Complaints to the County Board of Equalization

An owner of property or liable taxpayer has the right to appear personally before the county board, to authorize in writing an agent to appear, or to authorize an attorney to appear, in order to make a complaint on one or more of the following grounds: (1) property owned by the taxpayer was erroneously classified or subclassified; (2) property owned by the taxpayer was assessed on the basis of an appraised value that is more than the basis of value provided for in T.C.A. § 67-5-601 et seq.; and (3) property other than the taxpayer's was assessed on the basis of appraised values which are less than the basis of value provided for in T.C.A. § 67-5-601 et seq.¹The county board must hear any complaint that is filed while the board is in session and that relates to the current year under review. The board may not refuse to hear a complaint for the current year on the grounds that an appeal was filed with the State Board of Equalization for a prior year.²When a complaint is made before the county board, it may hear any evidence or witness offered by the complainant, or may take such steps as it may deem material to the investigation of the complaint.³If an owner, or the owner's duly authorized agent, upon request, fails, refuses, or neglects to supply the assessor or the county board with information regarding the property not readily available through public records but which is necessary to make an accurate appraisal of the property, the owner forfeits the right to introduce the requested information upon appeal to the State Board of Equalization.⁴

Local governmental entities have the right to make a complaint before the assessor of property and the county board of equalization on the value of property within the local governmental entity on one or more of the following grounds: (1) the property has been erroneously classified or subclassified for purposes of taxation; (2) the property has not been included on the assessment lists; and (3) the property has been assessed on the basis of appraised values which are less than the basis of value provided for in T.C.A. § 67-5-601 et seq.⁵After the local governmental entity has filed a complaint, the county board must give the property owner at least five days notice of a hearing to be held before the board. The notice must be sent by U.S. mail to the last known address of the property owner.⁶The county board may hear any evidence or witnesses offered by the local governmental entity or owner or may take such steps as it may deem material to the investigation of the complaint.⁷