Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia
Department 560 - RULES OF DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
Chapter 560-11 - LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES DIVISION
Subject 560-11-10 - APPRAISAL PROCEDURES MANUAL
Rule 560-11-10-.02 - Definitions

(a) Absorption rate. "Absorption rate" means the rate at which the real estate market can absorb real property of a given type.

(b) Appraiser. "Appraiser" means a member of the county appraisal staff, who serves the board of tax assessors and whose position was created pursuant to Part 1 of Article 5 of Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. This term does not limit its meaning to a single appraiser and may mean one or more members of the county appraisal staff.

(c) Basic cost approach. "Basic cost approach" means a cost approach procedure, used in the mass appraisal of personal property, which uses standard estimates of the most common factors affecting the value of such property. The basic cost approach is intended to provide a uniform estimate of personal property value.

(d) Depreciation. "Depreciation" means the loss of value due to any cause. It is the difference between the market value of a structural improvement or piece of equipment and its reproduction or replacement cost as of the date of valuation. Depreciation is divided into three categories, physical deterioration, functional obsolescence, and economic obsolescence. Depreciation may be further characterized as curable or incurable depending upon the difficulty or practicality of restoring the lost value through repair or maintenance.

(e) Economic life. "Economic life" means the period during which property may reasonably be expected to perform the function for which it was designed or intended.

(f) Economic obsolescence. "Economic obsolescence" means a form of depreciation that measures a loss of value from negative influence external to the real or personal property. It results when the desirability or useful life of real or personal property is impaired due to forces such as changes in optimum use, legislative enactment that restricts or impairs productivity, and changes in supply and demand relationships. Economic obsolescence is normally incurable.

(g) Effective age. "Effective age" means the age of an improvement to property as compared with other property performing like functions. It is the actual ageless the age that has been taken off by face-lifting, structural reconstruction, removal of functional inadequacies, modernization of equipment, and similar repairs and overhauls. It is an age that reflects a true remaining life for the property, taking into account the typical life expectancy of buildings or equipment of its class and usage.

(h) Fair market value. "Fair market value" means fair market value as defined in Code section 48-5-2(3).

(i) Final assessment. "Final assessment" means the assessed value of real property as stated on the Annual Notice of Assessment as approved by the Board of Assessors. Amendments to "Final assessment" for real property are prohibited absent a clerical error or some other lawful basis; and in the case of personal property, the appraisal staff has completed its audit of the personal property pursuant to Rule 560-11-10-.08(4)(d) within the three year statute of limitations.

(j) Functional obsolescence. "Functional obsolescence" means a form of depreciation that measures a loss of value from a design deficiency or appearance in the market of a more innovative design. Some functional obsolescence may be curable and some functional obsolescence may be incurable.

(k) Inventory. "Inventory", means goods held for sale or lease or furnished under contracts for service; also, supplies, packing materials, spare parts, raw materials, work in process or materials used or consumed in a business.

(l) Large acreage tract. "Large acreage tract" means a rural land tract that is greater in acreage than the small acreage break point.

(m) Mass appraisal. "Mass appraisal" means the process of valuing a universe of properties as of a given date using standard methodology, employing common data and allowing for statistical testing.

(n) Most Recent Arm's Length Sale. As referenced in OCGA 48-5-2(3), transactions must occur prior to the statutory date of valuation to become eligible for the value limitations imposed in 48-5-2(3). Furthermore, where the exchange of property is defined as an arm's length transaction, the sum of the value of the exchanged real estate property components, land and improvements, in the year following the property exchange shall not exceed the transaction's sale price adjusted for non-real estate values such as but not limited to, timber, personal property, etc. The adjustment to the value of the real estate shall remain in effect for at least the digest year following the transaction. With respect to changes in the exchanged real estate property components since the time of exchange (sale date), the value of new improvements, value of additions to existing improvements (footprint of exchanged structure has been altered), major remodeling or renovations to existing structures (footprint of exchanged structure has not been altered), and adjustments to land due to consolidation of tracts, new surveys, zoning changes, land use changes, etc. shall be added to the sales price adjusted values. In the event an exchanged real estate property structure is renovated or remodeled, the term major shall be construed such that both the property owner and BOA would reasonably conclude a major renovation/remodeling has occurred. If either party, acting reasonably, could debate that the renovation/remodeling effort was not major in nature, the renovation/remodeling effort does not qualify and shall not be added to the sales price adjusted values. Any modifications made to the exchanged real estate property after the sale date that result in a lower value of the exchanged property shall be considered in the final valuation of property for the digest.

(o) Original cost. "Original cost" means, in the case of machinery, equipment, furniture, personal fixtures, and trade fixtures in the hands of the final user, all the direct costs associated with acquiring, transporting and installing such property at the site where it is to be used. This includes the cost of the property to the property owner, the cost of transporting the property to its present site, the cost of any on-site assembly or customized modification of the property, the cost of installing the property, the cost of installing personal fixtures and trade fixtures necessary for the proper operation of the property, and any sales or use tax paid on the property. Original cost is equivalent to original cost new if the property owner was the first to put the personal property into service.

(p) Original cost new. "Original cost new" means, in the case of machinery, equipment, furniture, personal fixtures, and trade fixtures in the hands of the final user, all the direct costs associated with acquiring, transporting and installing such property at the site where it is to be used. This includes the historical cost of the property at the time it was first put into service new, the cost of transporting the property to its present site, the cost of any on-site assembly or customized modification of the property, the cost of installing the property, the cost of installing personal fixtures and trade fixtures necessary for the proper operation of the property, and any sales or use tax paid on the property. Original cost new is equivalent to original cost if the property owner was the first to put the personal property into service.

