Property Assessment
Click here for the full notice.
Understanding Your Property Assessment Notice
Each year, the Township sends property owners an annual property assessment notice that includes changes to the assessed value and taxable value of your property.
These numbers provide an estimate of the market value of your property and how much of that value you will pay taxes on.
For more information on how to read your assessment notice, click here.
If you meet the eligibility criteria of the ‘Poverty Guidelines,’ please click here to access the application form and information regarding the exemption.
Property Survey: Why You Need One And How To Get It
The Township often receives questions from property owners about property surveys when they are planning to put up a fence or storage shed, or when making changes to their parcel boundaries.
To learn more about what property owners need to know about these surveys, click here.
For property and assessment information contact the Assessor's Office at (616) 726-8880.
The main function of the Assessor’s Office is to prepare an assessment roll for all property within the Township according to the Michigan General Property Tax Act and the State of Michigan. This is done on an annual basis for the approximate 14,000 parcels within the Township at a True Cash Value (TCV) of approximately $3.7 billion. Every year we determine the TCV of each taxable property within the Township as of “tax day,” which is December 31. Every taxable property is assessed at 50% of the TCV. The department also maintains records of current ownership, assessed and taxable values, record cards showing property characteristics, applications of exemptions, and market data.
An Assessor must be certified by the State Tax Commission (STC) to act as an assessing officer. There are three possible certification levels: MMAO, MAAO, and MCAO. These certifications are based on education, experience and examination, with the MMAO level having the highest rating. There is also an MCAT level which is for individuals that work in the industry but do not have the authority to act as an assessor of record. Each municipality requires a certain level of assessor which is dependent on the value and complexity of the jurisdiction, based on the guidelines set by the State of Michigan. While Plainfield Charter Township only requires an MAAO certification level according to the state guidelines, the current Assessor is certified as an MMAO (Michigan Master Assessing Officer). We also have an MAAO-level Deputy Assessor and an MCAO-level Appraiser on staff. Even our technician in the department holds the MCAT certification.