FAQ'S

---

 The Assessor is required by the Louisiana  Constitution to list, value and enumerate all property subject to ad valorem  taxation on an Assessment Roll each year. The "ad valorem" basis for taxation  means that all property should be taxed "according to value" which is the  definition of ad valorem. The Assessed Value is a percentage of "Fair Market  Value" or "Use Value" as prescribed by law.  

• LAND - 10% of "Fair Market Value"
• RESIDENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS - 10% of "fair market  value"
• COMMERCIAL PROPERTY - (Including personal property) - 15% of "Fair Market  Value" (NOTE: Commercial land is assessed at 10% of "Fair Market Value".)

• THE ASSESSOR DOES NOT RAISE OR LOWER TAXES. The Assessor does not make the laws  which affect property owners. The Constitution of the State of Louisiana, as  adopted by the voters, provides the basic framework for taxation, and tax laws  are made by the Louisiana Legislature. The rules and regulations for assessment  are set by the Louisiana Tax Commission. The tax dollars are levied by the  taxing bodies, such as the Policy Jury, School Board, etc., and are collected by  the Sheriff's Office as Ex- Officio Tax Collector.
• THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE HAS  NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF TAXES COLLECTED. THE ASSESSOR'S PRIMARY  RESPONSIBILITY IS TO FIND THE "FAIR MARKET VALUE" OF YOUR PROPERTY SO THAT YOU  MAY PAY ONLY YOUR FAIR SHARE OF THE TAXES.
• The amount of taxes you pay is  determined by a "Tax Rate" applied to your property's Assessed Value. The Tax  Rate is determined by all the taxing agencies within a district, city, or  parish, and those rates fixed by the Constitution. They include School  Districts, Police Juries, Law Enforcement Districts, etc. The Tax Rate is the  basis for the budget needed or demanded by the voters to provide for services  such as schools, roads, law enforcement, etc. Tax Rates are simply those rates  which will provide funds to pay for those services.

 To arrive at "Fair Market Value" for your property, the Assessor must know what  "willing sellers" and "willing buyers" are doing in the marketplace. He must  also keep current on cost of construction in the area and any changes in zoning,  financing, and economic conditions which may affect property values. The  Assessor uses the three nationally recognized appraisal approaches to value,  those being cost, income, and market. This data is then correlated into a final  value estimate by the Appraiser. After your appraisal has been made, the  appropriate percentage of value required by law is calculated as your "Assessed  Value." 

 As a property owner, you have a right to appeal your assessment. To appeal your  assessment you must contact your Assessor's Office. It would be helpful to  provide information such as a recent appraisal, an opinion of value from a  Licensed Realtor or any information documenting adverse conditions that may  directly affect the value of your property. If, after discussing the matter with  the Assessor, a difference of opinion still exists, you may appeal your  assessment to the Grant Parish Board of Review. If the Board, after hearing your  petition, agrees with the Assessor, you may appeal this decision to the  Louisiana State Tax Commission. If the Commission agrees with the Board and the  Assessor, you can then plead your case before the courts should you choose to do  so.  

 Fair Market Value is defined by Louisiana Revised  Statute 47:2321 as follows: "Fair Market Value is the price for property which  would be agreed upon between a willing and informed buyer and a willing and  informed seller under usual and ordinary circumstances; it shall be the highest  price estimated in terms of money which property will bring if exposed for sale  on the open market with reasonable time allowed to find a purchaser who is  buying with knowledge of all the uses and purposes to which the property is best  adapted and for which it can be legally used." Finding the "Fair Market Value"  of your property involves discovering the price most people would pay for it in  its present condition. It is not quite that simple, however, because the  Assessor has to find what this value would be for every property every year. The  Assessor's job doesn't stop there. He must immediately begin gathering sales and  other data for future years as the market is constantly changing.