amount. If you have questions about your tax bill, go to the Treasurer's website at http://www.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/government/departments/treasurer/real_estate_taxes. If you believe your value is incorrect and wish to file in the Board of Revision, go to the Board of Revision page for filing instructions: http://hamiltoncountyauditor.org/bor.asp.

December 19, 2017

The new property values are now posted to our website, along with the County Treasurer's real estate tax bill amount for the upcoming tax bill. If you have questions about your tax bill, such as paying it early and methods of accepted payment, go to the Treasurer's page at http://www.hamiltoncountyohio.gov/government/departments/treasurer/real_estate_taxes.

December 5, 2017

Later this month, the website will be updated to show the new property values and the County Treasurer's new tax bill amounts. For your recordkeeping, now is a good time to print out the current year tax distribution page for your parcel from our website so you have a reference of the distribution of your real estate taxes paid this year. Keep in mind that if your property has a TIF (Tax Increment Financing), the TIF portion of your tax bill goes to the political subdivision (tax district) for distribution rather than the normal distribution process through the County, handled by our office.

November 27, 2017

Dog license renewals were mailed Monday 11/27. Dog license season begins Friday December 1st. Starting December 1st, you can buy your dog's license on-line by using the link on our website; in person at the Auditor's office or at one of our neighborhood vendors; or by mail.

November 21, 2017

The Auditor's office will be closed Thursday, November 23rd and Friday November 24th so all of us can celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday with family and friends. We wish you a holiday filled with peace, love, and prosperity.

November 14, 2017

While our website does have some historical information on Hamilton County properties, the better places to research property histories are the County Recorder where deeds, mortgages and liens are filed; The Cincinnati Historical Society; the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County; and the sites on social media that specialize in local history. Technology advances have allowed us the ability to post more data, but our primary real estate purpose is to value current Hamilton County property.

November 8, 2017

Our office will be closed on Friday November 10th in recognition of Veterans Day. Please make sure you take time to thank and honor our Veterans.

November 6, 2017

Tuesday, November 7 is Election Day. Please take time to vote. Polls are open 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. Voter registration and polling place location information is available through the Hamilton County Board of Elections website: http://boe.hamilton-co.org/. Also, please note: The Auditor's office will be closed Friday November 10th in recognition of Veterans Day.

October 19, 2017

Now is a good time to print out the tax distribution page for your parcel from our website so you have a reference of the distribution of your real estate taxes. Keep in mind that if your property has a TIF (Tax Increment Financing), the TIF portion of your tax bill goes to the political subdivision (tax district) for distribution rather than the normal distribution process through the County, handled by our office.

October 11, 2017

Early voting for the November 7th General Election begins today. BEFORE you vote, I urge you to research the candidates, the issues, and the proposed tax levies so you are making an informed decision. Every January we receive an abundance of phone calls and emails asking why property taxes increased. While there are many factors, including adjusted rates and revaluation of property, often a large part of the increase is due to voted levies.

October 6, 2017

Our new Front Page News post below "Breaking Bad by Breaking Promises" chronicles how Hamilton County and each of our local governments have been shortchanged since the State of Ohio cut the historic Local Government Fund by almost 50% in 2011. In spite of increased state revenues this vital funding has not been restored.

September 29, 2017

September 14, 2017

I've received lots of positive comments about my September 11 guest column on the reappraisal in "The Cincinnati Enquirer". If you missed it, it's posted below in "Front Page News".

August 31, 2017

Moody's Investors Service has given Hamilton County an Aa2 rating for two new bond issues and maintained the Aa2 rating on the county's outstanding general obligation debt. Aa2 is the third highest rating on the Moody's scale, coming after Aaa and Aa1. The full opinion is posted on this page under "Front Page News".

August 25, 2017

August 2, 2017

Thanks to everyone who contacted us by the July 31st deadline regarding your tentative residential property valuation. We will be reviewing each response and will reply to everyone in December. I appreciate the participation, the comments and the help in completing this important task.

July 28, 2017

Monday July 31st is the deadline for residential property owners to initiate a request for review of their property's tentative value. Residential tentative value notices were mailed in June to the mailing address of record for the owner with both the value and response instructions included in the mailer. Follow the mailer instructions or click on the link below to request a review. NOTE: The deadline is the deadline! No extensions, no exceptions.

July 12, 2017

A good tool to use to better understand property sales trends in your appraisal area is found on the property summary page for your parcel. Within the Property Information box, on the upper left side, under Appraisal Area is the word "Sales", highlighted in blue. Clicking on it will bring up a list of valid sales in your appraisal area for the past few years. You can view, print, or move this list into excel. The list includes parcel number, address, land use code current value, sale date and sale amount.

June 28, 2017

Our ownership records are only as good as the information provided to us. If a property is sold, the new owners will not appear on our website until the necessary transfer documentation is presented to our office. If owners pass away, until the estate process is completed or the property is sold and documentation is presented to our office, the property will remain in the name of the deceased owner. In short, we must rely on state prescribed documentation being presented to our office before ownership changes can be made.

June 21, 2017

The annual Forfeited Land Sale will be held on June 26, 2017 at 8:30am in Room 605 of the County Administration Building, downtown. Please note this recent change: ALL parcels to be sold in the regular portion of the Sale will require a minimum bid of $50. Pre-registration is easy and saves everybody time! You will find pre-registration documents and the list of available parcels here.

June 13, 2017

Tax bills are due June 20th. It is the County Treasurer who bills and collects property taxes. If you have not received your tax bill, please email the County Treasurer at county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org or call the County Treasurer at 946-4800 for information. Property owners are responsible for making sure taxes are paid in full even if a tax bill was not received.

May 25, 2017

May 4, 2017

If you are thinking about putting up a fence or perimeter landscaping, we recommend you hire a surveyor to mark your exact property lines so you do not infringe on your neighbor's property. We do not have any surveys here in the Auditor's office. A surveyor will use your property's legal description to determine the boundaries and will place a stake at the corners. We also recommend you talk with the building department of the political jurisdiction in which your property is located to make sure there are no zoning restrictions as to set-backs and/or type of fence or landscaping.

April 24, 2017

April 3, 2017

March 29, 2017

Down to the wire. The Board of Revision (BOR) filing period for this year ends on Friday, March 31. No exceptions by state law. If you are planning to file a value complaint it must be in our office by 4pm Friday. We can also accept mailed complaints postmarked March 31 or before.

March 22, 2017

Our latest post in "Front Page News" on this page is my column on public records. It is an important part of our office's work to be responsive to citizens and taxpayers. This column was published in "The Cincinnati Enquirer" on March 15, 2017.

March 15, 2017

The growth of tax exempt property in Hamilton County during the last twenty-five years is detailed below in my latest Front Page News post. Check it out.

February 28, 2017

Recently, the Ohio Auditor of State released a financial health indicator report for each county and city in Ohio. The report includes 17 financial health indicators based on 2012-2015 audited financials. We are proud to share with you that Hamilton County's indicators are overwhelmingly positive. Go to Front Page News and to our Finance page to read more.

February 21, 2017

February 17, 2017

The Auditor's office will be closed Monday February 20th in observance of Presidents' Day.

February 2, 2017

Recently we were contacted by several frustrated homeowners about a Clermont County based roofing company sending out correspondence soliciting roofing repair work. In this cold call mailer is the Auditor's image of their home from our website, complete with our watermark as if to say we somehow approved of this mailer. WE DID NOT, nor do we ever give approval for a private individual or company to use our data in a way that suggests we have sanctioned their efforts. If you are one of those who received this solicitation and are offended by it, I urge you to call the company and complain, then call the Better Business Bureau and complain, and then contact the Ohio Attorney General's Consumer Complaint Division (http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/About-AG/Contact/Report-A-Scam ), and file a complaint.

January 26, 2017

Real Estate Tax Bills are due to the County Treasurer on Tuesday January 31st. If you have tax questions, please either email County.Treasurer@hamilton-co.org. or call 946-4800. Your payment is due on January 31st even if you did not receive your tax bill. Not paying your bill by the deadline may result in a penalty. You can confirm the amount due by looking at the payment detail screen for your property on our website.

January 11, 2017

According to the County Treasurer who is in charge of property tax bills, your property tax payment is due January 31st. The Treasurer mailed tax bills last week and regardless of whether you receive your bill, your payment is expected by the due date. Late payments are subject to a penalty. Tax bill amounts are posted to our website. If you have any tax bill questions, please contact the County Treasurer who bills and collects property taxes at 946-4800 or at County.Treasurer@hamilton-co.org. If you have any value questions, please contact our office at 946-4000.

January 13, 2017

The Auditor's office will be closed Monday January 16th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As a reminder from the County Treasurer, your property tax bill is due January 31st. For tax bill information please contact the County Treasurer at 946-4800 or email County.Treasurer@hamilton-co.org.

January 11, 2017

December 22, 2016

The 2016 pay 2017 values and tax bill amounts are now posted to the website. If you have any tax bill questions, please contact the County Treasurer who bills and collects property taxes at 946-4800 or at County.Treasurer@hamilton-co.org. If you have any value questions, please contact our office at 946-4000. The Treasurer is now accepting payments should you wish to pay your taxes at this time. Tax bills will be mailed by the Treasurer in early January.

December 19, 2016

29 property tax levies were on the November ballot with 17 for additional taxes, some quite large. All 29 levies passed, some by significant margins. That means property taxes will be increasing for many Hamilton County property owners with the January tax bill. The County Treasurer will be mailing the tax bills in early January. Our website will show the new tax amounts in late December after calculations are completed. If you have valuation questions, call us. If you have tax bill questions, please call the Treasurer at 946-4800.

December 7, 2016

Now is a very good time to check your tax bill mailing address. This is the address the County Treasurer uses to mail your tax bill. It can be found on your parcel's property summary page under the heading "Mailing Name and Address". If you need to correct the address, please call the County Treasurer at 946-4800, since it is the County Treasurer who bills and collects property taxes.

December 6, 2016

November 28, 2016

Value changes and next year's property tax amounts will be posted to our website sometime in late December. Now is a good time to print the property report for your parcel so you have a record of this year's information. Just pull up your parcel on our website and click "property report", choose the pages you would like to print, and then click "generate report".

November 23, 2016

The Auditor's Office will be closed Thanksgiving Day 11/24 and Friday 11/25 so employees can share the holiday with family and friends. We wish each of you a safe, peaceful, and blessed holiday.

November 14, 2016

November 10, 2016

Our office will be closed on Friday, November 11th so that our employees can share Veterans Day with their friends and families. Remember our great country is the "land of the free because it is the home of the brave." Thank our veterans for all they have given and continue to give.

November 8, 2016

October 12, 2016

Absentee voting has begun. Along with the candidates, there are 29 tax levies on ballots across the County. Until these levies are voted on we do not know what your property taxes will be next year. Once the vote is certified by the Board of Elections, the State Tax Commissioner will have to set the reduction factors and approve the levies. We expect the actual amounts of individual property taxes should be available the last week of December.

September 30, 2016

Auditor of State Dave Yost stopped by our office on Thursday to commend our Finance Department's work and announce our first unqualified audit in 13 years. Hamilton County audits since 2003 were qualified while settling a dispute between the federal and state government over the reporting of funds by the Hamilton County Job and Family Services Department. County operations, reporting and borrowing continued without problems during the qualified audits.

September 7, 2016

A change in Ohio law permits homeowners to apply for Homestead year-round. The new law takes effect on September 8, 2016, and Homestead applications will be available on our website that day. Questions? Please call 513-946-4099.

August 3, 2016

We are just a few months away from the General Election November 8th. At this time, several proposed tax levies are being reviewed and certified before being put to the voters in November. It is not too early to be an informed voter. Please read the two 2015 posts under Front Page News entitled "Why Property Taxes Go Up". Sometime in late September, proposed levies will be posted to the levy tab for your parcel so you can review how passage of a particular levy may impact your property taxes.

July 22, 2016

Elmwood Place, Mt. Healthy and Southwest Local School District have levies before the voters on Tuesday August 2nd. If you live in one of those areas, go to the levy tab for your parcel to see how passage of one of these levies will impact your taxes. Polls are open 6:30 am to 7:30 pm on Election Day. Alternatively, you can request a "vote by mail" ballot from the Hamilton County Board of Elections: http://boe.hamilton-co.org/voting-before-election-day/voting-by-mail.aspx

July 1, 2016

We wish you a peaceful and safe July 4th weekend full of opportunities to spend time with family and friends. The Auditor's office will be closed on Monday July 4th, Independence Day.

July 5, 2016

June 14, 2016

This is a very busy time for both the County Treasurer's office and our office. If you have tax bill related questions, please email the Treasurer who bills and collects your property taxes at County.Treasurer@hamilton-co.org. If you have property transfer related questions, please understand our transfer specialists may not be able to answer their phones if they are working with a customer. It may not be until the next day that your phone call is returned. Please feel free to email me if you do not want to leave a voice message with one of our transfer specialists.

June 6, 2016

The annual Forfeited Land Sale will be held on June 13, 2016 at 8:30am in Room 605 of the County Administration Building, downtown. Two big changes this year! First, please give yourself extra time to get through the new security procedures at the base of the County Administration Building. Second, ALL parcels to be sold in the regular portion of the Sale will require a minimum bid of $50.

May 31, 2016

The sale price listed on the property summary page reflects the most recent transfer. At a real estate closing a property may be transferred more than once, and sometimes the last transfer is one where there is no exchange of money - a transfer into a trust, LLC, partnership etc. That last transfer which is the transfer displayed on the property summary page reflects the current owner's name and the dollar amount exchanged, if any, at that transfer.

May 27, 2016

May 16, 2016

The annual Forfeited Land Sale will be held on June 13, 2016 at 8:30am in Room 605 of the County Administration Building, downtown. Please note this change: ALL parcels to be sold in the regular portion of the Sale will require a minimum bid of $50. Pre-registration is easy and saves everybody time! You will find pre-registration documents and the list of available parcels here.

May 05, 2016

When you are researching details of a property on our website, make sure you don't miss the notes field at the bottom of the property summary page. Notes will include parcel information on consolidations, cut-ups, boundary surveys, board of revision cases and resolutions, abatements, and TIFs.

April 14, 2016

We often receive inquiries about whether a property is for sale or for rent; how to contact the owner of an abandoned property; and/or whether a property qualifies for Section 8. Unfortunately, we do not have the answers to such questions, beyond telling the inquirer to write to the property owner at the address on the summary page under "owner information" or to contact a local realtor for assistance.

March 16, 2016

As an alternative to escrowing your property taxes with your financial institution, the Hamilton County Treasurer provides the TREASURER'S OPTIONAL PAYMENT (TOP) PROGRAM. Similar to a lender's escrow program, the TOP program allows residential and commercial property owners to prepay their real estate taxes in installments. There is no service charge associated with the program. Once enrolled, you will receive a coupon book with your payment amount noted. Simply mail in the prepayment according to the schedule supplied. For more information go to http://www.hamilton-co.org/treasurer/TOP2.html.

March 1, 2016

Prior to each election we provide an estimate of individual additional taxes for proposed levies. Four levies will be on Hamilton County ballots on March 15. Cheviot has a renewal of a Current Expense levy. Additional new levies will be voted on in Fairfax, Colerain and Whitewater Townships. Property owners in those communities can see what those levies will cost them annually if passed. Go to "Levy Information" in the left hand column on your property's main page.

February 2, 2016

We receive many inquiries asking if a property is for sale, who the real estate agent is and how a person can get in touch with the property owner. While property owner information and mailing information can be researched on our website by doing a property search by address or parcel number, we would not have any lists of properties in Hamilton County for sale in the private market. If you have identified a property in Hamilton County that you are interested in buying, we suggest you write to the owner of record at the address listed on our site and/or seek the assistance of a real estate agent. You can verify if a property is scheduled for foreclosure auction by going to the Hamilton County Sheriff's website www.hcso.org. Click on "public services" for more information.

January 28, 2016

REAL ESTATE TAX BILLS ARE DUE MONDAY FEBRUARY 1st. You can check your tax bill amount here on the Auditor's website by using "property search" to pull up your parcel's detail. Click on "tax bill" to see what you owe. The County Treasurer bills and collects so go to the Treasurer's website, www.hamilton-co.org/treasurer to view payment options, mailing details, etc. You may be subject to additional charges if your payment is not received or postmarked by the due date of February 1st.

January 19, 2016

You can calculate estimated property taxes for any parcel in the county by going to our website. Just do a property search for a specific parcel, and then from the property info page, click on "Tax Distributions" from the list on the right side of the screen. That brings up the numbers and a pie chart showing the distribution of each dollar in the district. In the box labeled "calculate" enter the value on which you want to estimate. Don't use a dollar sign or comma. Just the number. You'll then see the estimated annual taxes.

January 15, 2016

Our office and all County offices will be closed Monday January 18 in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here is a link to Dr. King's I Have a Dream Speech. Both the text and audio are included at this link. http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

January 1, 2016

The annual dog licensing period continues. The regular license fee as set by the County Commissioners continues to be $19. If you fail to renew by the January 31, 2016 deadline, the cost is doubled by state law. For more information click on the "Dog Licensing" icon to the right on this page.

December 31, 2015

We wish you and your family a very Happy New Year! Our office will be closed Friday 1/1/16. Thank you for your support this past year. We look forward to a great 2016!

December 28, 2015

Our new "property search" feature on our website debuts today. Our frequent users will not notice much change in how a property search is handled, but you will notice the results will include additional information which we think you will appreciate. We ask for your patience as we introduce this feature. If you experience any difficulties, email me at dusty.rhodes@fuse.net.

December 18, 2015

We anticipate posting 2015 pay 2016 real property tax information on our website the week of December 28th. If you have questions about your tax bill, please contact the County Treasurer who bills and collects real property taxes at 946-4800 or county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org. .

December 8, 2015

All residential rental property in Hamilton County must be registered with the County Auditor by state law. As of January 1, 2016 failure to register will result in a $150 fine per tax bill until the rental property is properly registered. This is an increase from the former $50, one time only penalty.

November 30, 2015

Our Weights & Measures Department checks retail price labels to make certain they scan correctly at the cash register throughout the year and especially during the holiday season. Please be alert at time of payment and let us know about any discrepancies between the posted price and what actually rings up.

November 25, 2015

Our office will be closed Thanksgiving Day and Friday. Auditor employees gave up the Columbus Day holiday in favor of an extra-long weekend with their friends and family. We are grateful for our many blessings and honor the memory of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag who started the Thanksgiving tradition in 1621.

November 20, 2015

On Thursday our Weights & Measures inspectors discovered a credit card skimmer on a pump at a local gas station. These devices steal your card information and allow the thieves to run up charges on it. While we are continuing to watch for these you should check with your gas station about their security measures or you should pay cash or at the inside registers if you have any concerns. Thanks to local police departments for their assistance.

November 12, 2015

Ohio Law requires all Hamilton County owners of property being rented for residential purposes to register the rental property with the County Auditor. The law is based on county population; Hamilton County is one of twelve counties with the rental registration requirement. Failure to comply will result in a penalty assessment on the tax bill. The Residential Rental Property Registration form is available here or by clicking on the Downloads icon.

November 10, 2015

The Auditor's office will be closed on Wednesday, 11/11, so that we may honor each and every Veteran who has fought for our freedom.

October 21, 2015

The General Fund is the County's primary operating fund. It accounts for all financial resources of the general government except those required to be accounted for in another fund. The General Fund's cash balance reported on this page is updated periodically each day so the taxpayers can access the most current data.

September 30, 2015

There will be 15 proposed new tax levies this November among the cities, villages, townships, school districts and a special district in Hamilton County. To help your research about levies on your local ballot, our website includes information on what any proposed levy in your community will cost you annually should it be passed by a majority of voters. Just go to "Levy Info" on your property's main page.

September 18, 2015

The County Treasurer maintains lists of Unclaimed Funds by Hamilton County residents. You can see these at this office, Room 405, 138 East Court Street, Cincinnati 45202, during regular office hours. Or you can search the State of Ohio's website at http://www.com.ohio.gov/unfd/default.aspx.

