Question: Is it too late to appeal a property value?
Q: How do I dispute my property assessment on Oahu?
Answer: No, it is not too late, although time is running short. Appeals may be submitted in person by 4:30 p.m. Friday; by U.S. mail, postmarked by Saturday; or online, by Monday at 11:59 p.m., according to the city.
Appeal forms cannot be emailed or faxed.
Find the blank form at 808ne.ws/rpaform. Fill out and print the form and take or mail it by the respective deadline to Real Property Assessment Division, 842 Bethel St., Basement, Honolulu, HI 96813; or Real Property Assessment Division, 1000 Uluohia St. No. 206, Kapolei, HI 96707.
To file online, go to realpropertyhonolulu.com, click on “File an Appeal” and follow the prompts.
A $50 deposit is due with each appeal. A separate appeal form must be submitted for each Parcel ID, even if an owner is disputing assessments on multiple parcels.
Also, the city has an appeal hotline answering questions through the close of business Friday. Call 768-7000 between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. with questions about your property assessment or the appeals process. This is an information service only; appeals cannot be filed over the phone.
The city sent out real property assessment notices for the 2018-19 fiscal year in mid-December, according to a news release issued at the time by the city Department of Budget and Fiscal Services.
Each notice states the city’s determination of the property’s assessed value, its tax classification, granted exemption amount, any applicable special assessment and net taxable value.
Legitimate grounds for appeal include the assessed value exceeding the property’s market value by more than 10 percent; the property being improperly classified; the owner being improperly denied an exemption; or an illegal method being used to create the assessment, according to the city.
The notices that were sent out are not tax bills. Real property tax due for any given property is calculated by multiplying its net taxable value by the appropriate tax rate.
Oahu’s tax rates will be set by the Honolulu City Council in June, when the city’s budget is finalized, according to the December news release.
Q: Why does the city give the homeless people so much time to move their stuff, even when they are in the park illegally?
A: The city agreed to do so as part of the settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed by homeless people who said the city wrongly destroyed their belongings while enforcing the stored property ordinance (SPO) and sidewalk nuisance ordinance (SNO).
Under terms of the settlement, the city announces SPO/SNO enforcement in advance, gives individuals 30 minutes to collect their belongings and must store for 45 days most items that are left behind.
Even if a homeless person’s belongings are in a park after closing hours, the person has 30 minutes to move their stuff and “will not be cited, arrested, or otherwise charged for being present in a park after closing hours during that 30-minute period,” according to a description of the legal settlement posted on the city’s website.
Mahalo
My dog was hit by a car on Kapiolani Boulevard by Ala Wai Park on Dec. 23 while my son was taking him for a walk. Somebody took my son and the injured dog to the car and brought them to a pet emergency hospital. My son forgot to ask the person’s contact information. I deeply appreciate that person’s kindness and learned how nice actions would touch our hearts. May all wonderful things happen to the person. Thank you very much. — Grateful mom
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
