REVALUATION UPDATE

Revaluation Update

The Assessor’s Office has been notified that Durham’s Hearing/Assessment Notices are scheduled to be mailed by eQuality Valuation Services, LLC (hereinafter “eQuality”) on December 19, 2025.

After that, eQuality will hold informal hearings.  They have provided the following information regarding those hearings:

Informal Hearings: What to Expect

Informal hearings are one of the busiest times during the revaluation process. eQuality’s goal is to ensure that every taxpayer who requests a hearing receives one within the designated timeframe. If appointment slots begin to fill, we will extend the hearing schedule one day at a time as needed.

Taxpayer Process

1. Receive Hearing Notice

The hearing notice will include:

  • Prior and Current Assessment
  • Authorization Code: Unique to each property. This code is required in order to book an appointment via any scheduling channel.
  • Appointment Scheduling Phone Number
  • Appointment Timeframe: The last day to schedule is the day before the final day of hearings.
  • Web Address to View New Assessment Data
    • Format: https://Durham.equalitycama.com   
    • Do not include "www." – this will result in an error.
    • THE WEBSITE WILL NOT HAVE NEW VALUES POSTED UNTIL THE HEARING NOTICES ARE MAILED.  CHECKING VALUES BEFORE THEN WILL DISPLAY THE 2020 REVALUATION VALUES. The website goes live on the day hearing notices are mailed.
    • Note: The website is static—values will not change. The taxpayer must wait until the Results Notices are mailed.

2. Scheduling an Appointment

All hearings are conducted via phone call. eQuality will call the taxpayer at their scheduled appointment time.

  • Appointments can be scheduled online or by calling the call centerThe Call Center phone number will be provided in the Hearing Notice Letter.  

  • Taxpayers may also choose to complete an Informal Hearing Form during the same timeframe instead of a phone hearing.  These forms will be on the appointment scheduling web.

Appointment Durations

  • Residential Properties: 15 minutes
  • Commercial Properties: 20 minutes

Call Center Guidelines

  • The Call Center is for appointment scheduling only and cannot answer questions.
  • Any issues will be escalated to a dedicated Hearing Escalation Email, monitored throughout the day.

3. Appointment Confirmation

  • If the taxpayer provides an email address, they will receive a confirmation email.
  • No email address = no confirmation.

4. Phone Call Procedure

  • eQuality will call from a number that may appear as "Unknown".

  • If the taxpayer does not answer:
     
    • We will make one additional attempt.
  •  
    • If still unanswered, the appointment will be marked as a No Show

5. Submitting Documentation

  • Taxpayers may send documentation to a town-specific email:  Durham@QDS.Biz 

  • Important:
     
    • Documentation will only be reviewed if the taxpayer has either had a hearing or submitted a hearing form.
  •  
    • Taxpayers have 3 days after their appointment to send supporting documents.
  •  
    • The documentation email will remain open for 5 days after the final hearing date.
  •  
Automated Email Responses

  • Upon submission, taxpayers receive an automatic confirmation:

“Thank you for your email. This reply serves as confirmation of its receipt. No questions will be answered through this email, as its sole purpose is to receive documentation. An Informal Hearing appointment must be had for the documentation to be reviewed. Thank you for your understanding.”
(Taxpayers should check their spam folder if they don’t see this reply.)

  • After the documentation window closes, the auto-reply changes to:

“The Informal Hearings for Town Name have ended. This email box is no longer being monitored. The results of the Informal Hearings will be mailed by early February. Please contact the Town Name Assessor's Office for information about appealing to your local Board of Assessment Appeals. Thank you.”

6. Hearing Review and Results

  • Each appointment will be reviewed and decisioned by the Valuator.
  • The property record will be marked as “Change” or “No Change” in the CAMA system.
  • After all hearings are completed, taxpayers will receive a Results Notice with instructions on how to proceed with a Board of Assessment Appeals (BAA), if necessary.  The results will be mailed no later than February 1.

Common Questions & Concerns

  • Back-to-Back Scheduling: Appointments are tightly scheduled. If a taxpayer misses their time, they must:
     
    • Rebook (if still within the scheduling window),
  •  
    • Submit the hearing form within the hearing period, or
  •  
    • Work directly with the Town Assessor.
       If the Assessor identifies an issue or correction, they may email the Valuator with supporting information, and eQuality will process the change.
    •  
Phone Line Limitations:
eQuality’s phone lines are reserved for municipal clients—not taxpayers. All taxpayer communication must follow the outlined informal hearing procedures.