September 08, 2015

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Board of Revision process this year. Cases are now 100% scheduled, 95% heard and 65% resolved. The second board will conclude its work on or about September 21st. read the article.

August 21, 2015

In the lower right of the summary page for your property is the annual "tax percentage to value for the tax district" in which your property is located. Here's an article in the "Daily Signal" comparing "average" annual property tax payments per state by using percentage of value. Please click here to read the article.

August 13, 2015

There are several explanations as to why you may receive a "no records found" message when looking up a parcel. They include, but are not limited to: an error in how you are entering the query; the way we have a street listed in our system; a misspelling on a transfer document provided our office that causes an entry error; a parcel address that does not match the Postal Service assigned address; a consolidation of parcels under the lowest parcel number; a new parcel not yet taxable since tax bills cycles are usually one year behind establishment of new parcels; or a situation of multiple USPS addresses on one parcel. If you think there is an error, please email me at Dusty.Rhodes@fuse.net.

August 04, 2015

If you would like to compare school taxes among the county's 23 school districts go to the "Department" tab on the left side of this page. Click on "Real Estate Tax" on the menu and then go to "Annual Tax Residential $100K Market - by School District". Our Finance Department staff updates this information each year.

July 29, 2015

Tuesday, August 4, there will be special elections in two communities: a renewal of a street levy in Mount Healthy and a renewal of a current expense levy in St. Bernard.

July 17, 2015

Keep in mind when you vote for new tax levies or increases to existing levies that the Governor and State Legislature recently eliminated the reductions property owners have enjoyed for decades. Owners will now be assessed at the full rate which means most likely you will see a greater increase in your taxes than in the past when such levies passed. Check out "Why Property Taxes Go Up" part one and part two below in Front Page News for further explanation.

July 10, 2015

The July 8th entry in "Front Page News" is a letter I recently received from a delegate to the American Legion Buckeye Boys State program. I appreciate his comments and commend the American Legion for sponsoring this program for 11th grade students.

July 7, 2015

Almost half of this year's Board of Revision (BOR) cases have been heard so far. On July 7th a second Board will begin conducting hearings as we work to complete the year's BOR work.

July 1 2015

The Auditor's office will be closed on Friday July 3rd in observance of Independence Day. May you have a wonderful celebration weekend with your family and friends.

June 25 2015

Almost half of this year's Board of Revision (BOR) cases have been heard so far. On July 7th a second Board will begin conducting hearings as we work to complete the year's BOR work.

June 15 2015

I have been working with Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel to put many of the County's expenditures on his new website Ohio Checkbook.com. Since 2007, we have posted our own expenditures on our website. Just click on the Expenditure Search icon on the lower right of our homepage.

June 8 2015

From time to time citizens will contact our office about zoning, litter or abandoned building concerns. These issues are the responsibility of the local government, city, village or township, not the county. Zoning in municipalities is controlled by the city or village government. Hamilton County zoning applies only in the townships which do not have their own zoning department. Contact your local officials, city or village Mayor or council members or township trustees about these matters.

May 27 2015

The Forfeited Land Sale takes place on June 8 at 8:30 am in Room 605 of the County Administration Building. Pre-register forms are available here or by clicking on Departments, Foreclosure, and Forfeited Land Sale Pre-Registration Documents. Send or deliver the completed form and required attachments to the Auditor's Office, 138 E. Court Street, Room 310. We need them by June 4.

May 26 2015

The deadline for applying for the Homestead Exemption this year is next Monday, June 1. Your application has to be in our hands on or before this date. This is a program that provides a property tax reduction for owners who are 65 or over or who are permanently disabled. Call our Homestead Department at 513-946-4099 for more details.

May 22 2015

Monday is Memorial Day. Remember those who served and those who paid the price for our freedom, which we so often take for granted. There will never be an adequate way for us to thank them for what they did. This Memorial Day, remember those who sacrificed to protect our God-given rights.

May 15 2015

New levies passed this month in your taxing district will appear on your first property tax bill next year. Any new levies passed by voters in November will also be added to your first property tax bill next year.

May 13 2015

Though the Cincinnati Herald has taken immediate steps to correct it, some editions of that paper show the wrong date for our upcoming Forfeited Land Sale. The Sale will take place Monday, June 8 at 8:30 AM in Room 605 of the County Administration Building, 138 E. Court Street, 45202. Watch this space in the coming days for pre-registration information.

May 08 2015

Board of Revision (BOR) notices must be sent by certified mail. That's state law. Please watch for a certified mail notice and be sure to pick up the mail if you are waiting for notification of your BOR hearing date.

April 29 2015

We have added a new file to our reporting of local property taxes on our website. Click on Departments on the left hand column on this page; then go to Real Estate Tax; click on Annual Cost Residential; and finally select "$100K Market Highest to Lowest". You will see a listing of taxing districts based on their property taxes on an owner-occupied home with a market value of $100,000 from highest to lowest.

April 22 2015

The filing period for Current Agricultural Use Valuation (CAUV) program has concluded. We are starting our yearly physical inspections of all properties filed upon. This is a State program, administered by the County Auditor. For more information on the State program click on Departments, then CAUV.

April 10 2015

The latest post under Front Page News below offers a link to an excellent comparison of state-by-state property taxes by Wallet Hub. Check it out to see where Ohio ranks.

April 08 2015

This year's Board of Revision (BOR) property value complaints total 3,631. 3,030 are residential properties and 601 are commercial. This is over 1,000 less than BOR complaints received last year, a significant decline in filings considering triennial update new values were effective this year.

March 31 2015

We had a good experience this week with a citizen noticing a small error which assisted us in improving our service. Thanks for the help. We encourage you to write or call us with any questions or concerns. We like to respond personally, so please include your contact information. Sadly, we have no way to respond with explanation to anonymous letters.

March 27 2015

Down to the wire. The Board of Revision (BOR) filing period for this year ends on Tuesday, March 31. No exceptions by state law. If you are planning to file a value complaint it must be in our office by 4pm Tuesday. We can also accept mailed complaints postmarked March 31 or before.

March 12 2015

March 06, 2015

There is less than a month to go. The Board of Revision (BOR) filing period for this year ends on March 31. Don't wait until the last minute if you are planning to file a value complaint. The BOR process is the only way a property value can now be challenged.

March 04, 2015

Given the impending weather forecast for later today and tomorrow, we suggest you call before coming in for any scheduled appointments in the Auditor's office to confirm the office is open and the staff member with whom you are scheduled to meet is in. We apologize for any inconvenience but your safety and the safety of our employees are very important to us. .

March 02, 2015

February 13, 2015

Our office will be closed this Monday in honor of President's Day.

February 17, 2015

Curious to know the purchase price of properties that sold in your appraisal area during the triennial update period? Just pull up your parcel, and from the summary tab, click on the highlighted word "sales" located just below the appraisal area info.

February 3, 2015

February 2, 2015

Property tax bills are due today, February 2nd. If you have questions about your tax bill, please call the County Treasurer at 946-4800.

January 28, 2015

DOG LICENSE REMINDER: The last day to renew your dog's license without a penalty being charged is Saturday January 31st. You can renew by mail, online, or at any of the dog license vendors in Hamilton County. One year, three year or lifetime licenses are offered. Go to our dog license page for all the details.

January 16, 2015

The County Treasurer, who is responsible for the billing and collection of property taxes, has mailed the tax bills which are due February 2, 2015. If you have not received your tax bill and you do not escrow, call the County Treasurer at 946-4800. To verify your tax bill amount, view the payments tab for your parcel on our website.

January 5, 2015

It's property tax bill time again. The County Treasurer is responsible for the billing and collection of property taxes. If you have questions about your property taxes, please call the County Treasurer at 946-4800. It is our understanding the first half tax bills are scheduled for mailing January 8th by the County Treasurer.

December 24, 2014

The new property values are now posted on our website. View your value on the summary tab. View your new tax bill amount by clicking on the Payments tab (detail provided by the County Treasurer) found on the left side of the summary screen in the blue banner. Click on the "Taxes Paid" link in the lower right of the summary tab to view an estimation of the distribution of your property tax bill to local tax districts and levies.

December 22, 2014

It's that time of year again. For those of you who want to pay your January property tax bill before the end of 2014, we anticipate the new bill amounts will be posted to our website by December 23rd. We will let you know here in a blog when the new amounts are posted to the payments tab. Remember, the County Treasurer is responsible for the billing and collection of tax bills. The Treasurer's number is 946-4800 if you have any tax bill questions.

December 18, 2014

Due to year end processing, the Auditor's computer system (including Transfer) will be closed this Friday, December 19, 2014. You can still drop off transfer work packets but they will not be processed Friday. We will work to catch up as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

December 12, 2014

December 11, 2014

The 2014 Triennial Update of market values in Hamilton County is now complete. New value notices are being mailed on December 8th, 11th, and 15th. Please look for your notice in the mail in the next couple weeks.

December 1, 2014

2015 dog licenses are now on sale at vendor locations and online. One-year licenses cost $19, three-year licenses cost $57 and permanent licenses cost $190. Penalties apply to all renewals purchased after the January 31st deadline. Click on the "Dog Licensing" icon in the upper right of this page for more info.

November 25, 2014

Our office will be closed this Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, and the day after, Friday, so our staff may have an extra long holiday weekend. The day after Thanksgiving replaces Columbus Day on the holiday schedule for most county offices. Best wishes for a blessed Thanksgiving.

November 18, 2014

Thanks to the Community Press weekly newspapers for offering guest columns to candidates prior to the election this year. In case you missed it, my comments are reprinted below under "Front Page News". I'm posting this to explain my approach to meeting the responsibilities of the County Auditor's office.

November 10, 2014

The Hamilton County Board of Elections does a terrific job handling elections and posting results. You can follow the links here to review the cumulative results or the precinct by precinct results for all issues and races from the November 4, 2014 Election.

November 5, 2014

Thanks very much for electing me to a new term as your County Auditor. I'm grateful and humbled by your overwhelming support. I'm looking forward to continuing to work with our terrific staff to provide every Hamilton County resident with topnotch service from your County Auditor's office. Again, thank you!

October 24, 2014

There are quite a few issues on the ballot this November. You can research your ballot ahead of time by using our website and the website of the Board of Elections. The levy tab for each Hamilton County property will give you an estimate of what the passage of a levy will cost you. And the Board of Elections website lists all candidates and the ballot language for all issues on the ballot in Hamilton County: Official Candidates and Issues list for the November 2014 General Election. It is almost election day. Be an informed voter before you go to the polls Tuesday, November 4.

October 20, 2014

Our award winning website continues to provide comprehensive information for each of the many responsibilities of the Auditor's office. We work very hard to be transparent and accessible. If you have an idea of how to make this office even better, we are here to listen. Just email me at dusty.rhodes@fuse.net or call me at 513-946-4047.

October 10, 2014

Did you know you can view the Auditor's expenditures by clicking on the Expenditure Search icon located in the right side of the Auditor's homepage? You can both view and download the expenditure spreadsheets all the way back to 2007. All Auditor issued warrants for the Auditor's office are listed. We were the first to list our expenditures online: another example of our office's innovation and transparency. We appreciate the feedback we routinely receive from those who use our website; and because of you, we continue to make our website even better.

October 3, 2014

Ohio is a state that adjusts property values every three years through the County Auditor's reappraisal and triennial update process. Since Ohio law does not allow a value to be automatically changed to a sale price when the sale occurs, the avenue to request a value change is the Board of Revision which accepts complaints the first part of each year. There are approximately 350,000 parcels in Hamilton County. This year complaints were filed on only 4,740 parcels with 66% of those being related to the recent sale of the property.

October 1, 2014

The latest post on this page under "Front Page News" is a column Kathy Holwadel allowed us to reprint from her Cincyopolis blog. It describes how our office met her requests for information. In a later blog she said we are "the gold standard for transparency" among area government offices. Thanks Kathy.

September 22, 2014

County Auditors in Ohio have the responsibility to review tax levy requests by taxing authorities and then certify the estimated revenue back to the taxing authority. The Hamilton County Auditor, as an additional service, calculates the cost of the levy on a $100,000 (market value) home along with the certification. The taxing authority can then proceed to prepare the resolution and ballot language. Our levy tab enables property owners to view the estimated cost of levies to be voted on, displaying new information for each parcel approximately 60 days prior to the election. Levy information for the upcoming November election is now available. Click on the levy tab of a specific parcel to view.

September 11, 2014

For all my loyal blog readers, you are the first to know. Our new mobile app for our website is up and running in Beta. Give it a try by downloading our free app from your Apple Store (iOS Version 6.0 or newer) Search word "Hamilton County Auditor" or Android Google Play Store (Version 4 or newer) Search word "Dusty Rhodes". Email dusty.rhodes@fuse.net with your comments.

September 04, 2014

One of the strengths of county government is the independently elected offices including the Auditor, Clerk of Courts, Coroner, Engineer, Prosecuting Attorney, Recorder, Sheriff and Treasurer. Each is responsible for the operation of their office and they are not under the control or supervision of the County Commissioners. While the County Commissioners set our annual budgets, each of us is answerable directly to the voters.

August 26, 2014

Since 2000 the County's Sales Tax receipts have been over $150 million less than what was projected by the financial consultant hired by the County Commissioners. Understanding that the County's continuing obligations were based on the expected revenues may help to explain the extreme pressure on County budgets. The latest posting below under "Front Page News" provides the details.

August 15, 2014

Virtually all of this year's Board of Revision cases have been worked by the Real Estate Department and sent to the Board of Revision for scheduling. 92.5% of this year's cases have been heard by the Board of Revision.

August 4, 2014

Many of the features of our website are the result of suggestions and feedback from those who use our site regularly. Ours was one of the first County Auditor sites to debut on the internet and that was almost twenty years ago. We welcome your suggestions and feedback so don't be shy. Email me at dusty.rhodes@fuse.net.

July 16, 2014

My guest column in Sunday's "Cincinnati Enquirer" about reductions in the state's support of local governments and property tax relief is reprinted below in Front Page News. As always, comments are welcome. My direct e-mail is dusty.rhodes@fuse.net

July 09, 2014

This year we added 2,285 new qualifying property owners to the State's Homestead Exemption program which reduces property taxes for residential property owners who are 65 and older or who are permanently disabled. There are now 49,247 owners in Hamilton County receiving this property tax reduction. Our office administers this program and our website has the details: http://www.hcauditor.org/tax_homestead.asp .

June 30, 2014

Many years ago, when our website was quite young, we debuted our mapping system. Our users have appreciated our continuing to offer it, but it is past its life expectancy: updates are no longer available for this very old software. We needed a backup mapping program and decided to offer not one but two additional mapping systems: CAGIS Online and our own aerial imaging. Go to property search and try out all three by clicking on each in the left side banner for a particular parcel.

June 23, 2014

The County Auditor's Association of Ohio (CAAO) includes all 86 independent, elected Auditors in the state plus the two appointed Financial Officers of the two "charter" counties. Members of the CAAO share information to improve the operation of our offices. We also work with the General Assembly on legislation affecting our offices and county government. County Auditors across the state are among the most dedicated public servants I have ever known. I'm proud to be associated with them. For more information check the CAAO website, www.caao.org.

June 9, 2014

Prior to each election we provide an estimate of individual additional taxes for proposed levies. Two levies will be on Hamilton County ballots on August 5, 2014. Mt. Healthy has a renewal of a Fire/EMS levy and Lockland Schools has an additional 11.2 mills for current expenses. Property owners in those districts can now see what those levies will cost them if passed. Go to "Levy Info" in the left hand column on your main property page.

June 3, 2014

Our annual Forfeited Land Sale will be held on Monday, June 9 starting at 8:30am. The location has been changed to the County Administration Building at 138 East Court Street, 6th Floor. The change happened after the Enquirer ad was printed. We regret any inconvenience. Because of continuing City of Cincinnati street construction please allow extra time to get here and find parking.

May 9, 2014

Cuts to the State's Local Government Fund have harmed virtually every community in our county. My latest post under Front Page News has the details with distributions for the last few years to each city, village and township in Hamilton County.

May 7, 2014

Just a reminder that June 2nd is the deadline for Homestead Exemption Applications.

April 30, 2014

Tuesday, May 6th, is Election Day. There are a number of primaries and issues on the ballot, so take time to learn about what is on the ballot in your area. The levy tab for your parcel shows how tax issues on the ballot will affect your tax bill. Polls are open 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. Voting is every citizen's way of voicing opinion and making a difference. Vote!

April 15, 2014

As a service to taxpayers we are again providing information on upcoming tax issues. Just go to your main property page and click on the levy tab. Each proposed levy in your taxing district will show along with what it will cost you in additional taxes if passed by the voters. This information will be available until Primary Election Day, May 6.

April 8, 2014

We constantly strive to improve our website by adding new features. Ideas sometimes start as emails from you as in the case of historical tax rate sheets. In 2013 we finished up scanning and adding prior year tax rate sheets all the way back to 1938! You can access them by going to Departments, then Real Estate Tax, then Rates of Taxation. And while you are checking them out, make sure you review the other annual tax summary reports we provide on our site.

March 1, 2014

Here's a terrific column which I have posted below in Front Page News written by my friend, Karl Keith, Auditor of Montgomery County. This column pretty much says it all.

March 24, 2014

Our website, www.Hamiltoncountyauditor.org is rated the 201,889th most visited site in the world according to Statscorp.com and in the same range by Alexa.com. These rankings put us among the very top sites in the world, with there being approximately 644 million active sites in the world today, according to businessinsider.com. The same two World Wide Web site ranking agencies rank our site as the 41,597th most active in the country. Our page speed is ranked as .395 seconds per page which is in the top 4% of the fastest sites in the world.

March 19, 2014

Under Front Page News I have posted the specific amounts Hamilton County received from the State Local Government Fund over the past ten years. These funds are divided roughly as follows: 40% to Hamilton County, 40% to the City of Cincinnati and the remaining 20% among all the county's other cities, villages and townships.

March 14, 2014

48,399 Hamilton County dogs were licensed during the 2014 renewal period which ended February 28th. Here are some fun facts about those dogs. Remember if you own a dog, Ohio Law requires it be licensed. Our dog page gives you all the info needed to buy your dog a license, either by online purchase, mail or through a retail vendor.

March 11, 2014

February 21, 2014

Here's a guest column I wrote which was published in the Cincinnati Enquirer 2/16/2014. If you'd like to share your comments on this column with me, email me at dusty.rhodes@fuse.net

February 13, 2014

I invite you to "stroll" through parts of 1968 Downtown Cincinnati by accessing on our website some newly rediscovered photos from the 1969 Reappraisal. Read about them in Front Page News.

January 31, 2014

The County Commissioners have extended the deadline for renewing your dog's license again this year. You have until February 28; after that the annual $19 fee doubles. If you need more info, click on the Dog License icon on our homepage.

January 10, 2014

The County Treasurer has asked us to post the mailing address for your real estate tax bill payment. Please mail your tax payment to Hamilton County Treasurer, P.O. Box 740857, Cincinnati, Ohio 45274-0857. If you have questions about your tax bill please call the Treasurer at 946-4800. The County Treasurer is responsible for the billing and collection of your real estate taxes.

January 6, 2014

Dog licensing season is in full swing. A few months back, Ohio law changed, creating new categories of licenses. In addition to one year licenses, three year and permanent licenses are now available. We had to hastily implement big changes in order to be compliant with the new law. As a result, it was not possible to offer multiple or specialized license shapes this year. Thanks for understanding and for licensing your dog!

December 31, 2013

A suggested New Year's project: take some time to know and understand your local government. Learn how it is funded and what it does. Most communities have websites which provide plenty of information. We are fortunate to have our cities, villages and townships providing local services and government operations closest to the people they serve.

December 18, 2013

Property taxes due for 2014 have now been posted. Go to your property's main page and click on the "Payments" tab in the left hand column. The 2014 taxes are shown under "Current Year Tax Detail". Property taxes are billed and collected by the County Treasurer. Any questions related to your payment should be directed to that office.

