Notice of Valuation

Colorado law requires a two-year assessment cycle for all taxable real property. For tax years 2021 and 2022, the assessor is required to appraise all real property as of a June 30, 2020 level of value; tax year 2022 is the second year of this cycle, with actual taxes coming due in 2023. Notices of Valuation are sent to all real property owners on May 1, 2021 for the biennial reassessment. Assessment for 2022 is considered an intervening, or non-reappraisal year, so only those properties experiencing a material change sometime in 2021 (new construction, re-platting, demolition, reclassification, or a discovery that a property is not being assessed at its correct level of value) will receive a NOV on May 1, 2022.

This new 2021 actual value reflects market value as of June 30, 2020 as determined from analysis of market activity and market conditions that occurred since July 1, 2016 up to the valuation date of June 30, 2020.

Owners of real property may protest the value or the classification by the assessor from May 1 through May 31, 2021. Current market conditions or sales activity occurring after the appraisal date of June 30, 2020 cannot be considered in a filed protest. The month-long protest period provides an opportunity for taxpayers to inform the assessor of errors in classification, property description, or other discrepancies that may result in a reduction in actual value or a change in classification.

All taxable personal property owners are sent a Notice of Value no later than June 15, 2021. The personal property protest period is only 15 business days long, starting June 15 and ending on June 30, 2021.

Real Property Appeal Procedures

To preserve your right to appeal the 2020 assessment, your appeal must be filed from May 1 - June 1, 2020. You may file your appeal with the Park County Assessor's Office in person, by mail, by fax, or by email. If you wish to appear in person, we request that you contact the Office in advance to schedule an appointment with one of our staff appraisers. We are also available to discuss your valuation concerns via tele-conference, if that option is more convenient. Our Office website located at www.parkco.org has an "online" appeal module, which offers you the ability to file an objection electronically. Our Office email address is available on the website as well.

We request that you also provide your owners' estimate of total value, and a short explanation of how you arrived at this amount. This will help us try to determine if an error may have occurred in the appraisal of your property. We also recommend all correspondence be mailed with proof of mailing to preserve your appeal rights.

If you have further questions, please contact the Park County Assessor's Office at 719-836-4331 (Fax Number: 719-836-4193), and we will gladly assist you in any possible way.

Please Note: This notice is sent to you in compliance with Paragraph 8(c), Section 20, Article X of the Colorado Constitution. Including this notice with your property tax bill saves the taxpayers approximately $26,350.

Senior Property Tax Exemption

In 2000, Colorado voters amended the State Constitution with the adoption of Section 3.5 of Article X. The amendment, and subsequent legislation, created a property tax exemption for two groups of people: qualifying seniors and surviving spouses of seniors who previously qualified. For those who qualify, 50% of the first $200,000 in total actual value of their primary residence is exempted. For example, if the total actual value of your primary residence is $300,000, the total taxable portion will be $200,000. If your total value is $50,000, the taxable amount will be $25,000. This program was suspended from 2003 to 2006 and again in 2009 by the General Assembly due to the negative fiscal condition of the State.

We are required by law to qualify senior property owners who are eligible for the program! A qualifying senior must be at least 65 years old on January 1 of the year he or she qualifies, and must have owned and lived in the home for at least 10 consecutive years. To apply for the exemption, or to obtain additional information about the exemption, please contact the Park County Assessor's Office at 719-836-4331, and we will gladly assist you in any possible way.

Additional information regarding the Senior Property Tax Exemption and the application form is available at our Office, and also at our Senior Property Tax Exemption page for your convenience. We are requesting that if you believe you are eligible, and wish to apply for this special program, sooner is better than later, as the deadline for applying is July 15th for the 2020 tax roll year. I am personally encouraging all Seniors who may be eligible to take advantage of this program. Best Regards for this upcoming year.

Disabled Veteran Exemption

Basic Qualifications

Each of the following statements must be true to qualify:

The applicant must be a veteran who sustained a service-connected disability while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States. This includes members of the National Guard and Reserves who sustained their injuries during a period in which they were called to active duty.
The applicant must be an honorably-discharged veteran.
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs has rated the applicant's service-connected disability as 100% permanent and total.
The applicant must be the owner of record and must have been the owner of record since January 1 of the current year.

Exemptions to Basic Qualifications

The applicant may still qualify if one or more of the following statements are true:

Ownership is in the spouse's name, and the spouse also occupies the property.
Ownership has been transferred to or purchased by a trust, corporate partnership or other legal entity solely for estate planning purposes.
The qualifying disabled veteran or his/her spouse was, or is, confined to a health care facility.
The applicant was forced to move when the prior residence was condemned in an eminent domain proceeding.

How to Apply

To apply, you must file a completed application with the Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs, postmarked no later than July 1. Late applications may be accepted until September 1 if the applicant can show good cause for missing the July 1 deadline. If you would like to receive an application form or brochure, or if you have questions about the exemption, please call the Assessor's office at 719-836-4185 or visit our Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption page.