CLEVELAND, Ohio — Nearly a year after filing a formal appeal to challenge the value of her modest Cleveland home, Susan Dean is still waiting to hear whether the county agrees her property was assessed too high.
In the meantime, Dean, 81, and a co-homeowner have been paying thousands more in property taxes — money she says they could have used for necessities like heat, electricity and groceries, especially as other rising costs continue to strain their fixed incomes.
“We’re happy to pay our fair share,” Dean said. “But when the appraisal is way out of line, we feel as though we’re being taken advantage of.”…