December 13, 2013

During the Christmas shopping season, remember to carefully check your purchases as they are scanned at checkout. Our Weights and Measures Department is checking scanners across the county to make sure they accurately reflect the posted price of the product. Please contact us at 946-4112 if you experience a price inaccuracy at a local retailer check-out.

December 9, 2013

If you pay your real estate taxes through an escrow account and do not receive a property tax bill in the mail, you may wonder how the collected tax is distributed. You can view "a mock tax bill" for your property on our website. Go to "property search", pull up your property, and then click on "taxes paid" which is highlighted on the right side of the summary page, towards the bottom of the page. The taxes paid page shows the approximate distribution of the current year's tax bill. Print it for future reference.

December 6, 2013

Due to the declared snow emergency, the Auditor's office will close today at 12:30 pm. Please check with your local authorities regarding leaving vehicles parked on local streets and under what conditions you are allowed to drive.

December 3, 2013

2014 dog licenses are now on sale at vendor locations and online. This year 3 year and permanent licenses are available as well as a 1 year license. A 1 year license purchased before the January 31st deadline is $19. The 3 year is $57 and the permanent is $190. Penalties apply to all renewals purchased after the January 31st deadline. Click on the "Dog Licensing" icon in the upper right of this page for more info.

November 18, 2013

We do not yet have the exact date when next year's property taxes will be available on our website. The Auditor is responsible for the valuation of property while the Treasurer mails the tax bills and collects the payments. The Treasurer expects the new tax rates for 2013 taxes, payable in 2014, to be available in mid-December. Watch this space for notice of when the new taxes are posted.

November 8, 2013

The total market value of all property in Hamilton County this year is $49,474,502,743. That's a decline of $149,840,286 from last year. Residential property makes up 73% of this value. This information is included in the annual abstract which is prepared by our office and approved by the Board of Revision.

November 6, 2013

Congratulations to all those who were successful in Tuesday's election. A huge thank you goes out to all those who took the time and made the effort to run for office. You are only eclipsed by those who gave long hours to your campaigns and those who worked for or against local ballot issues.

October 4, 2013

As a service to taxpayers we are again providing information on tax issues. Just go to your main property page and click on the levy tab. Each proposed levy in your taxing district will show along with an estimate of what it will cost in additional taxes if passed by the voters. This information will be available until Election Day.

September 24, 2013

The Board of Revision (BOR) has now scheduled all but a few of the 5,226 value complaints received this year. Less than 300 remain to be heard. By state law each hearing board has one representative from the County Commissioners, one from the County Treasurer and one from the County Auditor. If you are appealing your value remember the burden of proof is on you.

September 24, 2013

September 18, 2013

Many people come to our office for various reasons during the work week. If you have a specific appointment time, please allow yourself some extra time to get here. Massive street excavations and blocked lanes downtown are impeding traffic and causing significant traffic delays.

September 4, 2013

In addition to increasing the sales tax the Ohio legislature and Governor also decreased a tax. The Ohio State Income Tax has been reduced by 10 %. Our office has assisted in implementing this change for all Hamilton County employees. If you work in Ohio, check with your employer to make sure any change affecting your pay check has been implemented.

August 30, 2013

Ohio's sales tax increases from 5.5 to 5.75 percent on Sunday. This was done by the State Legislature as a part of this year's Budget Bill. Counties can charge an additional sales tax so in Hamilton County the rate will go from 6.5 percent to 6.75 percent. The sales tax is collected and administered by the State.

August 27, 2013

A recent Weights & Measures inspection in Montgomery County found illegal credit card skimming devices installed on credit card devices at pumps at two gas stations. Our Weights and Measures staff is trained to check for signs of tampering at the time of our pump inspections. If you notice anything unusual about any gas pump which suggests tampering, report it to the station operator immediately. Or you can contact our office at 513-946-4112.

August 16, 2013

Due to recent changes to State law by the Ohio Legislature, we are reopening the application period for the Homestead Exemption Program. Those who have not yet applied, who meet the qualifications of being 65 years or older in 2013 and who owned and occupied their home as of January 1, 2013, or were 100% disabled as of January 1, 2013 should contact the Homestead office at 513-946-4099 for a Homestead application. There is no need for those already signed up to re-apply. Read Front Page News below for more details.

August 14, 2013

With schools opening, if you would like to compare taxes among the county's 23 school districts go to the "Department" icon on the left side of this page. Click on the "Real Estate Tax" icon and then go to "Annual Tax Residential". The "By School District" icon provides the details. Our Finance Department staff updates this information each year.

July 26, 2013

Counties are administrative arms of State government. When a State law is passed or changed, it is often our office that must implement the new law regardless of the additional work required. It is helpful when State legislators check with us or other affected county offices before passing legislation we or others must implement, but that communication does not always happen.

July 8, 2013

Unfortunately Governor Kasich did not veto the revision to the Homestead credit. That means if you are already 65 years old and on the program you can stay on unless you move.
Anyone who turns 65 on or after January 1, 2014 can no longer automatically qualify by age. You will have to meet the reinstituted income requirements. This change is not only extremely unfair, but also a nightmare to administer.

July 1, 2013

Unfortunately Governor Kasich did not veto the revision to the Homestead credit. That means if you are already 65 years old and on the program you can stay on unless you move. Anyone not yet 65 years old can no longer automatically qualify by age. You will have to meet the reinstituted income requirements. This change is not only extremely unfair, but also a nightmare to administer.

June 28, 2013

My letter to Governor Kasich requesting a veto of a section of the Budget Bill limiting the Homestead Exemption for senior citizens is posted under Front Page News.

June 21, 2013

EARLY WARNING. Higher property taxes are a part of the State Budget Bill currently under consideration by the Legislature. Changes have been proposed in eligibility for the homestead reduction for new applicants and the current 10% and 2.5% state tax levy reductions for new levies. If you have concerns about the possibility of higher property taxes you should contact your state legislators. We will have additional information as this develops.

June 6, 2013

The 2013 deadline to apply for the Homestead reduction for seniors and those who are permanently and totally disabled was Monday, June 3. If you applied and qualified, you will first see the credit on your January, 2014 tax bill. If your application was denied, you will receive a denial letter from us by the first Monday in October, 2013. Check out the HOMESTEAD HOMEPAGE for information about applying as a late filer for 2013 by meeting the 2014 application deadline.

May 15, 2013

Information on this year's Forfeited Land Sale can be found on our website by going to the "Departments" icon, then the "Foreclosure" icon. The page displays information about the June 10th sale, the new sale location, the pre-registration form, and the list of 2013 properties to be sold.

April 25, 2013

April 10, 2013

Changes to Estate Tax filing requirements are now in effect. Returns and waivers are no longer required for estates of individuals with a date of death on or after 1/1/13. Returns and waivers are still required for individuals who died prior to 1/1/13 if the gross estate exceeds $338,330.00. For more information: http://www.tax.ohio.gov/estate/faqs/estate.aspx.

March 28, 2013

I wrote a recent article comparing Hamilton County's statutory government with Cuyahoga County's new "charter" government. It was published in Crain's Business News in Cleveland. A copy is available under "Front Page News" at the bottom of this page. It is called "A Tale of Two Counties".

March 25, 2013

Although the Auditor's office oversees many responsibilities and duties, Tax Lien Sales and all that is associated with them is a function of the Hamilton County Treasurer's Office. For further information call (513) 946-4800 or email county.treasurer@hamilton-co.org.

March 15, 2013

We are currently searching for a person to join our data processing staff. Click here to go to our employment link to read about the qualifications for this position.

March 11, 2013

March 1, 2013

If you would like to compare school taxes among the county's 23 school districts go to the "Department" tab to the left of this blog. Click on the "Real Estate Tax" icon and then go to "Annual Tax Residential $100K Market - by School District". Our Finance Department staff updates this information each year.

Feburary 19, 2013

The Hamilton County Dog License deadline has been extended to February 28, 2013. You may continue to purchase license, without penalty, by mail, on-line or at one of our conveniently located sale agents through the month of February.

Feburary 15, 2013

The County Auditor's office will be closed Monday, February 18th in observance of President's Day.

Feburary 14, 2013

Feburary 5, 2013

If you have experience as a property assessor, residential appraiser, or commercial appraiser and you'd like to be considered for a position here in my office, check out our classified ad in Front Page News.

January 30, 2013

Local property owners are reporting receiving solicitation mailings from out-of-town companies concerning their property valuation. Check out my "news release" concerning these offers under Front Page News.

January 25, 2013

Check out my column "The Folly of Eliminating Counties" posted in Front Page News.

January 18, 2013

Check out my column in the Community Press this week, posted here in Front Page News for your reading convenience.

January 7, 2013

The Hamilton County Treasurer mailed the tax bills on January 7th. If you have any questions about your tax bill, please contact the County Treasurer, who is responsible for the billing and collection of real property taxes, by calling 513-946-4800.

December 19, 2012

2013 property taxes are now posted on our website: www.hcauditor.org. Go to your property's main page and click on the "Payments" tab. Property taxes are billed and collected by the County Treasurer. If you have questions about your tax bill, call the County Treasurer at 946-4800.

December 14, 2012

For those who want to pay their January tax bill in December, we hope to have the new tax bill amounts available on-line by December 20th. The tax amount for your parcel can be viewed by clicking on the "payments" tab for your parcel. Tax bills will be mailed in early January and will be due January 31st.

December 5, 2012

It's dog license season again. Renewal notices were just mailed, so dog owners, be on the watch for your notice. Renewals can be handled by return mail, by over the counter purchase at one of our neighborhood vendors, by purchase here in the Auditor's office, or online through the link provided in your renewal notice.

November 26, 2012

As an alternative to escrowing your property taxes with your financial institution, the Hamilton County Treasurer provides the TREASURER'S OPTIONAL PAYMENT (TOP) PROGRAM. Similar to a lender's escrow program, the TOP program allows residential and commercial property owners to prepay their real estate taxes in installments. There is no service charge associated with the program. Once enrolled, you will receive a coupon book with your payment amount noted. Simply mail in the prepayment according to the schedule supplied. For more information go to http://www.hamilton-co.org/treasurer/TOP2.html.

November 19, 2012

This Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. Our office will be closed both Thursday and Friday.

November 7, 2012

All of the tax levies passed by the voters at the General Election on Tuesday (with the exception of the Cincinnati Schools levy) will appear on your January property tax bill. You can see how much your taxes will increase by going to your property's main page and click on the "Levy Info" tab.

November 5, 2012

Tuesday is Election Day. The polls are open 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. In addition to the national, state and local candidates there are a number of proposed tax levies. To find out how much your taxes will change if a specific levy is passed, check the "Levy Info" tab under the heading "Parcel Info" in the left column on your property's main page. Voice your opinion by taking time to vote on Tuesday.

October 2, 2012

Absentee voting has begun. In addition to the national, state and local candidates there are a number of proposed tax levies. To find out how much your taxes will change if a specific levy is passed, check the "Levy Info" tab under the heading "Parcel Info" in the left column on your property's main page.

September 27, 2012

Absentee voting begins next week. In addition to the national, state and local candidates there are a number of proposed tax levies. To find out how much your taxes will change if a specific levy is passed, check the "Levy Info" tab under the heading "Parcel Info" in the left column on your property's main page.

September 24, 2012

Check out my request of the State of Ohio to make good on its promise of $80 million in funding for the stadiums in the news release called "Show me the money" under Front Page News on this site. They still owe us $7.55 million.

September 6, 2012

If you'd like to research the levies passed since 2004, go to "Departments", then "Real Estate Tax", then Hamilton County Tax Summaries. The yearly spreadsheets show the impact per $100,000 value by voted levy for each year. Keep in mind regardless of whether your property value increases or decreases during the life of a levy, the total amount originally voted to the taxing entity by the levy does not change. Your taxes may be adjusted so that the levy receives the tax dollars agreed to by the voters.

August 10, 2012

July 26, 2012

We've rolled out a new website feature: The Advanced Search. Users can now search on any combination of the owner name, street address, land use code, tax district and area. Start by clicking on "Property Search". Then click on "Advanced Search" and enter your search criteria. Once the results display, you can export the list into a csv file which can be opened in Excel.

July 6, 2012

We often receive phone calls from the public when a sold sign appears in front of a property, wanting to know the sale details. We are not privy to the information until the conveyance documents are filed with our office. Also, if you have had a recent closing and the transfer is not reflected on the Auditor's website within a reasonable period of time, you should contact the person who handled the closing to make sure the transfer was filed with our office.

June 20, 2012

Check out "links" at the bottom of our homepage. There's a wealth of information available: local, regional, state, and federal government links, as well as senior links, dog links, and some general information links about our area.

June 12, 2012

It is your decision to escrow your property taxes. If you escrow, the Treasurer sends your tax bill to your escrow agent, not to you. Please understand that since your tax bill is your notification of changes in your taxes and/or value, your choosing to have it sent to someone else means you may not learn about changes until the escrow agent informs you.

May 17, 2012

The annual Forfeited Land Sale will commence at 8:30 on June 11 in Room 605 of the County Administration Building, downtown. Parcels for sale will be parcels that did not sell in recent Sheriff's Sales and previous Forfeited Land Sales. The number of available parcels is quite long and we will need to move the Sale along to complete it in one business day. To assist with this we are urging pre-registration. Please call our Foreclosure Unit at 513-946-4133 for more information.

May 15, 2012

May 10, 2012

We recently started our annual CAUV inspections, mandated by the State of Ohio. These inspections assist in determining whether or not CAUV properties will continue to receive their tax savings. For more information on this program go to Departments and click on the CAUV icon.

May 1, 2012

When you look at the summary page for a particular residential parcel, you will see that square footage is included in the information listed. That square footage figure represents the exterior measurement of the structure and may differ from the living space square footage in a realtor's sale listing for the parcel.

April 19, 2012

When the spring weather hits, dog owners tend to leave their dogs outside more. Dogs often take that opportunity to "go exploring" and may end up quite a distance away from home. Please make sure your dog is licensed. It proves you are the owner. If you find a wandering dog with a license you can look up the owner on our website on the dog licensing tab or you can call 946-DOGS.

April 11, 2012

A nice letter from a citizen praising our staff for their customer service has been posted under "Front Page News". It is always good to get this kind of feedback.

April 3, 2012

The 2012 Board of Revision filing period set by state law has ended. Approximately 7,000 property owners filed, about the same number as last year. We are quickly processing complaints but, in light of the large number, it may be some time before complainants receive their hearing notices. Hearings will take place throughout 2012 and all complainants will receive notices by certified mail a couple of weeks prior to their scheduled hearings. Your patience is appreciated!

March 30, 2012

The last day to file a complaint with the Board of Revision about your property value is April 2. The law says the complaint must be RECEIVED in this office by 4:00 p.m. on that date. A postmark of April 2 does NOT work. It is too late for us to mail blank forms out so, if you wish to file, carefully complete and download a form (http://www.hcauditor.org/bor.asp) and deliver it to room 304 of the County Administration Building, 138 E. Court Street.

March 23, 2012

The Board of Revision has received just a few less complaints so far than last year at this point. Last year at this time we had about half the eventual total number of complaints in. If you're waiting until the last minute to file, that's Monday, April 2 at 4pm. Remember, your complaint form must be here - in the office - postmarks do not count.

March 6, 2012

The deadline for filing an appeal of your property's value for this year with the Board of Revision (BOR) is Monday, April 2 (because March 31 is on a Saturday). Your complaint has to be here in our office by the close of business at 4pm on April 2nd. Postmarks do not count. Your complaint has to be here.

March 1, 2012

Super Tuesday is March 6th. Polls open at 6:30 am and close at 7:30 pm. Be an informed voter. Do your research on the candidates and the levies before you vote.

February 9, 2012

If you live in a community or school district with a tax levy on the March 6th Primary Election ballot you can see how much that tax would cost you annually if the levy passes by going to your property page on our website and then clicking on Levy Info tab.

February 1, 2012

The County Commissioners have extended the deadline for renewing your dog's license again this year. You have until February 29; after that the annual $19 fee doubles. If you need more info, click on the Dog Licensing icon on our homepage.

January 19, 2012

The Treasurer of Hamilton County is responsible for the sending of tax bills and collection of property taxes due. As a courtesy to the public the Auditor's website includes Treasurer's data. Please contact the Treasurer's office at 946-4800 with tax bill related inquiries. Contact the Auditor's office with valuation concerns.

January 13, 2012

January 17, 2012

The County Treasurer has mailed the tax bills. Tax bills are due January 31st.

January 13, 2012

The Auditor's office will be closed Monday January 16th in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

January 2, 2012

New tax amounts are now posted on the Treasurer's page on our website. Just go to your parcel and click on the payments tab. The Treasurer will be mailing the tax bills the first week of January.

Our office will be closed on Monday, January 2nd to celebrate the New Year's holiday. Our best wishes for a safe, healthy, and happy 2012.

December 28, 2011

December 22, 2011

New tax amounts are now posted on the Treasurer's page on our website. Just go to your parcel and click on the payments tab.

Our office will be closed on Monday, December 26 to celebrate Christmas. My best wishes to you for a Merry Christmas, a Happy Chanukah and happy holidays!

December 20, 2011

Good question. The total property tax delinquency as advertised in the supplements to "The Cincinnati Enquirer" this week and last is $16,854,481.04 for 8,798 parcels. That is about 1.17% of the total $1,435,553,540 property taxes billed in Hamilton County.

December 2, 2011

The State of Ohio has affirmed the new values. New values are now posted on the summary page for each parcel in the County. Since tax calculations are not yet complete, we are not able to post tax amounts at this time. We recognize some property owners like to pay their tax bill before the end of the year, and as in years past, we are working with the Treasurer's office to have tax amounts available late in December. Letters to those property owners who contacted us during our informal review process or whose value changed from its tentative value will be sent shortly. If you disagree with your property's new value, you can file a Board of Revision complaint. Complaints can be filed starting January 1, 2012 and must be received by our office by April 2, 2012.

November 28, 2011

It's dog license season again. Renewal notices will be mailed in the next couple days so dog owners, be on the watch for your notice. Renewals can be handled by return mail, by over the counter purchase at one of our neighborhood vendors, by purchase here in the Auditor's office, or online through the link provided in your renewal notice.

November 23, 2011

Our best to you and yours on this Thanksgiving weekend. Our office will be closed on Friday. During your holiday celebration, please remember those who are serving our Country who cannot be home for Thanksgiving.

November 16, 2011

The County's 2009 financial audit is now complete. You can find the 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) on our website by going to Departments, Finance. Work on the 2010 audit is currently underway.

November 14, 2011

November 10, 2011

The Auditor's office will be closed on Friday November 11th in observance of Veterans Day. Take a moment to thank those who have served to keep this Country free and those who continue to serve..

November 9, 2011

On Tuesday, Bexley, Ohio voters rejected an amendment to the city charter that would have eliminated the elected position of City Auditor and replace it with a finance director appointed by the Mayor. Out of four charter amendments there, this was the only one to be defeated. Voters agreed that it was a bad idea not to have an elected, independent auditor.

November 2, 2011

Election Day is Tuesday November 8th. Make sure your voice is heard by voting. There are many issues on the ballot, so take some time to understand what each means before you vote. Issues affecting your tax bill are listed on the levy tab for your parcel here on our site.

October 5 , 2011

The chart below graphically shows the big difference between total County staffing and the Auditor's office staffing over time. County staffing is highlighted in red and Auditor's staffing in blue. By clicking on the chart you can enlarge the image so you can see more clearly how we have been cutting Auditor staffing each year while the rest of the County was adding personnel - until revenues dropped.

September 30, 2011

The below charts were presented to the County Commissioners at our budget hearing. They graphically show the big difference between total County staffing and Auditor's Office staffing over time. Clicking on either the County (red) chart or the Auditor (blue) chart will enlarge the image so you can see how we have been cutting personnel while everyone else was adding personnel - until revenues dropped.

