It is legal under Kentucky law for county property appraisers to use digital imaging technology to examine property to help set appraisals, according to the attorney general's office. The use of the technology meets the law’s stipulation that each parcel of taxable real property be physically examined at least once every four years, “so long as such use fairly and equitably assesses property, based on its individual physical characteristics,” Assistant Attorney General S. Travis Mayo wrote.
Although the exact method or usage apparently varies among some of the counties, each of those nine Property Value Administrators (PVAs) has been using digital imaging technology to supplement the staff's physical examination of property. Several of those PVAs use what is called pixel resolution images, capable of measuring structures from all angles and directions, Mayo said.
Jefferson County PVA Tony Lindauer has defended the way he assesses property. He uses the mapping programs in addition to field exams to evaluate properties, the Kentucky New Era reported. Former Jefferson County PVA Pedro Garcia filed a lawsuit regarding Lindauer’s methods. In that suit, it was alleged that Lindauer’s office was breaking state law by relying on software mapping programs to assess home values, rather than conducting on-site inspections.
“Some fellow PVAs in Kentucky had been reluctant to use the technology because its use had not been clarified,” Lindauer said. “This technology will lead to wider usage of the imaging method.”
In Mayo’s written statement, he said the legislature actually intended to allow use of digital imaging technology in setting assessments. Professional appraisal standards allow the use of aerial photography as a method of updating property characteristics.