St. Louis assessor: residential occupancy law aids some homeowners, commercial owners face limits

The City Assessor’s office explained how assessment law governs property taxes for properties damaged in the May 16 tornado and how local emergency measures apply.

Acting City Assessor Sean Ardway said Missouri assessment statutes tie property values to the condition on Jan. 1 of the tax year, leaving little flexibility for ad‑hoc adjustments during the year. However, Ardway said the Board of Aldermen enacted a local “occupancy law” allowing assessors to adjust values for residential properties that are unoccupied and uninhabitable due to the natural disaster. “It only affects residential property,” Ardway said, and requires that a property be uninhabitable and unoccupied to qualify.

Ardway told business owners the state’s assessment framework does not provide a similar, statutory mechanism for commercial or industrial parcels; therefore, commercial owners with vacant or damaged storefronts generally will not see assessment relief for the 2025 tax year based on the post‑storm condition. He said the assessor’s office will review affected parcels again for the 2026 tax year and that owners should document repairs and replacement activity so that 2026 valuations reflect the property’s condition on Jan. 1, 2026.

Ardway encouraged owners with questions to consult the assessor’s office and city staff at recovery tables outside the forum. “We will come out and we’re gonna review all 12,000 to 15,000 parcels that have been affected by the storm,” he said, and added the office would help owners understand how rehabilitation or replacement will affect future assessments.

The assessor’s explanation stressed the difference between immediate relief programs (grants, emergency funds) and assessment law, which governs taxable value and is set on a statutory schedule.