Cuyahoga County property owners whose homes were damaged in the Aug. 6 storm can apply for a temporary value reduction.

The value reduction is for one year, according to Kelly Woodard, a spokesperson for the county. The value would drop in 2025 and then return to normal in 2026, she said.

The county’s appraisal department will accept applications until Dec. 31. After the form is submitted, the county will send an appraiser to the home to assess the property. 

The temporary reduction in value will not affect the new appraised values recently sent to property owners, according to Woodard. 

After the new values were released, residents packed information sessions hosted by the county to express outrage over rising property values and taxes. On average, values increased 32% across Cuyahoga County. The average was far higher in certain communities, such as East Cleveland, where values had plummeted in the past decade. 

Property owners who want to challenge their new property value – beyond storm damage – can submit an informal complaint until Aug. 30. 

How to report the property damage

The application reporting the damage can be downloaded from the county’s website (or accessed directly here). The form asks for the property owner’s name, address and contact information as well as a description and estimated cost of the damage. Parcel numbers can be located on the property value assessment letter or by using Signal Cleveland’s database. All fields on the form are required except for the “application number” at the top.

You can mail your application or drop it off at:

Cuyahoga County Fiscal Office Appraisal Department
2079 E. Ninth Street, 3rd Floor
Cleveland, OH 44115

The application cannot be submitted electronically, according to the county.

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Service Journalism Reporter (she/her)
I am dedicated to untangling bureaucracy so Clevelanders can have the information (and the power) they want. I spent 10 years on the frontlines of direct service working with youth and system-impacted communities before receiving my degree in media advocacy at Northeastern University.