A: There are three methods typically used by appraisers to value real property. These are the Cost Approach, Sales Comparison Approach and Income Approach. Not every method is applicable to every property.

The cost approach is based on the principle of substitution: that a rational, informed purchaser would pay no more than the cost of building an acceptable substitute with similar utility after accounting for land and any depreciation or deterioration.

The sales comparison approach is also based on the principle of substitution: it uses sales of similar properties as a basis for comparison. It is rooted in the principal that the arms length, negotiated sale price of similar properties, best indicates the market value of the subject property. Adjustments must be made for differences in attributes, such as location, size, quality, condition, special features.

The income approach is based on the anticipated income stream generated by the use of the property and the desired return on investment. In this approach, the income (net or gross) a property will generate is estimated. Capitalization rates (rate of return) or multipliers are used to predict value. This approach is used primarily for commercial and rental property.

A: You apply and provide the required proof that your only legal residence is in Charleston County.

Legal residence application

Note: the legal residence application cannot be filed electronically, although you may print it out and send it in, or deliver it in person. The entire Legal Residence statute and complete instructions for filing the application are included with the application. The form will answer many questions, but it is legal in nature. If you have questions, call the number shown on the form There is a deadline to file the application, it is shown on the form. Filing as early in the year as possible - well before tax bills are mailed is highly recommended. Once tax bills are mailed the number of applications received per week soar and the number received per week continues to climb as the end of the year and the last day to pay taxes near. Backlogs develop that cannot be avoided.

A: Under South Carolina law, legal deadlines apply to objecting to (appealing) property values and classification of property. The Assessor has no authority to waive legal deadlines. The determination as to whether or not the deadline was met is based on the postmark date on the envelope not the date received. Various delivery services other than the US Postal Service also provide date marks or verification of mailing date similar to postmarks. If the taxpayer does not deliver the objection by hand, the postmark will be the deciding factor. Taxpayers may hand deliver objections to the ASSESSORS office or mail letters of objection to the address shown under the contact information.

Objections (appeals) must be filed with the ASSESSOR's office. No other county official can accept an objection (appeal). Objections must be in writing and cannot be accepted by email or fax as an original signature is required. Phone calls, faxes and emails do not preserve appeal rights. It is not necessary to send a letter of objection "return receipt requested", but it may provide peace of mind that the letter of objection was received. If a letter is sent return receipt requested, hold onto the returned receipt until contacted by the Assessor's office or until a response is received.

If a Notice of Change of Classification Appraisal and Assessment is sent during the year, appeal rights expire within either 90 days or 30 days of date the notice was mailed. The deadline is shown on the Notice. A form to appeal is provided with most Notices for convenience, and mailing instructions are included. If a Notice is sent for a reason unrelated to an already filed appeal, then the appeal deadline stated on the notice applies, and the owner must re-appeal within that deadline if they still disagree with the value or classification.

If no Notice is sent the taxpayer has until the last day to pay taxes without penalty to appeal for that tax year. Generally that date is January 15th, but it is extended until the next working day if that is a holiday or weekend.

For Tax Year 2014, the last day to file an objection (appeal) is January 15th 2015.

Taxpayers are urged to file objections for any tax year early in the year (in the spring if possible). Objections are handled in the order received. Many taxpayers wait until December and January to file. Filing an objection does not relieve the taxpayer of the obligation to pay the current bill while the objection process proceeds. For that reason filing well before bills are issued is advised.

A letter of objection must contain the following information:

1. Identify the property in question, preferably by use of the Parcel ID Number. Street addresses may be used.
2. The letter must contain an original signature. If the signature is not legible, writing the name of the signer below the signature is helpful.
3. A daytime phone number is needed.

It is not necessary to provide detailed reasoning for the appeal at the time of the initial letter of objection, but it may assist the appraiser prior to contacting you regarding the issue. There is a process to be followed after the letter is received, and subsequent deadlines apply to those steps.

A: A notice of property tax assessment is not a property tax bill. It will clearly state that is not a property tax bill. In general, a Notice of Change of Classification Appraisal and Assessment informs the owner of a value change, or of approval, removal or denial of various exemptions or special assessments. Notices relating to value changes are sent primarily the year after a change is made to a property, after an error is discovered, after the property transfers, or there is a countywide reassessment. Some of the changes that may trigger a notice are new buildings, new improvements, renovations, additions, subdividing a property, etc. Other circumstances may apply that cause a notice to be sent, such as response to a filed appeal. Appeal periods are stated on the notice. Most notices have an appeal form incorporated into the notice. Typically, notices begin going out early in the summer for the current tax year, and continue to be sent in batches until all filed applications and appeals are handled for the year. After that manual notices are sent individually. Most notices go out prior to tax bills. However, since some applications and some appeals are not due until the middle of January following the bill date, notices follow after those applications and appeals are received and handled. See the question on deadlines that can be found below.

A: Yes, you must pay your bill on the due date, which is typically January 15th unless that date falls on a holiday or weekend, in which case the bill is due the next work day. If an appeal or application is pending at the time the bill is due, you must pay your bill and await an adjustment if one is made. Penalties and/or interest begin to accrue on the first day to pay without penalty and will not be waived.

A: Deadlines indicate postmark date, not the received date. The applications for various special assessments can be found on the Charleston County website. All the application forms clearly indicate the deadline that applies to that particular exemption or special assessment. For most applications the application must be filed no later than January 15th unless that date falls on a weekend or holiday. One application in particular does not have a due date tied to the penalty date. That is the application for Multiple Lot Ownership Discount. It is due on or before May 1st. Please consult the specific application for each deadline.

Appeal deadlines are covered in the section on appeals and vary. It is not one deadline.

Note that electronic submissions of appeals and/or applications is not allowed, nor are faxed submittals acceptable. All the applications require an original signature, therefore the original must be sent in or delivered.

Filing Applications Early:

Many people wait to appeal or file various applications until after tax bills go out (usually in late September or early October). Many others file applications or appeals right before the end of the calendar year, right before the stated appeal deadline, or right before the last day to pay without penalty.

Because of the influx of applications near the end of the year, unavoidable backlogs develop beginning in early October and increase in size as the year progresses, continuing into the early part of the next year. Expertise is required in the approval or denial of various applications. While the Assessor's office makes every effort to process applications in a timely fashion, filing applications as early in the year as possible helps ensure the issuance of a correct initial tax bill. Applications that are filed in the early spring or summer usually result in the initial tax bill going out correctly. Sending in incomplete applications, applications that do not provide the required proof, and failure to sign applications or appeals all delay processing.

Similarly, if a notice of change is sent, appealing soon after receipt is better than waiting until the last day. Notices are sent out in large batches, often in the thousands or tens of thousand. Therefore many people have the same deadlines.

It is not necessary to send applications or appeal letters "return receipt requested", but it may provide peace of mind that the letter or application was received. If a letter or application is sent return receipt requested, hold onto the returned receipt until contacted by the Assessor's office or until a response is received.