September 14, 2011

We are receiving inquiries about the final value process for the reappraisal. We are currently reviewing all the homeowner response forms, and adjusting tentative values where adjustment is warranted based on the information we received from taxpayers. In November the State of Ohio will review our final product, and once approved, values will be set. We expect new values to be posted to our website in late November or early December.

September 7, 2011

August 24, 2011

August 2, 2011

July 21, 2011

Check out Dusty's response to the Cincinnati Enquirer's editorial board project "How can we help our city run better" in Front Page News below.

July 14, 2011

Time is running out if you plan to attend an informal review meeting to discuss the tentative value of your property with an appraiser. Here's the list of remaining sites and dates: sites/dates. Remember to bring your documentation to show what you believe your property value should be.

July 07, 2011

Auditor of State David Yost recently copied me on a letter he sent to the Hamilton County Commissioners detailing the status of his audits of the County and highlighting the need for the Commissioners to provide resources for additional accounting services and staff to assist our office in fulfilling its statutory duties. His letter to the Commissioners is reproduced below under Front Page News.

June 30, 2011

The Ohio Supreme Court has unanimously upheld a decision by the Court of Appeals denying attorney fees and damages in a public records case against our office. The Court found that our office responded properly. The Auditor's office was represented by Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Deters and Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Roger E. Friedmann and Christian J. Schaefer.

http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/docs/pdf/0/2011/2011-ohio-3093.pdf

May 31, 2011

If you are interested in knowing what recent sales are being considered in setting the new value of your property, click on the "sales" link found on the summary page of your parcel.

May 27, 2011

On this Memorial Day weekend, take a moment to honor and thank those who have given their all to protect our freedom, something we so often take for granted.

May 23, 2011

Beginning May 23rd and for the following six weeks we will be mailing Tentative Value Notices by community or neighborhood. For a listing of when your notice will be mailed please Click here. If you have received your residential tentative value notice and cannot attend your suggested meeting site, you can Click here to begin the online informal review process. The web application requires the Notice Identification Number found on your Tentative Value Notice.

May 17, 2011

May 16, 2011

Congratulations to the elected officials and citizens of Miami Township on their new Administration Complex on Shady Lane.

May 13, 2011

Channel 9 has a special report on our Weights & Measures work Friday night at 6pm.

Also, congratulations to the elected officials and citizens of Miami Township on their new Administration Complex on Shady Lane. Dedication events all day Saturday.

May 6, 2011

The annual Forfeited Land Sale will take place at 8:30 on May 31 in Room 605 of the County Administration Building, downtown. Parcels for sale will be parcels that did not sell in recent Sheriff's Sales and previous Forfeited Land Sales. The number of available parcels is quite long and we will need to move the Sale along to complete it in one business day. To assist with this we are urging pre-registration. Please call our Foreclosure Unit at 513-946-4133 for more information.

May 2, 2011

This Tuesday is Primary Election Day. Issues and/or candidates are on the ballot in Cleves, Columbia Township, Deer Park, Elmwood Place, Harrison, Loveland and Norwood. Polls are open from 6:30am until 7:30pm.

May 4, 2011

This Friday is the last day for Commercial and Industrial property owners to make contact with us and have an informal review set.

April 25, 2011

Occasionally, we receive requests for foreclosure information. The Sheriff's office is the best resource for upcoming foreclosure sales due to mortgage foreclosure or delinquent tax foreclosure. The weekly Sheriff sales are held on Thursdays at the Hamilton County Courthouse. Go to www.hcso.org and click on "Public Services" for more information, including a list of properties scheduled for foreclosure sale.

April 22, 2011

We wish you and yours a very blessed Easter!

April 12, 2011

We are quickly processing complaints on real property values (Board of Revision complaints) but, in light of the large number, it may be some time before complainants receive their hearing notices. Hearings will take place throughout 2011 and all complainants will receive notices by certified mail a couple of weeks prior to their scheduled hearings. Your patience is appreciated!

April 1, 2011

Homestead Continuing Applications have been mailed to all Homestead credit recipients. Though we are required by State law to send them out, there is NO NEED for you to return the form if your Homestead eligibility remains the same. Questions? Call our Homestead Unit at 513-946-4099.

March 25, 2011

Just a reminder: The filing deadline for the Board of Revision is fast approaching. Your complaint must be in our hands no later than 4pm March 31st. We will not accept complaints received after March 31st. For more information and for forms, go to Departments, then Board of Revision.

March 16, 2011

Under Ohio law, the County Recorder is charged with maintaining historical real property information such as deed, mortgage, and lien information. Our work tends to be more focused in current data. However, as technology permits, we try to add more historical information to our real estate records. We have been able to add older photos taken for the past two reappraisals. You can access those images from the drop down menu on the image tab. Transfer information prior to the start of our website in the early '90's is best accessed through the County Recorder's records or by viewing the scanned ownership card accessed through the drop down menu on the image tab for a parcel.

March 14, 2011

As my new term begins today (Monday, March 14) I thank the voters of Hamilton County for their confidence and support. I will keep working to continue our professionalism and commitment to serving taxpayers over the next four years.

March 8, 2011

Ever wonder what those stickers on gas pumps and scales mean? A trained Auditor Weights & Measures inspector inspects and seals these devices to ensure they dispense the exact amount that is reflected on the display. Inspectors check anything sold by weight or measurement and also verify scales to assure the item's price is accurately scanned into the register. For more details, click on the Weights and Measures icon under "Departments" on our website.

March 4, 2011

Initial applications and renewals for the Current Agricultural Use Tax Value (CAUV) program must be in our hands no later than 4pm Monday, March 7th. For more information on this State program for qualifying properties, go to Departments, and then click on the CAUV icon.

February 28, 2011

One month to go! If you wish to file a Board of Revision complaint on your current property value you have until March 31. Please note: Your filing must be in our hands by 4pm March 31. The complaint form and instructions are on our website. Go to Departments, then Board of Revision. If you need additional assistance call 946-4035.

February 25, 2011

February 22, 2011

In order to transfer a property in the Auditor's Office, a four-part Conveyance Form {DTE100 or DTE100(EX)} was previously required. For your convenience, new one page DTE 100 and DTE100EX forms are now available on the Auditor's website. From the homepage, click on "Forms", then click "Real Property" and then download the DTE100 and DTE100(EX) Forms. All questions must be answered by the grantee or his representative.

February 18, 2011

The Hamilton County Auditor's office will be closed Monday February 21st for Presidents Day.

February 15, 2011

The Hamilton County Auditor's office was the first to post Auditor expenditures on-line so citizens can see how our office spends its money. Other innovative website additions in recent years include the transfer calculator, one page on-line transfer forms, on-line dog license renewal, school tax comparison sheets, downloadable Board of Revision forms, a taxes paid page for each parcel, comprehensive property sales files going back to 1998, a password protected site for countywide file downloads, the assessment payoff page, the levy tab, and printable tax rate sheets back to 1999. These technology innovations are consistent with our office's mission statement to best serve the public. We welcome your suggestions of additional ways we can better serve you through our website.

January 31, 2011

Special Assessments are charges for services provided by the taxing authority (for example: city, village, township). They are not considered "real property taxes". The assessment begins by ordinance signed by the taxing authority, certified and filed with the County Auditor. The Auditor is required by law to keep an accounting of special assessments, to place them on the duplicate as separate items, and to return the money collected to the taxing authority. Examples of special assessments include lighting, urban forestry, sewer tap-in, property clean-up, storm water and aquifer preservation.

January 28, 2011

The regular dog licensing period ends January 31st. If you fail to renew by the deadline, you can still purchase a dog license but a penalty of $19 is added to the fee. Purchase a license at the Hamilton County Auditor's office, 138 E Court St., Rm. 401, downtown Cincinnati; OR renew on line at 2011 Dog and Kennel Licenses New or Renewal, subject to a convenience charge; OR buy a license from the Hamilton County SPCA; OR from one of the convenient neighborhood vendors, subject to an agent fee. Questions? Call 513-946-4106.

January 21, 2011

The Board of Revision (BOR) filing period is underway. Under Ohio law, submissions must be RECEIVED in our office by 4:00 p.m. on March 31. Remember, the Board of Revision considers property value, not taxes. While a reduced value may reduce your tax bill, the amount you pay in property tax depends on levies approved by the voters in your taxing district. Those levies and the amount you pay for those levies cannot be considered in a valuation complaint.

January 17, 2011

If you own multiple residences, living in one and renting the other, please keep in mind, State Law only allows the 2.5% owner occupied credit for the residence in which you live. Your rental property does not qualify. In addition, State Law requires all rental property be registered with the County Auditor. Fill out the registration form by going to Departments, Real Estate Valuation, and then scroll down to the rental registration form icon on the lower left of the page. Failure to notify us of your rental property may result in a penalty on your tax bill. Claiming 2.5% on multiple properties may result in a back tax assessment added to your tax bill.

January 13, 2011

Our office will be closed on Monday January 17th in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

January 1, 2011

Tax bills will be mailed by the County Treasurer on THURSDAY, January 6th with payments due on MONDAY, January 31. Questions about your tax bill should be directed to the County Treasurer at 946-4800.

December 30, 2010

The Auditor's office will be closed on Friday, December 31st. I wish you and yours a very safe New Year's celebration.

December 21, 2010

We have completed the tax calculations for the upcoming January tax bills. These can now be found on the Auditor's website (www.hamiltoncountyauditor.org). Use the property search function to display your property and then click on the "Payments" tab. The tax calculations reflect changes that have occurred with the tax rates and reduction factors through the course of the last year. They also reflect the reduction in the sales tax credit, a decrease in funding of approximately 73% by the County Commissioners. The sales tax reduction translates into a tax increase of approximately $40 per year on a $100,000 in market value for residential homeowners.

December 16, 2010

In order to calculate the changes to your tax bill with certainty, we need the tax rates and reduction factors from the State of Ohio. The Ohio Department of Taxation will not release the information until all of the overlapping counties (those counties that contain the Great Oaks and Butler Tech vocational school systems) have filed their real property tax abstracts. Once received from the State, the Auditor's Office will run a tax calculation showing the amount of the sales tax credit. With that completed, the County Treasurer can prepare tax bills. Please check our website blog next week for an update on the process and for more details as to when new tax bill amounts will be available.

December 08, 2010

If you were a licensed dog owner in 2010, you may have already received your 2011 renewal application. If you haven't, look for it in the coming days. The regular dog licensing period extends through January 31, 2011. Click here for details . And please consider the convenient option of purchasing or renewing online. Questions or concerns? Email us at dogs@auditor.hamilton-co.org . Thanks for doing the right thing for your dog!

December 06, 2010

The County Commissioners recently passed a motion to "study" our Weights & Measures Division. My letter of December 3 explains this would be a waste of County time and resources. The letter is posted below under Front Page News.

November 29, 2010

November 24, 2010

We wish you and yours a very peaceful blessed Thanksgiving holiday. The office will be closed both Thursday November 25th and Friday November 26th.

November 19, 2010

My letter to the Commissioners about the funding needs of our office in next year's budget and my Statement about their response are posted under "Front Page News" at the bottom of this page. Note that my letter was in response to a last minute request from the President of the County Commission.

November 16, 2010

The County's 2008 financial audit is now complete. You can find the 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) on our website by going to Departments, Finance Reports.

November 9, 2010

Next year, 2011, is a reappraisal year in Hamilton County. An explanatory column about our reappraisal work is now posted under "Front Page News" for November 9, 2010 at the bottom of this page.

November 3, 2010

Thanks very much to the voters of Hamilton County for re-electing me as County Auditor. The vote was a positive reflection as much on our excellent staff that works every day to serve the public as it was on anything I have been able to do. I truly appreciate the confidence shown in all of us.

October 29, 2010

Tuesday, November 2nd is Election Day. In Hamilton County the polls are open from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. Polling place info can be accessed through the Board of Elections website. Be an informed voter by reading the candidate and issue information found on the League of Women Voters website. How the passage of a levy may impact your tax bill can be reviewed by accessing your parcel here and then clicking on the levy info tab. Exercise your right to vote as an American. Speak up. Vote on Tuesday.

October 20, 2010

October 14, 2010

Congratulations to Hyde Park, the City of Cincinnati neighborhood just named one of the USA's premier neighborhoods by the American Planning Association. Hyde Park is one of 10 Great Neighborhoods for 2010 in its Great Places in America program. Read more. . .

October 6, 2010

Our staff always appreciates good comments on our service. Here is what a respected local real estate attorney recently wrote in an e-mail to our office:

"I have told Dusty privately, and said before hundreds of class attendees and tell you now, the Hamilton County operation is the finest in the state. Fair, professional, smart, prepared. It is second to none."

September 30, 2010

Sometimes people believe the County Auditor's office has more authority than it does. While the State has assigned us many duties we are still one office in a limited form of government. As Auditor, I act as the County's Chief Fiscal Officer, Chief Assessor, Chief Payroll Officer and Sealer of Weights And Measures. Scroll down to the bottom of the homepage under "Meet Your Auditor" for a list of County Auditor duties as prescribed by State Law.

September 27, 2010

Absentee and early voting begins September 28 for the upcoming November election. If there is a new tax levy proposed in your community or school district, you can see its effect - if passed - on your current tax bill by going to your property page and clicking on the words "Levy Info".

September 23, 2010

If you have property registered with the Hamilton County Auditor's Office as residential rental property, Ohio Law requires that the information you provide to our office is current, i.e. address, telephone number, contact person, etc. If any information has changed, it is your responsibility to file a new form with our office.
Ohio Law also requires property owners with parcels currently exempt from taxation to notify the Auditor's Office if the properties are no longer being used for the purpose which exempted them from taxation.

September 20, 2010

In order to transfer a property in the Auditor's Office, a four-part Conveyance Form {DTE100 or DTE100(EX)} was previously required. For your convenience, new one page DTE 100 and DTE100EX forms will now be available on the Auditor's website. From the homepage, click on "Forms", then click "Real Property" and then download the DTE100 and DTE100(EX) Forms. All questions must be answered by the grantee or his representative. This will be a more efficient and cost

September 14, 2010

The Hamilton County Auditor's office was the first county office to put its expenditures on the web for public viewing. You can see this monthly report here by clicking on the "Expenditure Search" icon on the homepage.

September 8, 2010

Make no mistake. What some are calling county "reform" is actually bigger county government, expanding the powers of the County Commissioners at the expense of existing checks and balances. (Please see the September 9, 2010 news release below under Front Page News.)

September 7, 2010

The Ohio County Auditors' Association website has an online database listing Auditor information for each of Ohio's 88 counties. You can see it here: http://www.caao.org.

September 1, 2010

Just a reminder: veterans can now begin applying for war-service bonuses. For details please go to this website www.veteransbonus.Ohio.gov

August 31, 2010

56.4% of respondents to the Hamilton County Citizens Survey oppose a County Charter. That is the news in the recently released results of the unscientific survey County Commissioners are reviewing to assist them in their budget process for 2011. <

August 26, 2010

August 18, 2010

We often get phone calls and emails about dog "issues" - unlicensed dogs, loose dogs, nuisance dogs, irresponsible owners etc. Under Ohio law, Chapter 955, our office has the limited responsibility of administering dog licensing in Hamilton County. The County Commissioners are responsible for the County's dog warden contract and warden services. Zoning issues as it pertains to dogs are usually handled by the County's local governments' regulations. Remember if you own a dog, it must be licensed and under control at all times.

August 06, 2010

July 29, 2010

We had 5,003 Board of Revision (BOR) complaints this year. To date, 4,970 reports have been completed, 4,822 hearings have been scheduled and the Boards have completed hearings for 4,195 complaints. Over 2,800 complaints have been resolved. Thanks to our terrific, hard-working staff for their continued hard work in another busy BOR year.

July 22, 2010

Duke Energy has recently notified local taxing authorities that it will be making an additional payment on its appealed value for its public utility personal property tax for the 2009 tax year. Duke Energy, however, has not indicated when the payment will be made. When the County Treasurer receives this payment, it will be posted against their outstanding balances for the taxes due in 2010. However, taxing districts will not automatically see these additional funds in the final real property tax settlement in 2010. Because of the timing of the additional payment, it will not be settled until the first half real property tax settlement in April 2011. To help offset the impact on current budgets, the funds will be available for advances through the Auditor's Office to those districts that request them. Local taxing authorities should be cautious in spending these funds. Should Duke prevail in their appeal, the money will be refunded with interest from each taxing authority in Hamilton County through future tax settlements. The amount of any refunds will be based on the values determined through the appeal. Duke has requested a reduction of approximately forty percent of the 2010 public utility personal property taxes. Spending the money now could create significant shortfalls in future years.

July 15, 2010

I have posted correspondence to the County Commissioners' Government "Reform" Task Force concerning some of their recent discussions. Please check the item below titled "Setting the Record Straight".

July 7, 2010

We have posted calculations on the potential impact of Duke Energy's Public Utility Personal Property Tax appeal for every city, village, township and school district in the county plus the impact on special districts and county levies. Please refer to the "Front Page News" item dated July 7, 2010 at the bottom of this page.

July 6, 2010

Our Weights & Measures Department is checking Farmers Markets in the County so we can make sure their scales are properly calibrated. Assuring the proper weight of goods sold is an important consumer protection. Look for our seal on the scales and call us at 513-946-4047 if you don't see it.

July 1, 2010

This Sunday is the Fourth of July. Our office will be closed on Monday in observance of our uniquely American holiday commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

June 28, 2010

Due to a recent change in state law, local questions and issues including new or increased tax levies for November's election must now be certified to the Board of Elections by 4pm on August 4. The deadline was formerly August 20.

June 22, 2010

Congratulations to the City of Madeira celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. Events this week include the Centennial Criterium Bike Race this Friday from 5pm to 9:30pm and the 8th annual PBA sponsored Car Show on Sunday.

June 16, 2010

You can follow the Auditor's office on twitter. Daily updates on auditorrhodes@twitter.com include information on county sales tax, Board of Revision status, filing deadlines and comments. It's easy to sign up and follow at www.twitter.com.

June 8, 2010

Congratulations to the residents of Terrace Park for their compilation of the "Terrace Park Ohio Building Survey"which can be accessed at <a href="http://www.tpsurvey.org">www.tpsurvey.org</a> . What a fascinating research effort recording historical data of each building in Terrace Park including building descriptions, past owners and residents, land deeds, census info, burials, cemetery records and related village information as it pertains to each parcel!

May 24, 2010

Monday, June 7th is the last day to file for the Homestead Exemption in Ohio. For general information, including eligibility requirements, click on "Departments", then on "Homestead". There is an application on the Homestead page that you can download. Remember, the completed application and necessary documentation must be RECEIVED in our office by 4pm on June 7, 2010. A postmark of June 7 DOES NOT WORK under Ohio law. No faxes, please.

May 14, 2010

May 5, 2010

At their annual meeting last week in Toledo the Ohio Weights and Measures Association presented our office with the 2010 Frank P. Gallo Award for our commitment to program excellence in Weights and Measures administration; personnel and training; and standards and equipment. Congratulations to our professional Weights and Measures team for this well-deserved recognition.

April 30, 2010

The communities of Cheviot, Elmwood Place, Whitewater Township, and 7 School Districts have issues on the May 4th Primary ballot. If you own property in any of these communities, just click on the levy info tab for your parcel to understand better how the passage of any of these issues will affect your property taxes.

April 22, 2010

In years past, we have posted CAFRs on our website. However, due to the ongoing State and Federal audits of Job and Family Services we have been unable to produce a CAFR for years 2004, 2005 and 2006. 2007 is completed and posted; 2008 will follow suit in the next few months. With the approval of the Auditor of State we are posting the draft/unaudited financials for 2004-2006 on our website. Find them with the CAFRs for the other years by going to Departments, Finance Reports.

April 20, 2010

April 7, 2010

The Ohio County Auditors' Association website has an online database listing Auditor information for each of Ohio's 88 counties. You can see it here: http://www.caao.org

April 5, 2010

Good luck to the Reds as the baseball season begins. With a manager named "Dusty" and a pitcher named "Rhodes" how can they miss?

