YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Mahoning County Auditor Ralph Meacham is informing taxpayers that they can apply to have their property value reduced if their property was damaged or destroyed by the recent wind storms.

According to a press release, to receive a reduction in value as a result of the damage, property owners must fill out an Application for Valuation Deduction for Destroyed or Damaged Real Property (DTE 26).

Meacham said an application for a deduction from the current year’s value must be filed by December 31, 2023, for property that is destroyed or damaged in the first nine months of the year. The current bill is based on the value of the property as it existed on January 1, 2022.

For property damaged in the last three months of the year, the filing deadline is January 31, 2024. 

Any reduction in value will be reflected for the 2023 tax year, which is reflected on calendar year 2024’s first half tax bill.

The amount of the deduction equals a percentage of the reduction in value caused by the damage or destruction. That percentage is determined by the calendar quarter in which the damage occurred.

Anyone who has sustained structural damage may file an application. Structural damage would be caved-in roofs, exterior framing damage caused by down trees or completely destroyed structures.

Any damage to personal property is not a part of damage relief. Personal property includes televisions, stereo equipment, appliances, furniture, carpeting, etc.

If repairs are made to the property in the same calendar year, there may not be a reduction in value.

The form is available on the Mahoning County Auditor’s page of the Mahoning County Communicator website or by calling the Auditor’s office at 330-740-2010 to request a form by mail. 

The State requires that this form be notarized, so Meacham asks that property owners have the form notarized before bringing it in or mailing it to the Auditor’s office.