The Montgomery County Auditor's office has accepted 3,157 Board of Revision complaints for tax year 2009, about half as many as were filed in 2008 when a record 6,009 cases were filed.  About 80% of the complaints were filed on residential property, with most of the remainder being filed on commercial or industrial parcels.

The 3,157 complaints are still the second most ever filed.  Auditor Karl Keith is not surprised to see so many appeals.  "A struggling economy, population loss and an aging housing stock have contributed to a down real estate market," Keith said.  Property values were reduced on over 105,000 parcels in the last reappraisal.  "We've never seen anything like that before," he said.

The Board of Revision is comprised of a representative from the County Commissioner's Office, the Treasurer's Office and the Auditor's Office who hear property value complaints, review them and issue a decision.  Petitioning property owners will receive at least ten days notice of their scheduled hearing.  The hearings, open to the public, are held Monday through Friday between 8:15 AM and 3 PM and usually last around fifteen minutes.  Hearings began in February and will run until all cases are heard.