SEAN BOSTON
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) — Reno County appraiser Michael Plank says annual change-of-value notices will soon arrive in mailboxes.
“They are supposed to be mailed out today, actually,” Plank said. “They probably won’t hit mailboxes until Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday—sometime early next week. These go out every year around the first of March. It’s a state requirement. All it does is notify you if your property’s value has changed, whether it has gone up or down, and what the new value is for 2025. You don’t have to do anything with it.”
LINK - BW Morning Show Interview: Reno County Appraiser Michael Plank
Plank said every property owner in the county should receive a notice, though there is a slim chance some may not.
“If they haven’t received one by Monday, March 10, at the latest, give us a call or stop by the office to pick up a copy,” Plank said. “You do have the right to appeal that valuation, and you don’t want to lose that right. You have 30 days from today, but since that falls on a weekend, you have until March 31 to appeal.”
Several factors contribute to property assessments.
“It’s a complicated process, but we don’t mind explaining it,” Plank said. “Most of the reason your value would change is due to market forces. As appraisers, we’re not out to get anybody or raise values on purpose. We’re just reporting on the real estate market.”
Plank said the appraiser’s office evaluates sales over the past three years.
“We’re looking at three years of sales for residential property,” Plank said. “Since we report on what has already happened, that affects valuation. Even if nothing changes on your property, your valuation could go up if homes have continuously sold for more—and that’s what we’ve seen for the last 12 to 15 years.”
One key factor driving home prices higher is a shortage of available homes.
“We’re in a historic period of low inventory,” Plank said. “A balanced real estate market has four to six months of inventory. Right now, we’re at about two months. Despite higher interest rates, we still have high demand for housing. Low inventory plus high demand means more bidders for available properties, which drives up sales prices—and that eventually affects valuations.”