Assessor

    Dorene Greiwe - Assessor

  • assessor@decaturcounty.in.gov
  • Decatur County Assessor
    150 Courthouse Square, Suite 105
    Greensburg, IN 47240
  • (812) 663-4868
  • (812) 662-6392

General Information

The County Assessor is a statutory officer who is elected for a term of 4 years and may be re-elected without limit. This official functions under the direction of the State Board of Tax Commissioners.

The County Assessor advises and instructs all township assessors of his/her county as to their duties; serves as reviewer of the returns made by township assessors, and according to law, has the same powers as a township assessor. He/She is also the inheritance tax appraiser for his/her county and serves as a representative of the State Inheritance Tax Division in issuing consents to transfer of property held in joint names.

The County Assessor oversees a general reassessment in the county and serves as president of the County Board of Review, which hears appeals on property tax assessments.

Appeals Procedure

Taxpayers wishing to file an appeal may print off a form from www.in.gov/dlgf and fill it out. It is a form #130 and is called Taxpayer's Notice to Initiate an Appeal. Forms can also be pick up in the assessor's office. If you have any questions, you may call the Assessor's office at (812) 663-4868 and we'll help you with it. Completed forms may be dropped off, mailed to Decatur County Assessor, 150 Courthouse Square Suite 105, Greensburg, IN 47240, or you can fax it to 812-662-6392 or scan and e-mail. Appeal forms MUST be received no later than 45 days after the date on the form 11 that is mailed to the taxpayer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my assessment change if I haven't made any changes to my property?

State legislators passed a law (IC 6-1.1-4-4.5) effective in 2006 requiring assessors to annually adjust the assessed value of real property to account for changes in value. This is called "trending" and it is calculated based on sales in your "neighborhood" or area during the two years preceding the assessment date (2004 & 2005).

"Neighborhood" as defined by the Real Property Assessment Manual:
A geographical area exhibiting a high degree of homogeneity in residential amentities, land use, economic and social trends, and housing characteristics.

If you feel your assessed value is more than what you could sell your property for and you can provide evidence to substantiate this, please bring the evidence to the Assessor's office (First floor, north end of east hall) in the County Courthouse.

You will also need to fill out a Petition For Review of Assessment (Form 130)

What kind of evidence do I need to provide?

The Indiana Tax Court has repeatedly stated that the most effective documentation is a professional appraisal.

Additional market data that may be relevant in establishing your case include:

  • Sales comparison information (sales of similar homes in your area) (Per Indiana Tax Court, unless the properties are truly "identical" the taxpayer must account for any differences between the homes)
  • Sale data (closing statement) from the sale of the subject property. However, if the sale is a tax sale, estate sale, distress sale, exempt sale or in any way does not represent market value, the sale information is unlikely to be deemed "probative" (serving for trial as proof).

Best appeal documentation:

  • Appraisal
  • Comparable Sales
  • Closing Statement (from "valid" sale of subject property)

More information:

Helpful Links

Downloads

To view our downloads you may need to install either Adobe Acrobat Reader or Open Office.

Additional Information

Certification of Eligibility for Personal Property Exemption Pursuant to Ic-6-1 1-3-7 2 (pdf) Certification of Eligibility for Personal Property Exemption Pursuant to Ic-6-1 1-3-7 2 (word) Certification of Eligibility for Personal Property Exemption Pursuant to Ic-6-1 1-3-7 2
2021-07-20 - Request for Bids for 2026 Property Reassessment (pdf) 2021-07-20 - Request for Bids for 2026 Property Reassessment (word) 2021-07-20 - Request for Bids for 2026 Property Reassessment
2016-02-16 - Ordinance 2016-1 - Local Service Fee (pdf) 2016-02-16 - Ordinance 2016-1 - Local Service Fee (word) 2016-02-16 - Ordinance 2016-1 - Local Service Fee
2016-01-01 - Exemptions Under Ic 6-1 1-3-7 2 (pdf) 2016-01-01 - Exemptions Under Ic 6-1 1-3-7 2 (word) 2016-01-01 - Exemptions Under Ic 6-1 1-3-7 2
2015-08-14 - Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Property Exemption (pdf) 2015-08-14 - Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Property Exemption (word) 2015-08-14 - Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Property Exemption
2015-07-28 - Legislative Changes Affecting Personal Property Taxes (pdf) 2015-07-28 - Legislative Changes Affecting Personal Property Taxes (word) 2015-07-28 - Legislative Changes Affecting Personal Property Taxes
2015-05-15 - Legislative Changes Affecting Personal Property Assessments (pdf) 2015-05-15 - Legislative Changes Affecting Personal Property Assessments (word) 2015-05-15 - Legislative Changes Affecting Personal Property Assessments
2009-07-08 Rushenberg Memo - Valuation Date and Assessment Date (pdf) 2009-07-08 Rushenberg Memo - Valuation Date and Assessment Date (word) 2009-07-08 Rushenberg Memo - Valuation Date and Assessment Date
2008-12-24 - Over 65 Deduction and Over 65 Circuit Breaker Credit Frequently Asked Questions (pdf) 2008-12-24 - Over 65 Deduction and Over 65 Circuit Breaker Credit Frequently Asked Questions (word) 2008-12-24 - Over 65 Deduction and Over 65 Circuit Breaker Credit Frequently Asked Questions