April 1, 2010

The Board of Revision filing period is now closed. If we did not have your complaint in hand by 4pm March 31st, you are too late to file this year. Those complaints received in the mail after the deadline will be returned.

March 23, 2010

DEADLINE - DEADLINE - DEADLINE

By state law we must receive your Board of Revision complaint in our office by 4pm on Monday, March 31. Postmarks don't count. Last year 144 complaints had to be returned. If you are filing this year, don't miss the deadline.

March 9, 2010

If you mail(ed) in a Complaint against the value of your property, we will send you a receipt. Our Board of Revision staff is lean and busy so please give us some time to get the receipt to you. Complaints must be IN OUR HANDS (postmark DOES NOT count under Ohio law!) by 4:00 p.m. on March 31, so if you file mid-March or later, play it safe and hand-deliver!

March 1, 2010

February 23, 2010

The dog license renewal period ends Sunday February 28th. If you have not yet renewed your dog's license, mail in your renewal, or go to our dog license page for a list of sales locations and for the link to renew online. The Hamilton County Commissioners increased the fee this year to $19. If you fail to renew by the 28th, a penalty of an additional $19 is added to the cost.

February 11, 2010

As a reminder, if you have questions about your property tax bill, please call the County Treasurer at 946-4800. It is the Treasurer, not the Auditor, who bills and collects property taxes. Bills were due February 1st. The Treasurer is currently processing payments that have been received.

January 28, 2010

The County Commissioners passed a resolution Wednesday extending the dog license renewal deadline to February 28, 2010 and declaring the Month of February 2010 Dog License Amnesty Month. If you have not renewed your dog's license, do so without penalty before the end of February for $19.

January 21, 2010

If you will be 65 years old (or older) in 2010 OR you were totally and permanently disabled as of January 1, 2010, AND you owned and occupied your home as of January 1, 2010, you may be eligible for the Homestead Exemption. If so, you could save money on your property taxes billed in 2011. Check out our Homestead home page for more information and to download an application packet.

January 7, 2010

The County Treasurer has mailed the tax bills. Payments are due no later than February 1st, 2010. If you have questions about your tax bill, call your County Treasurer at (513)946-4800.

December 29, 2009

There's a new feature on our website: the "Assessment Payoff" tab. Now when you access a specific parcel, you can click on the Assessment Payoff tab to obtain special assessment information needed for real estate closings and transfers. The detail will include current, future, and pay-off amounts.

Special assessments are service charges provided by a taxing district and certified to the Auditor for collection. A few examples include garbage collection, urban forestry, lighting, and sidewalk repair. A 3% fee is added to the certified amount for processing by the Auditor. Should there be questions about a specific special assessment, the taxing authority levying the assessment should be contacted.

December 23, 2009

Our website has now been updated to include new property tax information. The Treasurer will mail tax bills on January 6th.

December 15, 2009

The Auditor's Office receives many inquiries about the early payment of property taxes for tax year 2009, payable in 2010. We also receive requests for the due date and when the tax bills will be mailed. We do not receive the tax rates from the State of Ohio until sometime in December. Tax calculations are typically not completed until later in December. The Treasurer's Office mails the tax bills and collects payments, while the Auditor's Office is responsible only for the valuation of property. Tax bills will be mailed on January 6, 2010, and the due date will be February 1, 2010. If you desire to pay before the end of this year, please call the Treasurer's Office at the end of December to get the tax amount due. The telephone number is (513) 946-4800, or you may access their website at www.hamilton-co.org/treasurer.

December 2, 2009

We often receive inquiries from property owners asking how their property taxes can be reduced when there is a recent appraisal which is less than the Auditor's current value. The Auditor's Office deals in "values", not "taxes". We are required by law to set values to current market value every three years; the next update will be for tax year 2011, payable in 2012. All property in Hamilton County will be revalued at that time. Prior to that reappraisal, if you wish to contest the value of your property, you can file a formal complaint with the Hamilton County Board of Revision between January 1 and March 31, 2010. The Board of Revision considers the value as of January 1, 2009, the lien date, so be aware that the appraisal and/or comparable sales you submit should have a value at or near that date. Complaint packets will be available for downloading from our website after January 1, 2010.

November 30, 2009

A Warranty Deed certifies that the grantor has a good title in fee simple, free and clear of all liens and encumbrances and that the grantor will defend against the claims of all persons. If there is just one buyer, title will, upon death, pass to such owner's heirs unless otherwise provided for by the owner's will. If there is more than one buyer, then a tenancy-in-common among owners is created, which means that each buyer owns an "undivided" interest in the property. Upon the death of one of the owners, title to their "undivided" part interest will pass to that owner's heirs unless otherwise provided for by the owner's will.

November 24, 2009

The Hamilton County Auditor's office will be closed on Thursday November 26th and Friday November 27th to celebrate Thanksgiving. We wish you a very blessed and bountiful holiday with your friends and family. Please take a moment to remember those serving in our armed forces overseas who will not be home for the holidays. We are humbly grateful to our servicemen and women.

November 19, 2009

We often receive e-mails from property owners concerned that our web site isn't displaying their property purchase. When a deed is presented to our Transfer Desk, the new ownership information appears on our web site the next day. Unfortunately, closing companies do not always file the new deed with our office in a timely manner. While some file shortly after the closing, others may not file the deed with our office for weeks and, in some cases, months. If you have recently closed on a property and that purchase is not reflected on our website, please follow up with the company who handled your closing to inquire on the status of the property transfer. Again, once it is presented to our office the ownership information is quickly updated.

November 12, 2009

What is a Survivorship Deed?
A Survivorship Deed is a deed conveying title to real estate into the names of two or more persons as joint tenants with rights of survivorship. Upon the death of one owner, the property passes to and vests in the name of the surviving owner or owners. This deed may be a Warranty Deed, Quitclaim Deed, or Fiduciary Deed. A Survivorship Deed is typically used when a husband and wife purchase real property together. It provides a means of avoiding probate when the first spouse dies, although it will be subject to being probated when the surviving spouse dies. With a Survivorship Deed, the last living person named on the deed becomes the 100% owner of the property. If the objective is to divide the property equally among several people, a Survivorship Deed should not be used.

November 10, 2009

Wednesday November 11th is Veteran's Day. Our office will be closed. Please take time to remember those men and women who have served and are currently serving our country in the armed forces.

November 3, 2009

We often receive calls questioning our office about higher taxes after voters pass tax levies. All property tax levies approved by the voters on Tuesday will be effective with the first tax bill next January. That means there could be significant tax increases in those districts - as a result of the voters' decisions.

November 2, 2009

Tuesday is Election Day. Polls are open from 6:30am to 7:30pm. Be sure to vote.

October 29, 2009

Saturday is Halloween. Trick or treating in most Hamilton County communities is from 6pm-8pm.
We go back to Standard Time officially Sunday morning at 2am. Set your clocks back one hour.
Tuesday is Election Day. Polls are open from 6:30am to 7:30pm. Be sure to vote.

October 8, 2009

It has become a fairly common practice on the part of those seeking to pass tax levies to make a point of saying that passage of the levy in question "will not raise your taxes". It may indeed be true that the amount of tax you would pay in future years would be no more than in prior years. However, it is also very true that if the levy were to fail, you would be paying less in those same future years than you had previously. I urge you to research each levy on November's ballot so you better understand how your tax money is used. If the levy passes you may indeed pay no more, but if it fails you will certainly pay less than you would if it passed, because all the tax dollars sought by the taxing entity associated with that levy will stay with you.

October 2, 2009

As a service to taxpayers we are again providing information on upcoming tax levies. Go to the summary page for your property and click on the "levy info" tab. Each proposed levy in your taxing district will be listed, along with what it will cost you in additional taxes if passed, based on your current property value. Keep in mind, tax rates for the 2010 payments will not be finalized by the State of Ohio until after the November election, so these levy amounts are estimates.

September 18, 2009

The county's current fiscal crisis is being used by some to once again start beating the drum for some form of "metropolitan government". County government is often misunderstood. As a second tier of government, the county is not intended to take the place of local governments. Unlike cities and villages, the county does not have law making authority. We are simply an administrative arm of the state. We can do only what the state permits. Also, unlike cities, we have elected officials instead of appointees. Independently elected officials means more direct accountability to the voters. And there is no realistic way that "merging" governments will create more revenue for county government.

September 15, 2009

August 27, 2009

Hamilton County Commissioners David Pepper, Todd Portune, and Greg Hartman unanimously voted on August 26th 2009 to raise the dog license fee from $13 to $19. This 46% increase is a Commissioner decision which I strongly oppose but under Ohio law, am obligated to implement in the license renewal season beginning December 1st..

July 31, 2009

If you filed a property value complaint in the Board of Revision and your hearing has not yet been scheduled and you have made plans to be away for several days in the coming months, send email to: BOR@auditor.hamilton-co.org and tell us when you will be UNavailable. This will help us and you! Include your name, the property address and/or parcel number and the complaint number from your receipt, if it's handy.

IMPORTANT: The BOR's email address is designed to assist only with scheduling cases. All other concerns should continue to be addressed to Dusty.Rhodes@fuse.net.

July 31, 2009

We often receive emails from property owners inquiring about property boundary lines. Typically, these emails are from homeowners who want to install driveways, fences, etc. and are unsure of the exact property boundaries. The County Engineer's Tax Map Department is the correct office to contact first to see if there is a land survey on file. Call (513) 946-4252. Unfortunately, many properties do not have this information on file. We can only recommend in those cases that the property owner contact a registered surveyor in order to establish exact boundary lines.

July 17, 2009

If you filed a Board of Revision complaint and have not yet received a hearing date, please continue to be patient.

We have many cases to process, work and schedule. We are doing the best we can in line with legal requirements. For example, in cases where a large value decrease is requested by a complainant, Ohio law requires us to alert the relevant school district and offer the opportunity to counter-complain. This adds a step to the process and these cases take a little longer to schedule.

Our staff is small and is working very hard. Your case will be scheduled as soon as possible and you will receive notice by certified mail at least two weeks in advance of the hearing date.

July 13, 2009

Our office has received many inquiries as to why a property which was recently purchased is still listed on the Auditor's website in the previous owner's name. This is usually because the person who handled the closing has not submitted the transfer to the Auditor's Office. As soon as a transfer is received in our Transfer Department, it is recorded and reflected in the Auditor's records and will appear on the website within two weeks. If the new owner is not listed within a reasonable amount of time, we suggest that you contact the person who handled the closing to ascertain why it has not been brought to the Transfer Department of the Hamilton County Auditor's Office.

June 22, 2009

April 2, 2009

For the next several weeks, we will be making some changes and upgrades to our website. You may experience some inconveniences during this period, and some of the features you have used may be unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We encourage you to contact us by email or phone if you need assistance accessing information. We suggest you remove any old bookmarks and clear your temporary internet files. If you are a user who has bookmarked the property search page, you will no longer be able to use that bookmark. Please create a new bookmark to our homepage at www.hcauditor.org or www.hamiltoncountyauditor.org .

April 1, 2009

The filing season for Complaints Against the Valuation of Real Property (Board of Revision complaints) ended yesterday. ALL complaints were required to be RECEIVED in our office by the close of business on March 31, 2009.

If you filed a timely complaint you will receive a letter (Notice of Hearing) by certified mail advising you of the date and time of your hearing well before the hearing date. As we have many complaints to process, it may be weeks or months before you receive your Notice.

If you missed the deadline this year, your next opportunity to file a complaint is January of 2010.

Questions about the Board of Revision? Call 513-946-4035 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., but please be patient! Our small staff is doing its very best to provide excellent service to many, many property owners.

March 30, 2009

The deadline for filing Board of Revision complaints is March 31, 2009. Under Ohio law, your complaint must be RECEIVED in this office, 138 E. Court St., Room 304, downtown Cincinnati, by the close of business, 4:00 p.m., on March 31.

A postmark of March 31 is NOT sufficient. Complaints placed under or at our office door or given to the security guard at the base of our building after business hours will also NOT meet the deadline.

Those who file timely complaints will receive letters by certified mail advising them of the date and time of their hearing well before the hearing date.

The Board of Revision information line, 946-HOME, will cease to be available as of 4:00 p.m. on March 31. You are welcome to call our Board staff at 513-946-4035 during the regular business hours of 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

March 3, 2009

In past years we have accepted Board of Revision Complaints Against the Valuation of Real Property postmarked on the deadline date of March 31.
However, we are advised by Counsel that Ohio law requires that complaints be RECEIVED by March 31. Counsel further states that the postmarked date is irrelevant.
So please note that, pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code, we must RECEIVE your complaint, in our office, by the close of business (4:00 p.m.) on March 31. Mail or deliver to: Hamilton County Board of Revision, 138 E. Court Street, Room 304, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.

March 3, 2009

February 20, 2009

While my office works hard to help those who email and telephone us, sometimes your questions are not ours to answer. An example is questions about real estate property taxes. It is the County Treasurer who is responsible for the billing of real estate property taxes, their receipt, and deposit. The payments screen on our website is provided by the County Treasurer, and you'll see the Treasurer's name at the top of that screen. If you have tax bill questions, please call the County Treasurer at 513-946-4800.

February 2, 2009

The County Commissioners have extended the dog license registration deadline to February 28, 2009. If you have not yet renewed your dog's license, do so before the end of the month to avoid the state mandated penalty for late registration. For more information on Ohio's dog licensing law and where you can renew your dog's license, click on "Departments" and then dog licensing.

For your convenience, the Auditor has extended the "buy on-line" feature for dog license renewals. You can use Discover, MasterCard or American Express to renew your dog's license on line. If you have a new dog, you can buy your new dog's license by mail or at any neighborhood sales agent.

January 8, 2009

Our office will be closed on Monday January 19th in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

January 8, 2009

You can now view 2009 statistical data on our website. This information provides the tools for researching many topics which relate to your neighborhood and political jurisdiction. Here are a few examples:

View the Hamilton County Tax Year 2008 Levy Summary to see what levies the voters in your taxing district approved and how those levies affect your 2009 tax bill.

View the Annual Cost Residential $100K Market to compare the cost of taxes per $100,000 of market value of your property in Hamilton County.

View the Annual Cost Residential $100K Market By School District to compare how your school district ranks among others in Hamilton County.

To view these files and more, select Departments, then select Real Estate Tax.

We will close the Auditor's office to celebrate the Holiday Season at noon Wednesday, Christmas Eve. We will reopen Friday morning. We wish you and yours a peaceful joy-filled holiday.

December 19, 2008

The new triennial update values are now on the website. However, 2008 property taxes, payable in 2009, have not yet been calculated, so the payment tab will NOT reflect your new tax bill amount. We will let you know when the tax calculations have been completed and accurately reflected on the Payment Tab. Also, until the new tax amounts are posted, the "taxes paid" link will not be active.

December 9, 2008

We are in the process of mailing the Triennial Value Mailer which notifies you of your property's new value. Your new value is based on valid sales in your appraisal area during the past three year cycle as required by Ohio Law. For your reference, you can now go to the summary page for your parcel on our website and see the list of valid sales in your appraisal area. The sales link is located on the summary page under the words "Appraisal Area". Remember valid sales are those where there is a willing buyer and seller with exposure to the market. New values for all properties will be posted on our website later next week.

December 9, 2008

It is dog license renewal time. Renewal notices have been mailed. The cost of a license is $13.00 if you renew by mail or at Room 401 of the Auditor's office. If you purchase your 2009 dog license at one of our dog license agents there is a 75¢ service fee, as required by Ohio Law. This year for the first time you can renew on-line. Follow the instructions on your dog mailer. You will need to use the NIN on your dog mailer to access Hamilton County's secure payment page through Official Payment Corporation. OPC requires a separate transaction for each dog's license renewal and there is an on-line service charge of $1.00 for each renewal. To keep costs to a minimum, we currently accept MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

November 4, 2008

Our office is currently completing the triennial update of real estate values. Once they are approved by the State Tax Commissioner we will notify property owners of their new value by mail next month. We work in terms of "values", not "taxes". The reappraisal is not a process to either raise or lower taxes. Most voted levies are readjusted following a reappraisal so that taxing entities receive no more or no less than voters approved.

Accordingly, no one should have any reasonable expectation that the reappraisal will somehow reduce their taxes. This is especially true in taxing districts where voters have approved new or increased levies this year. For example, a majority of voters in the Cincinnati School District approved a new tax levy of almost 8 mills in March. In that district and others which passed tax levies, property taxes will most likely increase - because of their votes - not because of anything this office has or has not done.

November 3, 2008

Tuesday day is Election Day. The Auditor's Office will be open and at full staff. Under Ohio law and pursuant to a resolution passed by the Board of County Commissioners, County offices are permitted to allow their employees to work inside polling places for pay, while also being paid for their regular County jobs from which they are absent. I disagree with this approach. We will follow normal business practice. Auditor's Office employees who wish to work inside a polling place for the Board of Elections will request vacation time. And so long as their absences will not jeopardize our statutory duties, vacation requests will be approved. While I am happy to have staff participate in the responsible administration of our national election, particularly at this time of severe budget crisis, I cannot support double pay for public employees. Please do remember to vote! The polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

October 7, 2008

Election day is less than one month away. In addition to national and local candidates, there are several proposed tax levies in cities, townships, school districts and one park district. You can find out if there are any proposed levies in your community by clicking on the "levy info" tab for your parcel. Please note the estimate given is based on your current property value. This is also a triennial value update year in Hamilton County, so your property value may change, effective with your next property tax bill. The State of Ohio will certify the triennial values later this year, and the new values will be effective with the first tax bill next year. The amount you will pay for levies passed in November will be based on your new value.

October 7, 2008

September 9, 2008

If you sustained significant storm damage from the severe winds of September 14, 2008, you may be eligible for property tax relief. If there is damage or demolition which will affect the value of your property for tax year 2008, payable in 2009, you may file an Application for Valuation Deduction for Destroyed or Injured Property with the Hamilton County Auditor's Office. Before any consideration of value can be determined for the tax bill, this form must be completed, notarized, and returned to the attention of Ms. Becky Clark, Hamilton County Auditor's Office, 138 E. Court Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. You will receive a 50% reduction on your January tax bill for that portion of your property's value which has received damage from July through September. The application deadline is December 31, 2008. You may download the form on the Auditor's website, www.hcauditor.org. Click on "Forms", scroll to"Real Property", and download "Real Estate Destroyed or Injured Building Form." You may also call our office at (513) 946-4000 to obtain a copy of the form.

August 21, 2008

We often receive inquiries from people researching businesses registered or incorporated in Ohio. The best research source is the website of Jennifer Brunner, Ohio Secretary of State.

July 14, 2008

A state law effective 9/29/06 and updated last year requires all residential rental property in Hamilton County be registered with the County Auditor. The registration form is available here on the Homepage under Forms/Real Property. The deadline for filing to avoid a penalty is August 20, 2008. Unregistered property will be assessed a penalty on the January 2009 tax bill.

June 14, 2008

You have probably been reading and hearing about the County's current fiscal crisis. In "Front Page News" is a copy of my recent letter to the County Commissioners on this topic, along with an earlier letter I wrote to the Commisssioners.

June 4, 2008

The Auditor's office will be closed on Friday July 4th in honor of our Country's Independence Day. We wish you a safe day of celebration with your family and friends. The office will reopen on Monday July 7th.

June 4, 2008

Here's a recent response from the Auditor to an inquiring constituent: Thanks for your note on the Rental Registration Form. Our office doesn't do "taxes". We set values. We are currently completing the triennial update of values which will be effective with the first tax bill next year. We can't do "something now" as you would like as the county-wide reappraisals are only done every three years by state law and order of the State Tax Commissioner. We have to set values to current market and whether or not your new value - up, down or sideways - will result in any kind of a "reduction in taxes" is not at all certain. The same state-mandated millage adjustments that worked to maintain the same proceeds from most voted taxes during periods of increasing values will work the other way during periods of declining values. Most importantly, a majority of Cincinnati school district voters passed a significant property tax levy last spring. This - as well as a majority of City Council's plans to take back the reduction on their charter millage - will assuredly raise City of Cincinnati taxes next year. Don't blame me for higher taxes when people vote big levies and their elected representatives on City Council stick them with what amounts to an unvoted tax increase.

