The tax bills have been sent out. If you need to make any changes to your mailing address, contact Mindy at #616-846-2210. Please note that ownership or name changes can only be processed with a legally recorded document, such as a deed. We do receive copies of all recorded documents and update our records accordingly. Occasionally, transfer documents do not get recorded with the Ottawa County Register of Deeds office so we need your assistance in letting us know when a tax bill or assessment notice is incorrect.
You may have noticed the initials PRE on your tax bill. PRE stands for Principal Residence Exemption which is the new name for the Homestead Exemption. This name change became effective on January 1, 2004. If you own and occupy your home as your principal residence than you are eligible to receive an exemption from 18.0 mills of school taxes. If your PRE shows 100% then you are recieving the exemption and a 0% indicates that you are not getting the exemption. If you are receiving the exemption because you are farming the property, there will be a notation of Qualified Ag. with the appropriate percent.
When you buy and sell property, you must be sure to rescind the PRE at the home you are moving out of and file a new PRE for the home that you have moved into. The PRE is filed in the township/city/village that the property is located in. Most title company's will automatically take care of this paperwork for you at your closing. We have the forms available for you at the township or you can download them from the following websites:
Affidavit for Principal Residence Exemption: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/2368f_2605_7.pdf Claim for Farmland Exemption from Some School Operating Taxes: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/2599f_2606_7.pdf
Request to Rescind/Withdraw a Principal Residence Exemption: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/2602f_2607_7.pdf
From the Assessor:
Assessed Values for 2010 compared to 2009:
Agricultural
2010 Assessed Value 2009 Assessed Value Difference
$35,299,100.00 $34,337,500.00 $961,600.00
Commercial
2010 Assessed Value 2009 Assessed Value Difference
$4,512,500.00 $4,620,000.00 -$107,600.00
Industrial
2010 Assessed Value 2009 Assessed Value Difference
$3,878,900.00 $3,859,000.00 $19,900.00
Residential
2010 Assessed Value 2009 Assessed Value Difference
$199,993,000.00 $208,414,800.00 -$8,421,800.00
Personal
2010 Assessed Value 2009 Assessed Value Difference
$6,087,400.00 $6,113,600.00 -$26,200
Total
2010 Assessed Value 2009 Assessed Value Difference
$249,770,900.00 $257,344,900.00 -$7,574,000.00
This is the third consecutive year that the assessed value has decreased in Robinson Township. The assessed value peeked in 2007 with a total value of $269,106,700.00. Robinson Township’s assessed value has decreased by $19.3 million since 2007. This lose in value has contributed to the tightening of government and school budgets. Some encouraging news is that arm-length (good) sales for the first 5 months of 2010 have increased from 11 in 2009 to 21 in 2010. This is an increase of 47.6%.
If you have any assessing questions, you may reach me at the office on Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00am-5:00pm. You may also call me at 616-846-2210 or email me at assessor@robinson-twp.org.
Joe Clark, Robinson Township Assessor