Timberlake Mayor John Marra
February 5, 2025
The Rigged Property Tax System: How McGeever’s Case Exposes a Broken System
In Ohio, property owners are facing an uphill battle against a tax system that is fundamentally rigged against them. The recent case of James R. McGeever vs. the Lake County Board of Revision is a stark reminder of how the deck is stacked in favor of county auditors who use a flawed mass appraisal system to drive up property values—and, by extension, taxes—without true accountability.
A Case Study in Injustice
James McGeever, a homeowner in Wickliffe, Ohio, took all the necessary steps to challenge an unfair property tax assessment. His home, originally a barn converted into a residence, required significant repairs—new windows, a kitchen remodel, a paved driveway—amounting to over $40,000 in necessary renovations. Despite presenting photographic evidence, repair estimates, and testifying about the property’s deficiencies, his appeal was rejected at every level.
Why? Because the courts, like the Board of Revision, blindly defer to the county auditor’s mass appraisal model, treating it as gospel unless the homeowner can meet an absurdly high burden of proof. In this case, that meant McGeever had to prove not just that his home needed repairs, but also that similar properties had sold for less because of those same issues—a near-impossible task in a system where the county controls the data.
Mass Appraisal Must Be Abolished
At the heart of this injustice is Ohio’s reliance on mass appraisal methods, which use broad, computer-driven statistical models rather than individual property evaluations. This method is not just flawed—it is fundamentally unjust and must be abolished.
- One-Size-Fits-All Assessments Are Inherently Inaccurate – Mass appraisals assume all properties in an area are comparable, ignoring unique characteristics like age, condition, and necessary repairs. This leads to artificially inflated values that do not reflect reality.
- The Burden of Proof Is Unfairly Placed on Homeowners – If you disagree with your valuation, you must pay for your own independent appraisal, find comparable sales, and often hire legal representation—while the county provides no transparency on how they arrived at their number.
- Government Agencies Profit from Inflated Valuations – Mass appraisal is not about fairness; it’s about maximizing tax revenue. The system is designed to extract the most money from homeowners, regardless of whether the valuations are accurate.
- Courts Are Complicit in the Scheme – Judges treat mass appraisal values as a “default truth,” requiring extraordinary evidence to overturn, making it nearly impossible for homeowners to win.
Abolishing Mass Appraisal: The Path Forward
McGeever’s case is not an isolated incident—it’s a symptom of a broken system that is crushing homeowners under inflated tax burdens. If we want real change, we must completely eliminate the use of mass appraisal and replace it with fair, individualized property assessments. This can be achieved through:
- Legislative Action: We need state laws that prohibit mass appraisal and require auditors to conduct individualized assessments. Additionally, the burden of proof must be shifted onto the county to justify valuations, rather than forcing homeowners to prove them wrong.
- Legal Challenges: A collective lawsuit arguing that mass appraisal methods violate Ohio’s Uniformity Clausecould force courts to reconsider their deference to the county auditor.
- Public Pressure: Homeowners must demand transparency from county auditors and hold elected officials accountable for supporting a system that benefits the government at taxpayers’ expense.
- Organized Action: It’s time to form a homeowner advocacy group to challenge property tax injustices collectively, just as businesses and lobbyists do for their interests.
The Bottom Line
Ohio’s property tax system is designed to take more money from homeowners while providing little recourse for those who wish to challenge inflated valuations. The McGeever case shows that the current appeals process is a sham—a bureaucratic loop designed to wear down taxpayers until they give up. We must not give up.
Mass appraisal is a rigged system that must be abolished immediately. If we don’t take action now, we will continue to be at the mercy of a system that treats our homes as ATMs for government coffers. The fight starts today—with lawsuits, legislation, and a unified demand for fairness in property taxation.
Are you ready to join the fight?
LFC’s editorial opinion:
Lily and Mary discuss the shortcomings of Lake County officials and the McGeever case. Remember some officials would rather have seniors sell their homes and move into an apartment. It will help with the housing shortage in Lake County.
No elected official is concerned, other than Commissioner John Plecnik, about the financial problems that Lake County seniors are experiencing with property taxes. We suggest that you contact Commissioner Regovich (President), and Commissioner Beverage, and ask them to follow Commissioner Plecnik’s lead and pass Plecnik’s resolution asking for tax relief for seniors. We will send the passed resolution to state officials for their consideration.
Categories: Community Activism, Contributors, Free Speech Zone, Uncategorized