The Cumberland County Assessor of Property is responsible to discover, list, classify, and value all taxable property in the jurisdiction of Cumberland County, Tennessee for Ad Valorem (according to value) tax purposes. The Assessor of Property is responsible to the property owners and taxpayers of Cumberland County to ensure that all property subject to taxation is valued in accordance with state laws, that no property escapes the assessment process or is under-assessed, and that no property owner receives preferential treatment. In the performance of these duties, it is the goal of this department to provide the highest level of professional service and technical assistance to the public on all matters relating to property assessment and tax policy.
Responsibilities
Discover
To ensure that all property that should legally be on the county assessment roll is properly listed, classified and valued, it must first be located and identified. This task of discovery is a constant attempt to capture all new construction, additions and demolition of existing improvements, as well as changes to land use and configuration. To accomplish this, assessment personnel track building permits, completion notices, property sales, zoning changes and a host of other sources for information about property status. Field inspections of all subdivisions and rural sectors of the county on a regular basis help the Assessor keep records as up-to-date as possible with regard to property changes. Discovery of personal property is accomplished through various methods, including but not limited to new business licenses and business advertisements. The office captures details from businesses via a reporting schedule that businesses are required to file each year by 1 March, listing all personal property or updating those schedules already on file.
Classify
Along with assigning a value to property, the Assessor also establishes the classification or “use category” for each property, which determines the assessment level that will be used in taxation for that property. Tennessee law establishes the following assessment levels for different property classes:
- Personal Property – 30%
- Residential – 25%
- Commercial and Industrial – 40%
- Farm – 25%
- Exempt – 0%
- Public Utility – 55% (both real and personal)
Public Assistance
Another important duty of the office is maintaining and providing public information to assist taxpayers and the general public with questions regarding property ownership, assessment, and recent property sales. The Assessor’s office handles thousands of requests annually on the phone, through the mail, or in person from current or prospective property owners, as well as from the real estate, legal, and banking communities.
List
After locating property, assessing personnel must accurately record and list all of that property’s characteristics to properly value the land and all improvements. All structures and extra features are measured, and amenities or features that affect the market value of the improvements such as bathrooms, interior and exterior trim, roofing type, etc. are noted for quantity and quality. After all data has been collected on a property, the information is compared to all similar properties using a computer assisted mass appraisal (CAMA) system that contains the property characteristics of all land and buildings in the county.
Mapping
For the Assessor, maps are a means to inventory all real property within the jurisdiction. The Assessor is required to maintain an up-to-date set of maps that display all of the parcels in the county, detailing their locations and physical characteristics. In Cumberland County, this is accomplished through the use of GIS (Geographic Information System). Master digital maps are updated to reflect new subdivisions, surveys, property splits and the combining of parcels as they occur, and then paper maps are printed and placed in cabinets for reference and public viewing.
Reappraisal
Reappraisal of property for tax purposes is required on a periodic basis to maintain appraisals at market value and to ensure equity of appraisals throughout the jurisdiction. Every county in Tennessee is on either a four, five, or six year cycle of reappraisal. Cumberland County is on a five year cycle that consists of four years of comprehensive on-site review of every parcel of property in the county, followed by revaluation of all property in the fifth year.
Value
The rules governing the tax appraisal process in Tennessee are based upon the same principles and procedures that are used throughout the appraisal profession. There are three basic approaches to the valuation of real property:
- The MARKET approach involves comparison of a property to other properties with similar characteristics that have recently been sold.
- The COST approach involves estimating the replacement cost of a structure, and adjusting that estimate to account for depreciation.
- The INCOME approach is an analysis of a property’s value based on its capacity to generate revenue for the owner.
The goal of the Assessor is to estimate fair market value for all property in the county. Fair market value is defined as how much a property would sell for, in an open market, under normal conditions. To determine market values, the assessor must be familiar with all aspects of the local real estate market, such as: what different types of properties are selling for, local construction and repair costs, normal operating expenses, typical rents, and current financing charges for borrowing money to build or buy property.
Appeals and Tax Rolls
Each year, the assessor is required to create and maintain an assessment roll detailing all county property, its owner, and its value. This roll, with preliminary, or tentative assessments, is made available for public inspection in May. Property owners whose property have changed in value are notified by mail of those changes, and are given an opportunity to appeal any values they feel are inconsistent with the fair market value of their property. The County Board of Equalization, after hearing owners’ appeals and ordering any changes they feel are warranted, makes the assessment roll final for the year. The Assessor of Property then turns the roll over to local taxing authorities.
Myths and Legends
Now that you have a better idea of what the Assessor of Property does, here are a few things that the Assessor does not do. Contrary to popular belief, the Assessor:
- does not set the tax rate
- does not create or send out tax bills
- does not collect taxes
Tax rates for Cumberland County and the City of Crossville are set each year by their respective legislative bodies (county commission and city council) based on the budgets they pass to fund programs and services. The County Trustee is responsible for using that tax rate and the assessment roll from the assessor’s office to create and send out tax bills to all county property owners. The Trustee is also responsible for collecting property taxes.
Services Provided
The Assessor of Property office maintains a large amount of public information on local properties in order to correctly classify and assess them for tax purposes. While the primary purpose for these records and documents is to assist assessment personnel with their duties, this information is also used extensively by other government offices, members of the local real estate, legal and financial communities, as well as the general public. Below are a few of the major information sources and services available at the Assessor’s Office:
Property Record Cards
The Assessor creates and maintains an individual property record card on every parcel of property in the county. These records are maintained in a data base in the computer assisted mass appraisal (CAMA) system. Specific records can be retrieved through use of a computer terminal available to the general public. Information contained on property record cards includes:
- transfer data, including sales history (amounts, dates, deed volume and page #’s)
- street address of the property
- names of owner(s)
- parcel identification number
- address of owner(s)
- subdivision name (if applicable)
- lot # (if applicable)
- dimensions of lot
- acreage for larger tracts
- construction types and components for structures (type roofing, foundation, etc.)
- extra features of improvements (fireplaces, driveways, etc.)
- value for improvements
- value for land
- overall appraisal for tax purposes for land and all improvements
- assessment classification
- overall assessment value
Property Maps
The Assessor’s Office maintains a set of maps of all properties in the jurisdiction to keep inventory of size, location, and boundary information. These maps are constantly updated through the use of data contained in transfer deeds, registered surveys and recorded plats of subdivisions. Cumberland County Tax Maps are for Assessment Purposes only. They are constructed from property information recorded in the Register of Deed’s office, and represent no more than a graphic illustration of that information. They are not conclusive as to location of property, size, shape, or legal ownership. Copies of all materials can be obtained for a reasonable fee per copy.
Informational Brochures
The Assessors of Property has a full line of informational brochures on a variety of topics pertaining to property assessment and tax policy. Subject covered include Tangible Personal Property, Reappraisal, Appealing Assessments, as well as explanations of various forms and records used in the Assessor’s Office.
Application For Greenbelt Program
Owners of properties that meet the criteria for enrollment in the Greenbelt Program can fill out the application, have it approved, notarized, and recorded (recording takes place in the Register of Deeds located in the same building) all in a timely manner. To be effective for the current tax year, the application process must be completed and notarized no later than March 15th.
Application For Exemption
Religious, charitable, educational, or scientific institutions which own properties that may qualify for exemption can obtain the applications and assistance in completing them at the Assessors Office. The Assessor of Property does not approve or deny exempt status, that function is performed by the State Board of Equalization.