(q) Paired sales analysis. "Paired sales analysis" means the comparing of the sale prices of similar properties, some with and some without a particular characteristic, in order to determine what portion of the difference in sales price might be attributable to such characteristic.

(r) Personal fixtures. "Personal fixtures" means personal property that has been set-up or installed on land or in a building or in a group of buildings and is not permanently attached to such land or buildings. A consideration for whether personal property is a personal fixture is whether its removal would cause significant damage to such property or to the real property on which it has been set-up or installed. The term personal fixtures shall not include trade fixtures. Personal fixtures are classified as personal property. Examples of personal fixtures are desks, shelving, display cases and gondolas.

(s) Personal property. "Personal property" means tangible personal property that may be seen, weighed, measured, felt, or touched or which is in any other manner perceptible to the senses. Personal property shall include trade fixtures. For the purposes of this Rule, personal property shall not include the capital stock of all corporations; money, notes, bonds, accounts, or other credits, secured or unsecured; patent rights, copyrights, franchises, and any other classes and kinds of property defined by law as intangible personal property.

(t) Physical deterioration. "Physical deterioration" means a form of depreciation that measures the loss of utility of real or personal property over time from wear and tear, age, and exposure to the elements. Some physical deterioration may be curable and some physical deterioration may be incurable.

(u) Ready market. "Ready market" means a market, possibly global, where exchanges of machinery, equipment, personal fixtures and trade fixtures occur with such regularity and under such conditions as to provide a reliable measure of fair market value. Five conditions that may indicate a ready market are: the items of personal property being sold within the market are reasonable substitutes for each other; there are an adequate number of buyers and sellers of the personal property in the market, no one of whom can measurably affect price; there is an absence of artificial restraints and unusual incentives in the market; the item of personal property is reasonably free to be moved where it will receive the greatest return and buyers are reasonably free to buy where the price is lowest; and buyers and sellers are knowledgeable and informed about market conditions.

(v) Real estate. "Real estate" means the physical parcel of land, improvements to the land, improvements attached to the land, real fixtures and appurtenances such as easements.

(w) Real fixtures. "Real fixtures" means personal property that has been installed or attached to land or a building or group of buildings and is intended to remain permanently in its place. A consideration for whether personal property is a real fixture is whether its removal would cause significant damage to such property or to the real property to which it is attached. The term real fixtures shall not include trade fixtures. Real fixtures are classified as real property. Examples of real fixtures are plumbing, heating and cooling, and lighting fixtures.

(x) Real property. "Real property" means the bundle of rights, interests, and benefits connected with the ownership of real estate. Real property does not include the intangible benefits associated with the ownership of real estate, such as the goodwill of a going business concern.

(y) Replacement cost. "Replacement cost" for real property means the cost required to construct a similar structure with like utility as the subject property using modern design, materials, and workmanship. Replacement cost for personal property means the current cost of a similar new item having the nearest equivalent utility as the subject property.

(z) Reproduction cost. "Reproduction cost" for real property means the cost required to construct an identical or exact replica structure of the subject property. Reproduction cost for personal property means the current cost of duplicating an identical new item.

(aa) Residual value. "Residual value" means the value of personal property that is at the end of its normally expected economic life but still in use.

(bb) Rural land. "Rural land" means any land that normally lies outside corporate limits, planned subdivisions, commercial sites, and industrial sites.

(cc) Salvage value. "Salvage value" means the value of personal property that is at the end of its normally expected economic life and has been taken out of use.

(dd) Small acreage break point. "Small acreage break point" means the point, expressed as a number of acres, at which the slope of a trend line, drawn through the plotted qualified sales of rural land on a graph, reflects a distinct and pronounced change. Such graph uses the dollars per acre on the vertical axis and numbers of acres on the horizontal axis. The small acreage break point should show the point below which the market factors of accessibility and desirability of the land primarily influence value, and above which the productivity of the soil and suitability for timber growth primarily influence value.

(ee) Small acreage tract. "Small acreage tract" means a rural land tract that is equal to or smaller in acres than the small acreage break point.

(ff) Tax situs. "Tax situs" means the location of personal property for ad valorem tax purposes.

(gg) Trade fixtures. "Trade fixtures" means fixtures that are owned and temporarily installed or attached to a rented space or building by a tenant and used in conducting a business. For personal property to be classified as trade fixtures the lease or rental agreement has to show intent for the fixtures to be removed by the owner at the termination of the lease. Fixtures that revert to the landlord when the lease is terminated are not trade fixtures. Property shall not be classified as a trade fixture when the cost of removal, or damage that removal would cause to the realty, or to the fixture itself, clearly indicates that a tenant is unlikely to remove such fixture at the termination of the lease. Trade fixtures shall be classified as personal property.

(hh) Transitional real property. "Transitional real property" means any real property that is undergoing a change in use, such as residential, agricultural, commercial, or industrial, and has not been firmly established in its new use. Change in use may be evidenced by recent zoning changes, purchase by a known developer, affidavits of intent, or close proximity to property exposed to these market factors.

(ii) Trend. "Trend" means an observable tendency of behavior such as stable economic direction over extended periods despite temporary fluctuations.