HOW IS MY LAND ASSESSED?
The assessed value is the value placed on each parcel of real property and on each individual’s taxable personal property by the local assessor. This value determines what portion of the local property tax levy will be borne by your property. By contacting the Real Property Listing Department or your Town Assessor, you can find out the assessed value of your property. Assessments are updated after the first of the year, every year, so the information given to you should be the most recent. Your property is assessed based on certain classifications and criteria that the Assessor obtains from the Department of Revenue.
HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHAT SOMEBODY PAID FOR A PIECE OF LAND?
There is a simple formula that can be used to determine what price was paid for a piece of land. By contacting the Langlade County Register of Deeds office, they can provide you with the transfer fee that was charged when the deed for a property was recorded. By multiplying the fee by 1,000 and dividing by 3, that will give you the purchase price, (i.e., if the transfer fee was $393.00, the purchase price would be $131,000). $393.00 x 1000 = $393,000 / 3 = $131,000
MY ASSESSOR IS NOT RESPONDING TO MY CALLS. WHO DO I CONTACT, OR WHAT RECOURSE DO I HAVE?
If you are unable to contact your assessor, or if he/she is not returning your calls, you may contact the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, by connecting to this link, you should be able to obtain the appropriate information.
HOW DO I CONTEST THE WAY MY PROPERTY IS ASSESSED?
The Assessor will visit properties to determine if any assessment changes are in order. Once this is done, the municipalities hold their annual Board of Review, usually during the spring. If your property is reassessed, you will receive a Notice of Assessment change from the Assessor. If you have questions or want to contest your assessment after receiving a notice, attending the Board of Review is the appropriate course of action. The Open Book and Board of Review times and dates are printed on the Notice of Assessment change. If your property is not reassessed, you will not receive a notice, however, if you still want to attend the Board of Review, contact your Municipal Clerk for the Board of Review date and time.
I JUST GOT MARRIED. HOW CAN I CHANGE THE NAME ON MY PROPERTY TAX BILL TO REFLECT MY NEW NAME?
The last name on the tax bill can be changed to your new married name, however, your “maiden” name must still be noted on the tax bill, (i.e., if your name is Susan Jones, and you married James Miller, your tax bill would read Miller, Susan (Jones). If that is not how you want your tax bill to read, you would have to file and record a deed from Susan Jones to Susan Miller. If you wanted to add your spouse’s name, a deed would also have to be filed and recorded from Susan Jones to Susan and James Miller. The same would apply if a man were to get married, and he wanted to add his wife’s name.
I BOUGHT A PIECE OF PROPERTY, BUT I DIDN’T GET A TAX BILL. HOW DO I FOUND OUT WHAT MY TAXES ARE?
If you purchased a piece of land that was split from an existing piece of land with a certified survey map (CSM) or a deed, the property cannot legally be created until after the first of the year the following year, (i.e., if you purchased a piece of land that was split from an existing parcel in June of 2002, your parcel cannot be created until after January 1st, 2003). Depending upon how the taxes were addressed during the deed recording process, it may be necessary for you to contact the Town Treasurer so that he/she can pro-rate the tax bill so that you pay your share of the taxes for the amount of time you owned the property. If the person you purchased the property from does not contact you about your share of the taxes, it is crucial that you contact the Town Treasurer to find out what your share of the taxes are so that they do not become delinquent.
I HAVE A PROBLEM UNDERSTANDING MY PROPERTY DESCRIPTION. HOW DO I KNOW MY DESCRIPTION ACCURATELY REFLECTS WHAT I’M PAYING TAXES FOR?
Your deed should reflect the correct description of the property you purchased. By contacting the Langlade County Real Property Listing Office, they can provide you with a tax parcel map of your property which should correctly reflect the description on the deed. If after you’ve reviewed all the information you feel there are discrepancies in the deed and parcel map, you may want to contact a Registered Surveyor. The Surveyor will do a Certified Survey Map of your property to determine the acreage of the property. He/she will also correct any description errors that occurred when the survey was done.
Where do I find property tax information?
Follow this link to Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) site to view or print information about property taxes or to obtain property owners guides and other literature on taxes and assessments.
Please check with the Land Records & Regulations Department to determine which permits will be required and what the fee schedule is for each permit. It is important to apply early, especially during the peak building season as it may take up to six weeks or more to get all approvals. Permits are required before any construction can be started.