Beverly Zuber, Wayne Township Assessor

A message from your Wayne Township Assessor:

I would like to invite every property owner, in Wayne Township, to take an active roll in the assessing process.  When you look at your assessed value and have questions or disagree with the value, please contact our office.  You may not get the answer that you want, but at least you will understand how we arrived at the value we came to. 

Your phone calls are extremely important and have a tremendous impact on our work:

• 1) Normally, we look at an entire area. Your call makes us look at your individual property. Once we look at it individually, we can determine if your value is in fact, too high.
• 2) If a number of calls or letters, come from one particular area, it signals us to re-evaluate the entire area. (Your phone call may have helped your entire neighborhood.)
• 3) Property Record Cards are available on-line. Go on-line and review your property record card. If our information regarding your property isn't accurate, PLEASE let us know!

Without your input, we have to assume that our information is correct.  Please, take an active roll in your assessed value.

Sincerely yours,

Bev Zuber

Wayne Township Assessor

** Currently at the Wayne Township Assessor's Office **

Three Level III Certified Indiana Assessor-Appraisers have been achieved within Wayne Township, including the Township Assessor, Chief Deputy Assessor and the Rental Income Specialist.  Another three are anticipated by the end of 2010.

Renovations have been completed, and the combined space of the Allen County Assessor and the Wayne Township Assessor are now fully operational.

The Real Estate Appraisal Deputies and the Rental Income Specialst will begin ratio studies for the 2010 Payable 2011 Annual Trending starting no later than 31.Mar.2010.  All field inspections from permits as of 01.Mar.2010 will be completed to ensure all improvements are accounted for prior to the start of ratio studies.  To ensure on-time property tax billing in 2011, ratio studies must be completed and submitted to the DLGF by 01.Jun.2010 for approval.

Personal Property Deputies are currently working on field inspections on mobile homes and new businesses.

Real Estate Records Deputies are currently working on processing and validating all sales disclosures through 01.Mar.2010 for use in Annual Trending. 

What We Do:

Real Estate

Sales Verification - When a property is sold, a Sales Disclosure form is filled out and filed with the County Assessor.  The Real Estate Records Deputies uses the information from the Sales Disclosure to determine the validity of the sale.  Phone calls, questionnaires and personal interviews are also conducted to ensure accurate validity of property sales.  This process is extremely important as Annual Trending is based on market sales.  The more accurate our information is, the more accurate our property values are.

Fieldwork - Conducted by the Real Estate Appraisal Deputies, fieldwork is held to ensure all property information is accurate and uniform.  Field inspections are executed based on permits issued by the Building Department, appeals, phone calls or neighborhood evaluations.  All information is gathered from the exterior of the property unless a request is made by the property owner to do an interior inspection.

Annual Trending - Per the laws of the State of Indiana, all properties must be reevaluated based on sales every year.  This helps ensure there is not a "sticker shock" increase or decrease at the time of General Reassessment.  Annual Trending is the process that converts all properties to market value based on the two previous years of sales prior to the assessment date.

Appeals - With assessments done on a mass appraisal basis, there may be times when a property falls either higher or lower to the median for the neighborhood.  The appeals process is a right given to all property owners to contest their property values.  Only when directed by the taxpayers are we able to review property assessments on a property-by-property basis.  It is extremely important that any and all assessment errors are corrected through the appeal process, therefore creating more accurate assessments for the future.  The staff of the Wayne Township Assessor's Office encourages anyone who questions their assessment to file an appeal.

Three Approaches to Real Estate Valuation

 Cost Approach

This process of valuation calculates a replacement cost of the subject property based on construction, grade, square footage, features, etc.

Value = Land + (Improvements-Depreciation)

Sales Comparison Approach

This process of valuation calculates comparable sales properties with adjustments of the comparables to the subject property.

Value = Comparable Sales +/- Comparable Adjustments

Income Approach

This process of valuation calculates a property value based on potential annual income minus any allowable expenses.  Because the GRM (gross rent multiplier) and Cap Rates are derived from market sales of properties, the income directly ties potential income to market value.

Residential

Value = Net Annual Income x Gross Rent Multiplier

For more detailed information on how residential rental properties are valued, please Click Here.

Commercial/Industrial

Value = Net Annual Income / Cap Rate

Note - The information listed above for the three approaches to real estate valuations is the basic information and formulas.  For more detailed information, please contact our office and we will be more then happy to walk you through the valuation process in detail.

To schedule an appointment for a field inspection, or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office by submitting an This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  We will contact you at our earliest available time.

PDF Files

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Wayne Township Staff Education (As Of 25.Feb.2010)

Wayne Township Telephone Directory

Wayne Township Taxing Units  

Taxpayer's Guide To Their Local Government

State of Indiana : Annual Trending IC & IAC

Links

Allen County Government

Allen County Assessors Office

PTABOA (Property Tax Assessment Board Of Appeals)

Property Record Cards

Personal Property

Allen County GIS

City Of Fort Wayne

City Of Fort Wayne GIS

State of Indiana

DLGF (Deparment of Local Government Finance)

Updated 01.Mar.2010