Goshen homeowner appeals 2023–25 assessments, cites neighborhood nuisances and disputed comparables

Carol Erlicker told the Elkhart County Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals on Feb. 3 that her home’s assessed value is out of line with local comparables and that neighborhood conditions have depressed marketability. Erlicker listed ongoing nuisances — a nearby dog kennel, ATV track noise, multiple semis parked full time, dumping and a scoreboard left in a yard — and said she supplied photographs and a comparables packet to the board.

Erlicker asked the board to consider a lower market value she estimated at about $540,000 for assessment years 2023–2025. County exhibits presented at the hearing showed a 2025 contested value of $597,300 and a county model value of $589,300. The county’s representative supplied property record cards and valuation models for 2023–2025; the petitioner submitted MLS/Zillow listings and photographs in support of her claim.

Board member Mike Settles and others questioned Erlicker about valuation evidence and whether she had tried to sell the property to confirm marketability. Erlicker said she had not tried to sell and that, at her age, she wished to remain in the home. The board said it had enough evidence on the record to consider and adjourned the hearing for deliberation; parties were told they will be notified of the board’s determination by mail.

The hearing record shows the petitioner focused on neighborhood-condition evidence and comparable sales as the primary factual basis for requesting reduced assessments. The county indicated it would rely on the property record card and its valuation model unless the board finds a measurable inequity in the data.

The board did not issue a decision at the hearing; it adjourned and said it would review exhibits and notify the petitioner by mail.