PARKERSBURG – Property owners challenged appraisals on their property during hearings Thursday before the Wood County Commission.

The commission by code is required to meet as the Board of Equalization and Review in February. Hearings will conclude Feb. 21.

The commissioners will then visit properties they believe merit a site review and issue final rulings. Decisions of the board are only good for one year and property owners dissatisfied with the outcome of their hearing can appeal to circuit court.

On Thursday, Dave Steele, who owns more than 250 acres on Lee Creek, Harris District, said he and other individuals had formed a limited liability corporation to train bird dogs on the property.

“That’s primarily all the property is used for. It’s in a very secluded area; there is a garden, but it’s generally just brush, trees and some timber. There is a stream and a pond. I maintain the road,” Steele told the commissioners.

The 2013 value on the largest portion of the property was $161,000; it was raised to about $230,000; another parcel went from $25,800 to $38,000, and a third tract went from $13,300 to $19,900.

Doug Tennant, appraiser with the assessor’s office, said there are structures on the property.

“But on the face of it, that is a pretty significant increase,” Commissioner Blair Couch said.

Steele told commissioners if he ever decided to try to sell the property, he would have trouble, primarily because it is so secluded and because of the road conditions.

When asked what he felt was a fair value for the property, Steele said he hasn’t kept up on values.

“But I don’t feel it’s worth an additional 30 percent or more,” he said, adding the 2013 value of $161,000 was probably closer to the value.

Dean Cottrell, chief appraiser, said the state tax department informed the local assessor’s office it had undervalued woodland properties and could not phase in the increases as the assessor’s office was attempting to do.

“We did a study back to 2008, using 31 samples of woodland sales. In the southern part of the county we had about $1,000/acre showing from 13 sales. In the northern part of the county, we had 18 sales which showed $1,011 an acre. The Walker District had the most sales,” Cottrell said.

Assessor Rich Shaffer said the state’s annual monitoring report showed the phase in of the values did not meet the appraisal standards. “And we have to be within 90 percent or higher of the market values, that’s state code,” Shaffer said.

Cottrell said in looking at surrounding counties, one of the highest was Ritchie County where sales showed $1,275 an acre.

“Having 31 sales to use for comparison is pretty good; you usually have three,” Cottrell said.

“That kind of increase is clear out of line; this is ridiculous,” Commissioner Steve Gainer said.

“There has been legislation introduced on numerous occasions to restrict the increase to 10 percent annually, but it has never passed,” Shaffer said.

“I just felt it was an awful jump for one year. I’m not complaining about the value you have on it so much,” Steele said.

“Being told we have to play catch up is no fun for anyone,” Couch said.

Also Thursday, Roger Freshour, with property on Hickory Heights Road, Slate District, off West Virginia 14, told commissioners when he purchased his property seven years ago he did not know a portion of it was considered in the floodway.

“I had originally planned to build a house there, but after discovering part of it was in the floodplain, I didn’t want to have to buy flood insurance,” he said.

The appraised value on the property went from $28,000 to $32,000.

“I don’t think it’s in the flood area, but the map shows part of it is,” Freshour said.

There is a creek, but Freshour said it doesn’t have water in it all the time.

“You have to have an elevation certificate from an engineer to make your case for a change in the flood designation,” Couch said.

“We were not aware the property was in the floodplain when we valued it,” Cottrell said.