Some of the more than 34,000 Cuyahoga County property owners, who filed informal appeals against recent property reappraisals, were left disappointed with the results.
The county said it reduced property values on 21,000 parcels during the informal appeals process, but some homeowners were not impressed with the reduction they were given.
The county issued letters to property owners like Carol Prusak last week.
Prusak told News 5 the county increased the value of her Cleveland home from $42,000, to more than $129,000, and when she filed her appeal, the county only reduced its reappraisal by $300.
Prusak said the projected tax increase will force her to sell the home her family has lived in for more than 100 years.
"We feel that this was a set-up from the beginning," Prusak said.
"And now we're getting gouged again, because the fat cats, the developers want to take over."
"They want to buy our property for peanuts, and then we have to pay all the taxes because they're getting tax abatements."
Jane Knoblauch had a better luck in fighting what she called a ridiculous property value re-assessment.
Knoblauch said the value of her home went from $38,000 to $107,000.
Knoblauch filed an informal appeal, and the county reduced its reassessment to $68.000.
Still, Knoblauch is facing the possibility of her property taxes being doubled, and she believes the entire county reassessment system needs to be revamped.
"Why, why was there such a discrepancy," asked Knoblauch.
"The one thing I could never quite understand was their formula."
"Why do they have to reassess all 475,000 county parcels at once, that can cause mistakes, especially when you have to hire freelance assessors to get the job done."
Knoblauch is urging homeowners to prepare early for the upcoming formal appeal process to the Board of Revision, which starts in January.
"You better pack a punch in your five minutes," Knoblauch said.
"Know what you're going to say, bring your facts with you, bring your documents with you."
Meanwhile, Prusak is hoping the county will help to host information meetings in December on how to get ready for the formal appeal process.
