Missouri AG Hanaway announces major property tax victories: What it means for St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway on Wednesday announced a pair of significant legal victories regarding property taxes, putting an end to a high-profile county assessment battle and upholding state tax protections for homeowners.

The announcement resolves the years-long fallout over Jackson County’s controversial 2023 property reassessments while turning back a constitutional challenge aimed at eliminating Missouri’s Homestead Property Tax Credit protections.

Jackson County Assessment Settlement

The state intervened in Jackson County after tens of thousands of homeowners were hit with steep assessment spikes without receiving legally mandated notice deadlines.

Under the settlement, county officials agreed to drop their appeal, comply with a state corrective order, roll back unlawful assessment increases, and adjust both the 2023 and 2024 tax rolls. In a parallel class-action lawsuit, Jackson County has agreed to reimburse taxpayers who were over-assessed.

The widespread controversy in Jackson County also served as the primary catalyst behind a statewide constitutional amendment requiring the direct election of all county assessors in Missouri.

Court Upholds Homeowner Tax Protections

General Hanaway’s office also secured a total defense verdict in Alois Kirchhofer, et al. v. State of Missouri, where plaintiffs sought to overturn statutory protections that shield homeowners from sudden, excessive property tax increases.

A state judge rejected every constitutional challenge brought against the law, finding the protections are rationally related to Missouri’s interest in safeguarding families against extreme assessment jumps.

What This Means for the St. Louis Region

While the settlement directly resolves Jackson County’s assessment rolls, the rulings carry critical takeaways for St. Louis area taxpayers:

• Protections Preserved: Homeowners across the St. Louis metro retain key state statutory safeguards designed to cap or blunt sudden assessment spikes.
• Scrutiny on Local Assessments: In upholding the tax relief law, the court cited evidence showing that the City of St. Louis—along with more than 90 Missouri counties—has been assessing property below state compliance standards, underscoring continued state attention on local assessment practices.
• Precedent for Compliance: The resolution establishes strict state-level enforcement of statutory notice deadlines and assessment formulas, reinforcing accountability for county assessors across the state.

“At a time when families across Missouri are stretching every dollar and watching their household budgets more closely than ever, government has a responsibility to safeguard taxpayers, not make life harder for them,” Hanaway said in a statement.