June 4, 2008

The 2008 deadline to apply for the Homestead reduction for seniors and those who are permanently and totally disabled was Monday, June 2. If you applied and qualified, you will first see the credit on your January, 2009 tax bill (billing is one year behind the tax year). If your Homestead application was denied, you will receive a denial letter from us by the first Monday in October, 2008.

If you missed the deadline, don't despair! Check out the Homestead homepage for information about applying as a late filer for tax year 2008 when you file a timely application for 2009. 2009 Homestead applications will be available to download on January 5, 2009.

Questions about Homestead? Please call (513) 946-4099.

May 27, 2008

A little less than one year ago, we launched the expenditure search feature of the Auditor's website. We wanted you to see how we spend public money in the administration and management of the Auditor's office. Check it out. Similar to a bank statement, this report lists the warrants for all Auditor expenditures issued by the Accounts Payable Division of the Auditor's office, along with the date of payment, the amount, to whom payment was made, the expenditure type, a brief description of the expenditure and the document number. From our homepage, go to "search" and click on "expenditure search". You can view Auditor's office expenditures starting with July 2007.

May 5, 2008

There's a new feature on our website to help you calculate simple transfer fees. The transfer fee calculator can be accessed under "Departments", "Property Transfers", "Transfer & Conveyance Fee Calculator".

March 18, 2008

Our office is currently working on the triennial update of values, by order of the State Tax Commissioner. After he approves our completed work sometime in the fall, the new values will be effective with the first tax bill in 2009 and reflect values as of the tax lien date of January 1, 2008. The update will report current market conditions and property owners will receive written notice of their new market value in December.

March 18, 2008

We often receive inquiries from people researching businesses registered or incorporated in Ohio. The best research source is the website of Jennifer Brunner, Ohio Secretary of State.

March 18, 2008

The fact that property tax levies approved by the voters on March 4 will be effective with the first tax bill next January has raised some questions. Since the property tax year is always a year behind the calendar, people wonder how a levy passed in 2008 can be collected next year. The answer: that is what state law allows, provided the taxing authority has authorized collection in the upcoming year. The bottom line is that there will be significant tax increases next year in districts which passed a new or increased tax levy this year because of the voters' decision.

March 4, 2008

We often receive calls questioning our office about higher taxes after voters pass tax levies. All property tax levies approved by the voters on Tuesday will be effective with the first tax bill next January. That means there will be significant tax increases in those districts – as a result of the voters' decision.

March 4, 2008

You can check prior real estate tax payments on our website on the "payments"tab for a specific parcel. If you need a copy of a prior bill, contact the County Treasurer at 946-4800.

March 4, 2008

Today, Tuesday March 4th is Election Day in Ohio. Make sure you set aside some time to vote. Polls are open 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. Your vote does make a difference. Be part of history in the making.

February 15, 2008

Many citizens who have already qualified for Homestead will receive Homestead Continuing Applications from us within the next few days. Current Ohio law requires that these be sent. Please DO NOT complete or return the form to us UNLESS YOUR HOMESTEAD ELIGIBILITY HAS CHANGED. If your situation is status quo (you still own and occupy the same home), you do not need to do a thing! And if you do not receive a form at all, do not worry. Not all Homesteaders are scheduled to receive them at this time

January 22, 2008

We are receiving questions about the unvoted property tax increase placed on Oak Hills School District property owners by the Oak Hills School Board last year. District property owners can see how much more they are paying by going to the "levy tab"for their property. Just use the property search feature in the upper left corner here on our homepage. Additional questions and comments should be directed to the Oak Hills School Board which enacted this unvoted property tax increase.

January 8, 2008

The Auditor's office will be closed on Monday, January 21st, in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

January 8, 2008

The Homestead credit appears in the CALCULATIONS box on the left side of your tax bill, about a third of the way down the page. The line item is simply called "Homestead."The full year reduction is shown but only half of that is credited on this bill. The remainder will come off your June tax bill.

If you applied and did not receive a denial letter, but no Homestead credit shows on your bill, we want to work with you to solve any problems immediately! We have set up a special email address to provide quick service. Please email us at Homestead@auditor.hamilton-co.org. Let us know your name and your parcel number or correct address, and the best way to contact you. One of our Homestead representatives will research your concern and get back to you as quickly as possible by telephone or email. Or you may call us at 946-4099 and we will return your call as soon as possible.

January 2, 2008

Answers to some FAQs: The County Treasurer will mail tax bills after the first of the year with payment due January 31st. If you have concerns about your Homestead status after receiving your tax bill, call 946-4099. 2008 Dog Licenses must be purchased by January 31st. All owners of residential rental property must file a Residential Rental Property Registration form with the Auditor's office.

December 20, 2007

I wish you a happy, healthy holiday season filled with hope and blessings.

The Auditor's office will be closed on Monday December 24th and Tuesday December 25th so our employees may celebrate Christmas with their families. Web updates that would normally occur on those days will display sometime later in the week.

December 5, 2007

It is dog license time again. Those who currently own licensed dogs will be receiving courtesy renewal notices in the mail in the next week or so. The license renewal period extends through the last day of January. A license costs $13 by mail. You can also buy a dog license at neighborhood vendors for $13.00 plus a 75 cent agent fee. Check out our dog license pages for more information and for a downloadable license application. If you are contemplating adding a dog to your household, consider adopting a dog from your local humane society. At most humane societies, such as the SPCA Cincinnati, you can also buy your dog's license.

December 3, 2007

The Property Search map pages will be unavailable December 3rd and December 4th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

November 21, 2007

The Hamilton County Auditor's office will be closed on Thursday November22nd and Friday November 23rd in observance of Thanksgiving. We wish you a very blessed and bountiful holiday with your friends and family.

November 6, 2007

he Auditor's office will be closed on Monday, November 12th in observance of Veteran's Day. Please take time to honor those who have served and are currently serving our country.

November 6, 2007

November 5, 2007

October 12, 2007

Just a reminder: Ohio law now requires all owners of Hamilton County residential rental property to register a contact agent for each rental property with the County Auditor within 60 days after a conveyance form is filed. We are notifying all new property owners in the conveyance verification letter we send, as well as providing notice to all those who file conveyances with our transfer desk. There will also be a notice in the January tax bill. Ohio law includes a penalty assessment of up to $150 against any rental property not in compliance.

October 2, 2007

The application period for Homestead is now closed.

The response to the expanded Homestead law has been amazing! We have received more than 30,000 applications. We are processing them as quickly as we can while also responding to and assisting our customers. Our primary concern, naturally, is making sure we get folks on the program so that they get their tax savings!

Under Ohio law, the County Treasurer will let you know if you have been approved for Homestead by showing the amount of your tax reduction on the first tax bill you receive for payment in 2008. Look for your credit in the "Calculations"box on your bill. If you do not receive a tax bill (perhaps your bill goes to escrow), the Treasurer will send you a letter advising that you have been approved for Homestead.

After we data enter your application, the summary page for your parcel will display a notice in red saying we have received and accepted your application.

Check out the Homestead page for more information.

August 31, 2007

The response to the expanded Homestead law has been amazing! We have received more than 30,000 applications. We are processing them as quickly as we can while also responding to and assisting our customers. Our primary concern, naturally, is making sure we get folks on the program so that they get their tax savings!

Under Ohio law, the County Treasurer will let you know if you have been approved for Homestead by showing the amount of your tax reduction on the first tax bill you receive for payment in 2008. Look for your credit in the "Calculations"box on your bill. If you do not receive a tax bill (perhaps your bill goes to escrow), the Treasurer will send you a letter advising that you have been approved for Homestead.

Don't forget to get your Homestead application to us by October 1! Check out the Homestead page for more information.

August 31, 2007

When you read in the paper or hear on the news that a particular tax levy will cost the owner of a $100,000 market value home a certain amount of money in taxes, please know that the Auditor's Finance Department, Budget and Settlement division, formally prepared those calculations as required by law. Unfortunately, some members of the news media fail to give proper attribution by not naming the true source of this work product, allowing people to believe that the media somehow did the calculations. These are not simple calculations and our office takes great pride in being accurate in this work.

August 15, 2007

Are you interested in seeing how we spend public money in the administration and management of the Auditor's office? Check out the Issuance of Warrants Report on our website. Similar to a bank statement, this report lists the warrants for all Auditor expenditures issued by the Accounts Payable Division of the Auditor's office, along with the date of payment, the amount, to whom payment was made, the expenditure type, a brief description of the expenditure and the document number. From our homepage, go to "search"and click on "expenditure search". This new report starts with July 2007 expenditures.

August 8, 2007

Cincinnati's Urban Forestry Program is responsible for planting and maintaining more than 80,000 street trees on over 1,000 miles of public right-of-way within the City of Cincinnati. The program has been operating since 1981 with funding by an annual urban forestry assessment. City Council levies the assessment at the rate of 17 cents per front foot on all property which abuts a public right-of-way in the City. This appears on Cincinnati property owners' January tax bills. The Auditor is required by law to keep an accounting of these special assessments, to place them on the tax duplicate as separate items, and to return the money collected to the taxing authority which levied the assessment. State law restricts this money to be used only for the street tree program; it cannot be spent on police, fire, or any other City service.

July 10, 2007

As of July 2, Ohio has expanded the Homestead Exemption. The Homestead Exemption is now available to all Ohio homeowners, regardless of income, who are either age 65 or older or permanently and totally disabled. The deadline to apply is October 1, 2007. Get all the details and an application form by visiting our Homestead Page. Or, call our Homestead Division at (513) 946-4099 Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m. Phone lines are very busy and we do appreciate your patience!

When you are ready to file, mail your application to: Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes, Homestead Division, 138 E. Court Street, Room 310, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Be sure to include proof of age if you are 65 or older, such as a photocopy of your driver's license, state ID or birth certificate. Or, if you are disabled, include a letter certifying your disability from a state or federal agency or have your physician complete the back side of the application.

June 29, 2007

- As of July 2, Ohio has expanded the Homestead Exemption. The Homestead Exemption is now available to all Ohio homeowners, regardless of income, who are either age 65 or older or permanently and totally disabled. The deadline to apply is October 1, 2007. Get all the details and an application form by visiting our Homestead Page. Or, call our Homestead Division at (513) 946-4099 Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m.

June 29, 2007

If you have considered a career in the public sector, check back with us on Monday July 2 when we will post two employment opportunities in the Auditor's office. These positions will be listed under "employment"at the bottom of the homepage.

June 21, 2007

June 13, 2007

Our office receives many calls and e-mails this time of year regarding tax bills. These questions should be directed to the County Treasurer's Office. The Treasurer is responsible for printing and mailing tax bills. Tax bills are due June 20th.

May 22, 2007

The Hamilton County Sheriff conducts weekly property sales every Thursday at 11 am in Room 260 of the Hamilton County Courthouse. Two types of properties are sold: those for non-payment of property taxes and those for mortgage foreclosure. You can view the list of properties to be sold on the Sheriff's website. Call 946-5341 for more details.

May 16, 2007

After numerous official notifications, failure to pay property taxes results in a suit being filed by the Hamilton County Treasurer to hold a foreclosure sale on the delinquent property. The Hamilton County Sheriff holds foreclosure sales every Thursday. If not sold the first week, the delinquent parcel is offered a second time. If not sold then, it is forfeited to the State and these properties are offered once a year, in June, at the Hamilton County Auditor's Forfeited Land Sale. For more information on the weekly Sheriff's Sale, please call 946-6400 or visit the Sheriff's website at www.hcso.org.

May 8, 2007

Special assessments can be levied on real estate parcels for services such as garbage collection, sewer tap-in, urban forestry, boulevard lighting, sidewalk repair, stormwater districts, property clean-up, demolition charges and delinquent water billing. The Auditor is required by state law to keep a separate accounting of special assessments and to return the money collected to the taxing authority (city, village, township) levying the assessment.

April 24, 2007

On Tuesday, May 8, residents of the City of Deer Park, the Village of Woodlawn, the Norwood City School District, and the townships of Crosby, Springfield, and Symmes will vote on levies. Information on what those levies will cost property owners can be found on the levy tab for properties in those districts. You can also access the news release found in the Front Page News Section of our homepage. If you plan to vote, remember there is a new voting rule which requires voters to show proof of residency, so take your driver's license or a recent utility bill showing your current address to the polls with you.

April 13, 2007

City, village, township and county governments have different roles and different authority under state law. Cities and villages can pass any law or ordinance not specifically forbidden by the state. That is called "home rule". Townships and counties can only do what the state specifically allows. Some townships have limited "home rule"powers. One of the strengths of county government is the independently elected offices including the Auditor, Clerk of Courts, Coroner, Engineer, Prosecuting Attorney, Recorder, Sheriff and Treasurer. Each is responsible for the operation of their office and they are not under the control or supervision of the County Commissioners. While the County Commissioners set our annual budgets, each of us is answerable directly to the voters.

April 2, 2007

March 22, 2007

The filing period for the Board of Revision concludes on March 31. The BOR is the body established by state law where property owners may contest their valuation. It includes one representative from the County Commissioners, one from the County Treasurer, and one from the County Auditor's office.
The period from January 1 to March 31 is the only time during the year when a complaint can be filed by state law. BOR guidelines, practices and procedures are provided along with complaint forms on this web site. Just go to the tab marked "Board of Revision"on this page.

March 2, 2007

Less than one month to go! The deadline for filing an appeal of your property's value for this year with the Board of Revision (BOR) is March 31st. Please keep in mind, that generally speaking, the sooner you file, the sooner your complaint will be heard.

February 20, 2007

The County Treasurer's Optional Payment Program, also called the TOP program, is available to residential and commercial Hamilton County property taxpayers. The program allows you to prepay your half-year taxes in five equal payments. There is no service charge. To qualify, taxes must be current. If you're interested in applying, contact the Treasurer's office at 946-4788.

February 5, 2007

The Transfer Desk processed approximately 2,800 ownership transfers in January generating approximately $930,000 in transfer tax fees for the County's general fund. The number of transfers is up 9% from last January and revenue is 1% higher than a year ago.

January 22, 2007

The Hamilton County Auditor's Office is responsible only for the valuation of property, while the Hamilton County Treasurer's Office mails the tax bills and collects payments. The Treasurer's Office has informed us that the tax bills were mailed on January 3 and the due date is January 31, 2007. Contact the Treasurer's Office at (513) 946-4800 for any questions about your tax bill or to request a duplicate bill.

January 9, 2007

January 3, 2007

The first of the year begins the annual three-month filing period for the Board of Revision (BOR). The BOR is the body established by state law where property owners may contest their valuation. It includes one representative from the County Commissioners, one from the County Treasurer, and one from the County Auditor's office.

The period from January 1 to March 31 is the only time during the year when a complaint can be filed by state law. BOR guidelines, practices and procedures are provided along with complaint forms on this web site. Just go to the tab marked "Board of Revision" on this page.

December 29, 2006

We wish you a Happy New Year weekend!

The office will be closed on Monday January 1, 2007.

We will be open on Tuesday January 2nd, the national day of mourning for President Ford.

December 26, 2006

The County Treasurer has informed us that tax bills will be mailed the first part of January. Payment is due January 31st. You may view current tax amounts on the Auditor's web page under the "payments" tab for each property. For specific information about your tax bill, please contact the County Treasurer's Office at 946-4800.

December 22, 2006

We wish you a peace and love filled Holiday Season.
Our office will be closed on Monday to celebrate the season with our families and friends.

November 27, 2006

It is dog licensing time. The 2007 dog licensing season for all Hamilton County dogs and their owners runs from December 1 until January 31st as required by Ohio law. For more information call 946-4106 or visit the dog licensing section of our website, found under "Departments".

November 27, 2006

November 22, 2006

Thursday, November 23rd, Thanksgiving Day, is a day to give thanks. We wish you and yours a day of special blessings. Our office will be closed on Thursday and on Friday so we all can spend time with our families and our friends. Happy Thanksgiving!

November 15, 2006

Is there a lien on one of your properties? The Hamilton County Auditor's Office is responsible only for the valuation of property, while the Hamilton County Recorder's Office handles the recording of documents such as deeds, liens, leases, mortgages, easements, and registered land certificates. You can contact the Recorder Rebecca Prem Groppe's Office at (513) 946-4600, or you may access their website at www.recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org.

November 9, 2006

The Auditor's office will be closed on Friday November 10th as part of our observance of Veteran's Day on Saturday. We thank all those who serve and who have served our country. It is they who keep us safe and it is they who keep us free.

November 8, 2006

October 27, 2006

Tuesday, November 7 is Election Day. Please make time to vote. Your vote does make a difference. In addition to the statewide and local candidates there are a number of proposed tax levies. To find out how much your taxes will change if a specific levy is passed, check the "Levy Info"tab under the heading "Parcel Info"in the left column on your property's main page. The polls are open from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. Remember when you go to vote, take identification with you.

October 13, 2006

As of September 28, 2006, under new State law, owners of residential RENTAL property are required to file certain information with their County Auditor For the convenience of such property owners in Hamilton, a form that may be completed and printed for submission is available on this website under "Forms"then "Real Property"then ""Residential Rental Property Registration." You may also drop by the Office or telephone 946-4001. All information filed is public record and must be updated within ten days of any change. If you are interested in reading the text of the new law, check out this link: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=126_HB_294.

September 26, 2006

There are many parcel addresses in the Auditor's real estate system which, for a variety of reasons, do not match the address the US Postal Service has assigned for mail purposes.
The more common reasons are apartments and condos where each has a unique mailing address but all units sit on one parcel; commercial developments where many businesses, each with individual mailing addresses, are all on one parcel; and residences which sit at the corner of two streets.
Our office has no control over what address the Postal Service assigns to a business or residence for mail purposes.

September 13, 2006

Through the end of August the Transfer Desk has processed 23,439 property transfers, very close to the 23,855 for the same period last year. Transfer Desk revenue for the first three quarters of the year is $9,090,192.50 and this is also very close to the $9,099,723.70 in revenue generated in the same period last year.

September 5, 2006

If you see an error in any of our records, please let us know. You can e-mail the office, write or call. It is our goal to have completely accurate records at all times, but occasionally an error occurs. You can help us be correct. Thanks!

September 1, 2006

Monday, September 4th, the Auditor's office will be closed in observance of Labor Day. This holiday was conceived by the labor movement in 1882 as a day set aside to pay tribute to working population of the United States. Later, in 1894, amid labor unrest, President Grover Cleveland signed a congressional bill declaring Labor Day, the first Monday in September, a national holiday. Today Labor Day celebrates not only the labor movement and the workers of our country but it also marks the unofficial end of summer.

August 28, 2006

The storm water service fee on your property tax bill is a charge for implementing the Storm Water Management Program (SWMP) mandated by the recent federal storm water regulations. Hamilton County is required to implement this program in order to reduce storm water pollutant discharges to the "maximum extent practicable."This mandate does not originate in the Auditor's Office. For questions concerning this fee, please contact the Hamilton County Engineer's Office at (513) 946-4254.

August 24, 2006

August 14, 2006

All transfers which have occurred since the computerization of the Auditor's records in the early `90's are listed on the transfer tab of the specific parcel. The most recent transfer is displayed on the summary page. If the most recent transfer is prior to computerization, nothing will be listed on the summary page.

August 8, 2006

We get several inquiries each week wanting to know if a particular property has sold and to whom. We aren't the first to know. Calling the seller's real estate agent is a better course of action. We will not receive any notice of a sale until the conveyance documentation from the closing is delivered to our office, at which time we will transfer the property from the seller to the buyer in our records. Just as a closing can happen very quickly or take months to happen after a sale, the delivery of the conveyance forms can also be very prompt or take weeks or months to happen.

