Welcome to the new Hancock County Auditor Homepage.

This page has been modified as a result of your comments last year, which are always welcome. I hope you will find this page more organized and "user" friendly. This page encompasses a variety of services that the Auditor's Office provides to both residents and other governmental entities. My office is always here to assist you with any questions you may have.

It is my pleasure to serve as Auditor of Hancock County, Ohio. As Auditor I serve as the County's Chief Fiscal Officer, Chief Assessor, Chief Payroll Officer, and Sealer of Weights and Measures. As fiscal officer, the auditor is responsible for maintaining county financial records, issuing warrants (checks) for payment of county obligations and preparing the County's Annual Financial Report (CAFR). As assessor, the auditor determines property values for taxing purposes and transferring real property deeds. And, as sealer of weights and measures, the auditor tests and certifies the accuracy of various commercial measuring devices, such as gasoline pumps, to ensure consumer protection.

For the month of March –

March 31, 2010 - Property owners who wish to challenge their real estate values, as listed at the Auditor’s Office, must do so before the March 31, 2010 deadline.  Complaint forms must be complete, notarized, and in the Auditor’s Office by the close of business March 31, 2010. 

We reappraise (revalue) Hancock County properties every three years by state law and are currently underway, with the January 1, 2010 appraisal update, payable in 2011.  The legal requirements of the reappraisal process mean we are always behind the market.  This may be more apparent now than it was when real estate values were rising. The Board’s requirements this year is to look at your value as of January 1, 2009.  Based on the evidence presented, the Board can raise, lower or leave unchanged, the property value in question.

Turning 65 this year? You may apply for the Homestead Exemption on your residence. Anyone over the age 65 or totally disabled may apply for the Homestead Exemption, if you have not already applied. This exemption reduces your appraised property value by $25,000 before taxes are calculated.