Taxpayers continue to recall experiences with appraiser

To the editor:

It was an “eye opener” to see the Letters to the Editor in this past week’s Marion County Record that there are other county taxpayers who have run into rude attitudes at the appraiser’s office as we did in 2007.

Upon receiving our appraisal notice in 2007, we disagreed that our house was built in 1937 and felt it was much older than that and their appraisal was too high for our old house. When we asked for the appraiser because we were protesting, we were not treated with courtesy.

First, we were told she wasn’t available and then we were told she wasn’t in but if we could bring them proof that our house was older than the appraisal stated that it more likely would lower the assessment.

We went directly to the Register of Deeds office and found information that our house had been sold to American Baptist Home Mission Society of Florence on Feb. 14, 1884, and was sold April 9, 1918. So, we then knew, without a doubt, that it was not built in 1937 but was at least 53 years older.

We took this information to the appraiser’s office. One of the office assistants told us quite offensively that nothing would be changed but she would give this information to the appraiser and she would let us know her decision.

To this day, we have not heard from the appraiser or ever protested again as we saw that this office would only do as they pleased and we would only go home unhappy and nothing would be resolved. So, we also know how Mr. Diepenbrock and the Stovalls felt.

Doesn’t anyone do research on homes when someone protests and where has “respect to taxpayers” gone?

Don and Twylah Nightengale
Florence