August 1, 2006

On Tuesday, August 8, voters in Madeira, Northwest and Three Rivers School Districts will vote on school levies. Information on what those levies will cost property owners can be found on the levy tab for properties in those districts, or by accessing the news release found in the Front Page News Section of our homepage. If you plan to vote, remember there is a new voting rule which requires voters to show proof of residency, so take your driver's license or a recent utility bill showing your current address to the polls with you.

July 28, 2006

Again this year I am returning unspent money from the Real Estate Assessment (REA) Fund to local governments, school districts, and other taxing entities in the county.
The money comes from a small percentage of the county's total tax collections and is designated by state law to be used for our appraisal work. The return is pro-rated to each entity on the basis of their total annual property taxes.
This year's distribution will total $14 million. In 1994, I was able to return more than $1 million; and that was the first time REA funds had ever been returned in Hamilton County. In 2000, $4.2 million was returned.
You can read the news release and the complete list of amounts being returned to each tax entity in the Front Page News section of the homepage.

July 19, 2006

The Auditor's office is often contacted about historic information on older homes and former owners. While we may have some limited information, the County Recorder's office is a better source. Under state law, that office is entrusted with the recording and archiving of real estate records – primarily deeds, mortgages, easements and liens. Recorder Rebecca Prem Groppe has included some very interesting genealogical links on her site as well. Check them out. You can even research ancestors who came to America through Ellis Island.

July 11, 2006

The Board of Revision (BOR) is set up by state law to hear complaints on property values. It is made up of the County Auditor, the County Treasurer and the President of the County Commissioners. The Auditor's office provides the support staffing for scheduling, resolving and clerical requirements of the Board. There is general information about the rules of the Board on this website. However, we are not responsible for any other Hamilton County website which may have dated or incorrect information about the BOR. If we have incorrect information, tell us. If some other agency is wrong, tell them.

July 6, 2006

How do you obtain a copy of past surveys or learn the boundaries of your property? If there has been a land survey you can get that information from the Hamilton County Engineer's Department. Contact the Engineer's Office at (513) 946-4252 for more details.

June 29, 2006

On behalf of all the employees here in the Auditor's office, I wish you a very safe 4th of July weekend. I hope you will take time to celebrate our freedom in a meaningful way with friends and family in your community. There are lots of community events throughout the County this weekend to enjoy. On Monday, July 3rd, our office will be open should you need to reach us.

June 22, 2006

The County Treasurer's Optional Payment Program, also called the TOP program, is available to residential and commercial Hamilton County property taxpayers. The program allows you to prepay your half-year taxes in five equal payments. There is no service charge. To qualify, taxes must be current. If you're interested in applying, contact the Treasurer's office at 946-4788.

June 14, 2006

One of the features of our website is a link to other Ohio Auditor's offices. This link is maintained by the County Auditor's Association of Ohio (CAAO). Check out the County Auditor's Association of Ohio's website at www.caao.org. If you have questions or comments about this site, contact the CAAO.

June 6, 2006

On Monday, June 5 our office completed the Forfeited Land Sale. This is the annual sale of properties which have not sold at Sheriff Simon Leis' weekly auctions throughout the year. Thanks to our staff for their good work and special thanks to Sergeant Rick Snow of the Sheriff's office for doing a superb job of keeping the auction on track, particularly in light of the many new bidders.

May 30, 2006

While the Auditor's office sets property values, the County Treasurer is responsible for billing and collecting real estate taxes. The Treasurer's Office has a Treasurer's Optional Payment (TOP) Program which allows residential and commercial property owners to prepay their real estate taxes in installments. For information about this program, please call the Treasurer's Office at (513) 946-4788, or you can access the Treasurer's website at www.hamilton-co.org/treasurer .

May 25, 2006

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is the day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. It was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. There will be many observances throughout the county. Please remember the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day.

May 18, 2006

More than a fourth (29%) of gasoline tested three summers ago in Michigan was substandard according to The Toledo Blade. Of 953 stations tested, Michigan fined 48 for repeat violations related to problems with water, octane and contamination. Poor gas can clog your fuel filters, lower performance and damage engines. Ask your State Representative and State Senator to support efforts to begin testing our high priced gasoline for quality – while we're testing quantity.

May 15, 2006

As our Weights and Measures Department is already visiting every gas station in the county – at least once a year – to check the quantity measured by each pump, there is little additional cost to also checking gas quality at the same time. So, here's a government agency offering to provide an important consumer protection service – without asking you for more money to do it. All we need is the State Legislature's passage of an enabling bill.

May 8, 2006

With the summer driving season upon us, here is our annual reminder that Ohio remains one of only four states which does not test gas for quality. Our Weights & Measures Department only tests for quantity. The petroleum industry lobbyists working the state legislature have continued to block county auditors' efforts to add quality testing to our regular checks of gas stations. We have been seeking this consumer protection authority for several years.

April 28, 2006

The levy results are in from Tuesday's election. 17 levies were decided. 10 passed and 7 were defeated. Out of the 6 school levies, 2 passed and 4 were defeated. One of those defeats was a mere 15 vote difference between the supporters and the naysayers. Your vote can be a deciding one.

April 28, 2006

Tuesday, May 2nd is primary election day. Please make time to vote. Your vote does make a difference. The Republican and Democratic ballots have statewide and local candidates for whom to vote as well as proposed levies. You can also request an issues only ballot if you prefer to just vote on levies. To find out how much your taxes would increase if a certain levy passes, check out the levy tab for your parcel. The polls are open from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm.

April 28, 2006

What is a "replacement levy"? A replacement levy is one where the voters approve a levy for the same purpose and millage, but the reduction factor is calculated based upon the assessed values at the time voters re-approve the levy. This means that under a replacement levy, a property owner's tax burden due to that levy will very likely increase. The average appreciation in the assessed value of real property since the initial levy was passed is not taken into account in determining the new reduction factor.
Check out the blog archive below for more information on levies.

April 27, 2006

What is an "additional levy"? An additional levy is one where a new levy goes into effect; it represents an addition to existing taxes, and as a result, is known as an additional levy. An additional levy will increase a property owner's tax burden if approved. The reduction factor calculation is based upon the assessed values at the time the voters approve the levy.

April 26, 2006

What is a "renewal levy"? A renewal levy is one where voters approve an extension of the existing levy under its current terms. That means the levy continues in effect with the same purpose, millage, effective rates and reduction factors. Generally speaking, there is no increase in taxes to property owners as a group, except that the tax rate is extended for more years.

April 19, 2006

Voters in fifteen taxing authorities will vote on levies on May 2nd in Hamilton County. Six are school levies, six are for fire/EMS purposes, two are for current expenses, one is for water, one is for sewers, and one is for streets/sidewalks. Three are renewal levies, three are replacement levies, and eleven are additional levies.
What's the difference between "renewal" "replacement" and "additional"? I will explain each type of levy in upcoming blogs.

April 14, 2006

If you have been asked to vote on an upcoming levy May 2nd, you can see just how much it will cost you in taxes, by accessing your property on our website. From the summary page for your property, click on "levy info" located in the blue banner on the left side of the page. You can also see a list of all proposed levies on the May ballot by clicking on the news release under "Front Page News" to the right of this blog.

April 10, 2006

March 31 was the deadline for filing complaints this year on values after the 2005 reappraisal. We received just 3,150 complaints which is less than one percent of the county's total parcels. By way of comparison we had 5,300 complaints after the 1993 reappraisal and 5,305 after 1999's. The significantly reduced number of complaints this year is the result of the good work of our Real Estate Department in setting new values, the tentative new value mailings, and the Neighborhood Conferences last summer which gave property owners the opportunity for an informal review and helped us to make needed changes.

April 10, 2006

March 27, 2006

The deadline for filing an appeal of your property's value for this year with the Board of Revision (BOR) is this Friday, March 31.
Your complaint either has to be here in our office by the close of business at 4pm that day or postmarked no later than March 31. For more information check out the Board of Revision section of our website, found under "Departments".

March 24, 2006

If your property has been damaged, destroyed, or demolished, in part or in entirety, you may be eligible for a property value reduction. The owner must file an Ohio DTE Form 26 (Application for Valuation Deduction for Destroyed or Damaged Real Property) by December 31 for property damaged or destroyed between January and September. For property damaged or destroyed in the last three months of the year, the filing deadline is January 31 of the following year. Any deduction from value approved will affect the tax bills due the following year.

March 17, 2006

March 10, 2006

March 1, 2006

Check out the link "School levy tax comparison" at the top of the Front Page News section to the right of this blog. We have not only computed the amount paid to a school district based on a $100,000 owner-occupied residential property, but we have also ranked the school districts so taxpayers can see where a specific district ranks when compared to the other Hamilton County school districts.

February 24, 2006

Did you know you can see value information from prior years for individual parcels on our website? Enter the "Parcel ID", "Owner", or "Street Address". When the summary page displays, click on "Value History", and you will be able to view the value from previous years back to 1996. Property in Ohio is required by law to be physically reappraised every six years and every third year after the reappraisal there is a triennial update. Those are the only times that the valuation changes unless there is a decision from the Board of Revision changing the value because of new construction, a clerical error, a destroyed building affidavit for a property, parcel split, combinations or a formal complaint filed in the Board of Revision.

February 14, 2006

If you see an error in any of our records, please let us know. You can e-mail the office, write or call.
It is our goal to have completely accurate records at all times, but occasionally an error occurs.
You can help us be correct. Thanks!

February 7, 2006

Did you know there have been six courthouses in Hamilton County?
The first, a log structure, was built by volunteers in 1790 on what is now Government Square. The second was built at the same site in 1802 at a cost of $3000. It was destroyed by fire in 1813. The third, built in 1819 on the site of our present courthouse at a cost of $15,000, burned down in 1849. The fourth completed in 1853 was the site of the Courthouse riots on March 28, 1884. Hundreds of people were injured, 45 were killed. The building and many county records were destroyed by a fire deliberately set in the Auditor's office. The fifth, also built on the same site, was completed in 1887.
The sixth, our current courthouse, was completed in 1919. The marble used came from twenty-five quarries in the United States and one in France. 120,000 pounds of granite columns grace the Law Library on the top floor. This Grecian-style building is decorated with bronze works, Rookwood tile and paneling, stained glass, inverted domes, New Hampshire granite and Bedford limestone.

February 7, 2006

You set the value when you bought it. State law requires that we set values to current market when we do the full reappraisal every six years and the triennial update three years into that time period. There is no better indicator of current value than an arms length sale. In other words, if you recently purchased your home you set your value. Our office isn't setting values as much as reporting the market.

February 2, 2005

With the conclusion of the annual dog licensing period last month, you should know that the requirement comes from state law. We don't license cats because state law does not allow it. Any ideas you have on why we should not license dogs or why you think we should license cats should be directed to your State Representative or State Senator. They are the only ones who can make a change.

January 19, 2006

Here are some helpful dates to mark on your calendar. Real Property Tax bills are due January 31st. Call the County Treasurer at 946-4800 if you have questions. The deadline for renewing your dog's license is also January 31st. Call 946-4106 if you have dog licensing questions. The Board of Revision filing period runs from January 1st through March 31st. Call 946-4035 with your Board of Revision questions. The filing period for Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) runs from January 2nd through March 6th this year. If you need a CAUV application, call 946-4047.

January 3, 2006

The new property values and the corresponding property tax amounts are now posted on our website. Go to "property search" to look up a parcel by owner name, address or parcel number. The new value is posted on the summary page. To view the tax bill information, click on "taxes paid", located just below the value totals on the summary page. If you have value questions, call the Auditor's office at 946-4000. If you have tax bill questions, call the County Treasurer at 946-4800. Tax bills will be mailed the first week of January.

December 22, 2005

The Ohio Tax Commissioner has approved the new values for Hamilton County. Final value notices will be mailed Friday December 23rd to anyone who has had a value change from the tentative value, in addition to those who contacted us during the review process. If you did not contact us during the review process and your final value is the same as your tentative value notice, you will not receive a final value notice letter. The new values will appear on the next tax bill. Tax bills are currently being prepared by the County Treasurer and will be mailed the first week in January. If you have questions about your value, please call us at 946-4000. If you have questions about your tax bill, please call the County Treasurer at 946-4800.

December 16, 2005

Several homeowners have inquired as to when we will notify property owners of the new values. Ohio law requires the Tax Commissioner's approval of the values. We expect that approval from the State in December. At that point we will send a final value notice to anyone who has had a value change from the tentative value, in addition to those who contacted us during the review process. If you did not contact us during the review process and your final value is the same as your tentative value notice, you will not receive a final value notice letter. The new values will appear on the next tax bill which the County Treasurer will mail the first week in January.

November 28, 2005

2006 Dog licenses go on sale December 1st. The annual fee, set by the County Commissioners, is $13.00. If you already own a licensed dog, you will receive your renewal information by mail in the next week or so. Licenses, which are required by State law for all dogs, can be purchased by mail or in person at any of the neighborhood dog license vendors. Please check out the dog license information pages on our website under "Departments". Call our dog license department at 946-4106 if you have any questions.

November 23, 2005

On behalf of all of us here in the County Auditor's office, I wish you a very happy and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday. In observance of this holiday, we will be closed on Thursday November 24th and Friday November 25th.

November 18, 2005

We have had inquiries about the $0 "Sale Amount"shown on the Auditor's Summary Page. The last transaction is always the one shown for the "Sale Amount."If the amount shown is "$0", the last transaction was one in which no money exchanged hands, i.e. to or from the United States, this state, or any instrumentality, agency, or political subdivision of the United States or this state; to evidence a gift between husband and wife, or parent and child or the spouse of either; pursuant to court order; to an heir or devisee, between spouses or to a surviving spouse, from a person to himself and others, to a surviving tenant, or on the death of a registered owner; or to a trustee acting on behalf of minor children of the deceased; etc. If the sale occurred many years ago, it could also mean that our records do not reflect a sale amount from that long ago.

November 15, 2005

If you are shopping firewood now that the cold weather is upon us, make sure you understand how to buy good quality wood. The Ohio Department of Agriculture through your County Auditor, is responsible for enforcing Ohio's Laws in regards to the definition, sale, and unit of measurement for fireplace and/or stove wood. Read and download this firewood brochure for more information, and then if you have questions or concerns about buying firewood, please call our Weights and Measures department at 946-4112.

November 9, 2005

As we head into the biggest shopping days of the year, remember that our office checks price scanners. During the holiday rush sometimes people can be overcharged at checkout. Please watch carefully as your purchases are being scanned. If you have any reason to question the accuracy of a scanner at any store please call our Weights and Measures office at 946-4112.

November 7, 2005

Tuesday is Election Day. Polls are open from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm. Your vote does make a difference, so please vote. Contact the Hamilton County Board of Elections for polling place and ballot information at 632-7000.
If you are using our website to research the impact of proposed levies on the ballot in your neighborhood, recognize that for this election, the projections are estimates based on the CURRENT value of your property. Since the tax commissioner will not be certifying new values until after the election, we cannot use proposed new values for our levy tab projections.

November 4, 2005

Just a reminder: if you requested a review of your tentative new value during the informal review process this past spring and summer, we will be notifying you of your final value – by mail – in December. Why do you have to wait until then? The values are not truly final until they are approved by the State Tax Commissioner. Then, and only then, are they official.

October 27, 2005

The general election is November 8. If you are researching the impact of upcoming levies by using the levy tab on our website, recognize that for this election, the projections are estimates based on the CURRENT value of your property. Since the tax commissioner will not be certifying new values until after the election, we cannot use proposed new values for our levy tab projections.

October 21, 2005

Ohio's biennial budget bill, Amended Substitute House Bill 66, was signed by the Governor on June 30, 2005. In part, this bill restructures certain taxing programs in the State, amends tax increment financing programs and amends the State school foundation formula relating to certain tax abatement and tax increment financing programs.
Effective for the tax year 2005, the Bill terminates the 10-percent real property tax rollback for the commercial and industrial classes of property, and agricultural property used for the commercial production of timber. The 10-percent rollback will remain in effect for the residential class of property and most agricultural properties.

October 13, 2005

You may have noticed the new watermark ID on our website's property photos. The watermark effectively prevents a lack of acknowledgment by some who might use or even possibly sell our image as if it were their own. It makes clear that it is this office's work product for which we are responsible. The watermark used is the least obtrusive of half a dozen or so approaches that were considered. Its introduction follows incidents of enterprises covering up the Auditor's banner and displaying portions of our website enveloped by their own company's banner.

October 10, 2005

October 4, 2005

September 21, 2005

Check out the new Real Estate Tax Information feature on our website. Just do a property search, and then click on "taxes paid" from the summary page. This new feature will let property owners see exactly where their taxes go by breaking out the dollars and cents to each taxing entity. It will also help all property owners - especially those who do not receive a copy of their tax bill because their taxes are escrowed - to better understand how much of their total taxes fund schools, local governments, and special services. In addition to the break-out, there is also a pie chart to illustrate the percentages paid out from each tax bill.

September 16, 2005

One of our office's duties is the transfer of deeds following a property's sale. Approximately 24,000 deeds have been transferred so far this year. Transfer fees (set by the State and County Commissioners) have generated over $9 million in revenue for the County's General Fund.
Last year 35,912 deeds were transferred providing over $12.8 million in revenue.

September 12, 2005

A recent e-mail asked about the total value of property in the County. Hamilton County's taxable property has a total value of $16,978,073,370. There is an additional $3,495,869,700 of exempt property. The residential property's total value is $11,543,390,560, commercial is valued at $3,761,655,060 and industrial is valued at $872,914,610. The remainder is agricultural and public utility.

September 7, 2005

From time to time we receive e-mails about police service, street repairs, troublesome neighbors and various other community issues. These concerns should be directed to local government officials, city or village council members or Mayors, or township trustees. Ours is a county office and we have no authority or control over these types of matters.

September 2, 2005

To prevent a possible disruption of fuel supplies, mostly in rural areas, Ohio Agriculture Director Fred L. Dailey today signed an order to allow a small number of Ohio gas pumps to remain open despite their inability to display prices over $2.999 per gallon. The order allows about 150 gas stations – fewer than 3 percent of the state's total – to display fuel at one-half the actual price as long as they continue to post the full price per gallon on street signs and other forms of advertising. This means that $3 in gas would be displayed at the pump at $1.50, but the consumer would be charged the full price of $3 per gallon at the cash register. The total gallons pumped would be displayed correctly on the dispenser. "Consumers should rely on the posted gallon price to know exactly what they are purchasing,"Dailey said. "If we did not implement the half price exemption, these stations might shut down and force consumers in rural areas to drive farther to fill up. The only thing worse than high gas prices is no gas at all."The outdated pump displays – mostly at independent companies in rural areas – are required to install an upgrade kit within the next 30 days to remedy this problem. The fueling stations have been notified they must immediately contact their petroleum equipment vendor to place an order, and most have already done so. This order does not apply to newer electronic models usually found in urban areas.

August 31, 2005

As the price of gasoline keeps rising, you should know Ohio is one of only four states which does not test gas for quality. Our Weights & Measures Department only tests for quantity. The petroleum industry lobbyists working the state legislature have thwarted county auditors' efforts to add quality testing to our regular checks of gas stations. We have been seeking this consumer protection authority for several years.
More than a fourth (29%) of gasoline tested two summers ago in Michigan was substandard according to The Toledo Blade. Of 953 stations tested, Michigan fined 48 for repeat violations related to problems with water, octane and contamination. Poor gas can clog your fuel filters, lower performance and damage engines. Ask your State Representative and State Senator to support efforts to begin testing our high priced gasoline for quality – while we're testing quantity.

August 26, 2005

City, village, township and county governments have different roles and different authority under state law. Cities and villages can pass any law or ordinance not specifically forbidden by the state. That is called "home rule". Townships and counties can only do what the state specifically allows. Some townships have limited "home rule"powers.
One of the strengths of county government is the independently elected offices including the Auditor, Clerk of Courts, Coroner, Engineer, Prosecuting Attorney, Recorder, Sheriff and Treasurer. Each is responsible for the operation of their office and they are not under the control or supervision of the County Commissioners. While the County Commissioners set our annual budgets, each of us is answerable directly to the voters.

August 22, 2005

August 11, 2005

Owner-occupied homes are eligible for the State's 2.5% property tax rollback. If a property qualifies, it also automatically receives the County's stadium sales tax rollback (STC). The STC is currently about 4%. At this time, 197,465 parcels receive these two tax reductions, up from 189,240 parcels five years ago. Check your property record on the website to see if you are receiving the reductions, but please note that 2005 applications will NOT show up on the web until after our year-end processing has taken place.

August 1, 2005

The 2005 tentative value informal meetings have ended. If you submitted documentation to our office, responded through our website, or met with an Auditor's representative about your tentative value, your property will be reviewed. You will receive a final value letter in mid-December. If you missed the July 29th deadline and still wish to contest your property value, you can file a formal complaint with the Board of Revision next year.

July 29, 2005

The 2005 tentative value informal meetings have ended. We are still accepting tentative value response forms by mail postmarked no later than July 29th. If you submitted documentation to our office, responded through our website, or met with an Auditor's representative about your tentative value, your property will be reviewed. You will receive a final value letter in mid-December.
If you missed the July 29th deadline and still wish to contest your property value, you can file a formal complaint with the Board of Revision next year.

July 22, 2005

July 29th is the final day to notify us if you believe your tentative value is incorrect. Please check your value notice for details or call us at (513) 946-HOME. You can mail your response with a postmark no later than July 29, stop in our downtown office to talk with an appraiser between 7:30-4 Monday thru Friday, or use the website form accessible with your NIN number found on your tentative value notice. We really want to get every value right, so please let us know if you think your tentative value is not correct. The best question to ask yourself is "Would I be able to sell my property for an amount close to the value we have set?"

July 8, 2005

July 29^th is the last day to contact us if you believe your tentative value is incorrect. If you want to meet with one of our appraisers at a neighborhood conference, plan on attending one of the three remaining neighborhood conferences to be held July 19, 20, and 21 at St. Gertrude's Church, 7630 Shawnee Run Road in Madeira, noon to 8pm. Please refer to your tentative value notice for more details, or scroll down to the links below this blog.

July 8, 2005

The state-mandated reappraisal continues to generate comment. There is a difference between a "mass" appraisal and a "fee" appraisal. If you were to hire an appraiser to appraise your property, that individual appraisal would be a fee appraisal. Our state-mandated county-wide reappraisal is a mass appraisal. The average cost for this mass appraisal is about $17 a parcel. This is a great deal less per parcel than a fee appraisal would cost. We are giving owners the opportunity to review and comment on their tentative new value because we want your help in getting your value right. Think of it this way: would you expect to receive at least as much as we say your property is worth if you were to sell it?

June 30, 2005

"I haven't done anything to my property and yet you increased its value". We often see this response to tentative new value information. We are required by state law to set values to current market. Most real estate has appreciated over the past three years, some more than others. In fact, all we are doing is reporting the current market value. The "increasing" is being done by the market place.

June 21, 2005

Several recent letters to the editor have confused taxation with real estate valuation. The state mandated, county-wide reappraisal now being conducted is not intended to "raise taxes". With some exceptions, created by the State Legislature, most voted tax levies are rolled back after a reappraisal. With respect to valuation, the County Auditor is responsible for bringing real estate values to current market. Regarding taxation, citizens should direct their concerns to the responsible parties including their local school boards, city or village councils, township trustees, county commissioners, neighbors who vote for tax levies and perhaps even themselves if they have voted for tax levies.

June 13, 2005

One of the most common questions from homeowners is "How do I know if your value of my property is correct?" Here's one of the best ways to check - call a Realtor. They work in the real estate market every day, have a good idea of property values and are usually happy to provide information. You can also use our website to review recent sales in your neighborhood.

June 9, 2005

Another common question from property owners is "How did you determine my value?" We can't provide a tutorial on mass appraisal practices and that really isn't the question. What matters is not how we got it, but if you think it is correct. If you don't agree, tell us why. Here's our question "Would you receive as much as we say your property is worth if you were to sell it?"

June 6, 2005

We began mailing tentative new property values in May. Our Neighborhood Conferences begin on June 6. It used to be that no one knew their new value until they got their first tax bill based on a new valuation. By providing advance notice and conference locations throughout the county we give you a chance to informally review your value with us. It's a lot of work but if it saves you the necessity of a formal hearing next year and helps us to correct errors, it's worth it. Please check out the reappraisal links below this blog to find out more about the schedule of neighborhood conferences and the mailing of tentative value notices.

June 1, 2005

Among the most frequent questions on tentative new values is: "How can you raise the value of my home by (40, 50, 60 or some other) percentage?" The previous value can not be considered. We have to set values to current market by state law. It is possible the previous value was too low. It is also possible a recent sale set the new value. Does our new value reflect the current market value of your property? That is the critical question, not the amount of a percentage increase over the last value set over three years ago.

May 23, 2005

During the next six weeks, we will be mailing Tentative Value Notices to all residential property owners in Hamilton County as part of the 2005 reappraisal process. Below this blog are two new reappraisal links. The first gives general information. After you receive your tentative value notice, you can use the second link to access more information about your property. I believe it is very important to involve all property owners in the state required valuation process so that the real estate values we establish accurately reflect market value.

May 17, 2005

Time is running out to file this year for the State of Ohio's Homestead Exemption program. It provides tax relief to homeowners 65 and over and/or those who are permanently disabled, providing they meet certain income requirements. Our office administers this program in Hamilton County. Information on it is available on this website. Just go to the Homestead link found under "Departments" for more information. The filing period for this tax relief runs from January 1 to the first week of June. If you have a friend, neighbor or family member who may qualify please let them know about it. It is worth looking into.

May 12, 2005

According to federal statistics, more dog bites occur in April, May and June than in any other months. Please be a responsible dog owner. License your dog, make sure your dog is up-to-date on all necessary inoculations, give your dog regular supervised exercise, and keep your dog under control at all times. Mistakes can be costly - both financially and emotionally. Our dogs depend on us. Do what's right for your dog.

May 10, 2005

The Hamilton County Public Library is one of the local links we list in the links sections at the bottom of this homepage. Check it out along with some of the other links we have included. On May 12, in Columbus Ohio, the Ohio Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing on Library funding. Go to the Public Library's site to learn more about how State funding for Public Libraries may impact our local public libraries.

May 9, 2005

On May 12th and May 19th, we will publish in the Cincinnati Enquirer the list of all personal property tax accounts determined to be delinquent by the County Treasurer. To avoid publication, any delinquent taxpayer should make payment to the Treasurer or enter into an agreement with the Treasurer prior to publication. For more information about payments please call the County Treasurer at (513) 946-4800. For more information about Personal Property, go to the Personal Property section of our website listed under "Departments".

May 4, 2005

It's spring and there's no better time than now as you're doing your spring cleaning to set up a regular recycle program for your household. Courtesy of CIN WEEKLY, here's a list of area locations which accept your recycle items such as newspaper, cardboard, junk mail, paperboard (i.e., cereal boxes), magazines, phone books, brown paper grocery bags, aluminum and steel cans, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and jugs, and steel aerosol cans. In the list there are also locations which will accept non-ferrous metals (aluminum, copper, brass stainless steel, etc.), appliances (Freon must be removed), and car batteries. Also visit the Hamilton County Environmental Services website. This comprehensive website includes a wealth of information and statistics on our local environment.

May 2, 2005

Tuesday, May 3rd, is election day in Elmwood Place, St. Bernard, Silverton, Delhi, Harrison Township, and the school districts of North College Hill, Northwest, Norwood and Wyoming. Check out the impact these levies would have on your property tax bill on the levy tab for your parcel. Please take time to vote on Tuesday. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. For polling place locations, contact the Board of Elections at 632-7000.

April 28, 2005

April 30th is the last day to file your Ohio Single County Personal Property Form 920, or to file for an extension. Information and forms for business owners are available on our website by clicking on Personal Property which is listed under the Departments Section of our homepage.

April 26, 2005

Currently the State of Ohio provides several property tax reductions including a 10% rollback to all properties and a 2½% reduction for owner-occupied residential property. If you qualify for the 2½% reduction you also receive Hamilton County's stadium sales tax rollback. Check your property page to be certain you are receiving the reductions for which you qualify. If you have a question please call our office at 946-4000 during regular office hours.

April 22, 2005

The County Auditors' Association of Ohio includes all 88 Auditors in Ohio. The organization shares information to improve the operation of our offices. We also work with the General Assembly on legislation affecting our offices and county government. County Auditors across the state are among the most dedicated public servants I have ever known. I'm proud to be associated with them.

April 18, 2005

We've added some new info to our website. If your parcel is on TIF (Tax Increment Financing), on an abatement program or is exempt, you will see some new line items on the summary screen for your parcel. We have broken out the portions of the total valuation for each of these specialized programs. Check the glossary for a more detailed explanation of these specialized programs.

April 15, 2005

April 11, 2005

Tune in to Channel 9, WCPO TV, Saturday, April 16 at 8:00 am. Dusty will start his day with the WCPO Pet Pals folks and their frolicking canines. It's a chance to meet some adorable dogs looking for forever homes and to grab some great tips on responsible dog ownership. For more information on the WCPO Pet Pals program click here.

April 1, 2005

Homeowners in Elmwood Place, St. Bernard, Silverton, Delhi, Harrison Township, and the school districts of North College Hill, Northwest, Norwood and Wyoming will be voting on levies at the upcoming May 3rd election. There's a press release you can access for general information in the "Front Page News" section of the homepage. For specific information on how the passage of any of these levies will change the property taxes on your parcel, do a "property search" for your parcel and then click on the levy tab.

March 29, 2005

How long does it take for transfer information to appear on our website? It depends on the type of transfer. If the transfer does NOT involve new construction, a split, or a consolidation, as soon as a transfer is brought to the Auditor's Office, typically within a few days of the closing, it is listed in our records and will appear on the website within two weeks. Transfers involving new construction, a split or consolidation will not display right away even though they have been received. Click here for an earlier blog regarding new contruction. If you have had a recent closing and the transfer is not reflected on the Auditor's website within a reasonable period of time, you should contact the person who handled the closing to make sure the transfer was filed with our office.

March 24, 2005

Spring is here and with spring comes an increased number of lost dogs at the SPCA and loose dogs in neighborhoods and on our roads. No matter how diligent owners are, dogs can and will get loose. Dogs with licenses get home. All the finder has to do is call 946-DOGS or go to our website to look up an owner's name and address by the license tag number. If your dog is unlicensed, give your dog the best insurance policy for safety - a dog license. It's the law to license, but just as important, it's the right thing to do for your dog. Check out the dog section of our website, including the links at the bottom of the homepage.

March 21, 2005

It's tax time - April 15th is less than one month away. If you escrow your property taxes as part of your monthly mortgage payment, you probably never see your property tax bill. As part of your annual bookkeeping and the collecting of information for your federal and state income tax filings, consider requesting a copy of your property tax bill from the Treasurer's office by calling 946-4800. If you prefer a simple summary, print the payment screen from our website for your property so you have a record for your files.

March 18, 2005

When will new construction properties appear on our website? When do owners of new construction receive their first tax bill? By law all property is taxed as of the lien date of January 1 each year. For example, if construction was not started by January 1, 2004, it will be assigned as a lead for January 2005 and the property will not appear on the website until late December 2005 or January 2006. If new construction was 100% complete as of January 1, the new value will appear on the following January's tax bill, which will be payable that year. For instance, if a property is 100% complete by January 1, 2004, it will be taxed for 2004, which is payable in 2005. Taxes in Ohio are always a year behind. The new construction may be only partially completed by the January 1 lien date, so the Auditor's Office may assign a partial value to the property until it is 100% complete. If there is no construction started by the January 1 lien date, but the house is completed and occupied sometime during that year, it is conceivable that you would not receive a tax bill for the first year after you move in.

March 15, 2005

How does your school district compare to others in the county in terms of taxes? Click here to find out or read the press release under "Front Page News". Check out other property tax files by going to the "Department" tab at the top of this page. Click on "Real Estate Tax" on the pull down menu to select a file to review. Our Finance Department staff updates these files each year.

March 10, 2005

When you look at your property tax bill, provided to you by the County Treasurer, there are terms with which you might not be familiar such as full rate, reduction factor, effective rate, 10% rollback, 2.5% rollback and the sales tax credit. For a more complete explanation of these terms and other terms related to tax bills and levies go to our 2000 Citizens Annual Financial Report, page 4. This report and reports from other years can be found in the "Departments" section of the Auditor's homepage under "Financial Reports".

March 8, 2005

Did you ever wonder why many county employees have a 35-hour work week which means most offices are open from 8am to 4pm? In the eighties County Commissioners reduced the 40 hour work week by 2½ hours in two separate years in lieu of pay raises. To bring an employee back to 40 hours requires a pay increase under federal wage and hour laws. In the Auditor's office, we have been gradually bringing employees back to 40 hours instead of replacing employees who leave or retire.

March 3, 2005

The Hamilton County Sheriff's office holds weekly real estate sales on Thursdays at 11 a.m. outside Room 260 of the Hamilton County Courthouse. There are two types of properties offered for sale: those for non-payment of property taxes and those for mortgage foreclosure. You can contact the Sheriff's office at (513) 946-5340 for more information on the sale process and the upcoming properties for sale. You can also purchase a subscription to the Cincinnati Court Index publication which advertises the sale properties.

March 1, 2005

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the National Conference of Weights and Measures. The Conference was established to assist local weights and measures jurisdictions to exchange information and help standardize our work. The importance of weights and measures extends back to the Articles of Confederation in 1781. Here in Hamilton County we are proud of our professional inspectors and their good work. We work to be certain their training and their equipment is up to date and certified by the State of Ohio. Please join with us in noting National Weights and Measures week, March 1 through March 7.

February 25, 2005

The Auditor's office is often contacted about historic information on older homes and former owners. While we may have some limited information, the County Recorder's office is a better source. Under state law, that office is entrusted with the recording and archiving of real estate records - primarily deeds, mortgages, easements and liens. Recorder Rebecca Prem Groppe has included some very interesting genealogical links on her site as well. Check them out. You can even research ancestors who came to America through Ellis Island.

February 22, 2005

OK, so I'm called an "Auditor" but what do I audit? The answer is "not much". County offices are audited annually by the State Auditor. Previous efforts to "bring audit capability home" have been unsuccessful. Under state law, I can question the validity of expenditures before I pay them – and I do. But once a bill has been paid, I don't have authority to review the payment. With more than 6,000 county employees here a local ongoing internal audit authority - independent of the county's appropriation and contracting authority - is one of our most critical needs.

February 17, 2005

Among the services our office provides is the CAUV (Current Agricultural Use Value) program. This is a program which allows a reduction in value - and therefore in taxes - for properties used for farming, forestry and animal husbandry. To learn more about this program please check the following link CAUV (Current Agricultural Use Value) program on our website.

February 11, 2005

There are approximately 6,195 County employees with 1,905 of those reporting to the Board of County Commissioners. The Department of Jobs and Family Services is the largest department with 1,459 employees. Your county officials include the Auditor, Clerk of Courts, Coroner, Engineer, Prosecuting Attorney, Recorder, Sheriff, Treasurer and the Judges (Common Pleas, Court of Appeals, Domestic Relations, Juvenile, Municipal, Probate). Of these, the Sheriff's office has the most employees: 995 employees. Independently elected officials are responsible for the operation of their offices. They are not under the control or supervision of the County Commissioners.

February 8, 2005

Check out my guest column in the (Tuesday, February 8, 2005) "Cincinnati Enquirer" at the bottom of page B-7. I am writing about my opposition to eliminating property tax levy rollbacks after a reappraisal. As always, your comments are welcome.

February 3, 2005

County government is often misunderstood. As a second tier of government, the County is not intended to take the place of local governments. Unlike cities and villages, the County does not have law making authority. We are simply an administrative arm of the State. We can do only what the State of Ohio permits. Also, unlike cities, we have elected officials instead of appointees. Independently elected officials means more direct accountability to the voters.

January 31, 2005

Last year's total real estate transfers through our office came to 35,912. That compares to 35,251 for 2003, or an increase of 1.9%. The county's transfer tax brought in $12,848,814.10 for the county's General Fund last year, an increase of 11.9% over 2003's $11,478,212.30.

January 27, 2005

Need a speaker for your club or organization? I will be happy to attend your meeting and provide a brief overview of our office, the property appraisal process and answer any questions within the time frame you set. Just call our office at 513-946-4047 to schedule.

January 24, 2005

Time is running out - to get your dog licensed for 2005. You have to get your license by January 31 or the $13 renewal fee doubles. State law requires all dogs be licensed, even if they don't run loose. Here's the link to more information on dog licensing and a link to neighborhood locations where you can buy your dog's 2005 license.

January 21, 2005

Thank you for making our website one of the most used in the area. We had over a million and a quarter users last year. Most weekdays we receive 5,000 or more visitors. I''m proud ours was one of the first such websites and I'm glad it has apparently been so helpful to so many people. Please email me if you have suggestions of how we can make this website even better.

January 18, 2005

Have you checked the "links" tab at the bottom of this page? We have recently added links to the U. S. House and Senate and the Ohio House and Senate. All you need to do is type in your zip code to access the contact information for those elected officials who represent you at both the state and federal levels. We occasionally get calls requesting this information from those who wish to contact their elected officials. This should make it easier.

January 12, 2005

We continue to receive calls and e-mails about property tax bills. Tax bills are prepared, mailed and collected by the County Treasurer - not the Auditor. The Treasurer has told me tax bills are being mailed this Thursday (January 13). Payment will be due by February 7. For more information please contact the Treasurer's office at 946-4800.

January 6, 2005

The first of the year begins the annual three-month filing period for the Board of Revision (BOR). This is the board where property owners may contest their valuation. It includes one representative from the County Commissioners, one from the County Treasurer, and one from the County Auditor's office. January 1 to March 31 is the only time when a BOR complaint can be filed by state law. BOR guidelines, practices and procedures are provided along with complaint forms on this web site. Just click here for more information.

January 5, 2005

A recent news story in "The Cincinnati Enquirer" noted that Ohio is one of only four states that does not test for fuel quality at the gas pumps. Our Weights & Measures Inspectors regularly test for volume, but we have no authority to check to make sure you are getting the right octane. I am working with the County Auditors' Association in hopes the Ohio Legislature will allow us to provide this important consumer protection with new legislation in 2005.

January 3, 2005

The County Treasurer is responsible for billing and collecting property taxes. As a courtesy, our office includes the Treasurer's payment information on our website. The new amounts due this year have been posted. Any questions on your property taxes should be directed to the Treasurer's office at 513-946-4800.

December 29, 2004

We are sometimes asked "why are some of our property values below the current market?" Most values, unless there has been a Board of Revision or new construction change, are as of January 1, 2002! That is the "tax lien date" for the county-wide reappraisal currently in effect. State law does not allow us to adjust values in between reappraisals. The next one takes effect in 2006 and will reflect values as of January 1, 2005. Best wishes for a Happy New Year!

December 20, 2004

Check out our holiday price scanner results. Our Weights and Measures inspectors give special attention to retail establishments at this time of year to be sure of accurate pricing for your presents and other purchases.

December 13, 2004

December 8, 2004

The State of Ohio's Homestead Exemption program provides tax relief to homeowners 65 and over and/or those who are permanently and totally disabled, providing they meet certain income requirements. Our office administers this program in Hamilton County. Homestead Exemption information is available on this website. Click here to go to the Homestead Homepage. The filing period for this tax relief runs from the first Monday in January (January 3) to the first Monday in June (June 6). If you have a friend, neighbor or family member who may qualify please let them know about it.

December 1, 2004

Welcome to our newly designed website! This space will be used to provide current information, observations and occasional commentary about our office, its functions and services. Look for a new message every few days and more often depending on events. As always, your responses will be most welcome.