Senior adults who have gone though any number of life-changing events this year might be in jeopardy of losing their homestead exemptions if they don’t notify the tax assessors office in January.

Changes to homestead are effected if a person has reached the age of 65, gone though a divorce or the death of a spouse, or added a parcel of land within a five-mile radius of their property, Warren County Tax Assessor Angela brown told members of Triad, a community organization for senior adults, last week.

“Warren County homeowners may apply for homestead exemption on the home they reside in between Jan 1. and April 1,” Brown said.

In December Brown’s office will send out a reminder to make changes to homestead exemptions. If a change needs to be made or if an applicant becomes eligible for a homestead excemption, it is important to notify the assessors’ office in January, Brown said

“The tax assessors office has no way of knowing when an applicant reaches the age of 65 or becomes 100 percent disabled,” she said.

If there are no changes, there is no need to visit the assessors’ office, she said.

Homestead exemption was designed by the state legislature to encourage homeowners to receive a tax deduction at their primary residence.

To be eligible to file for an exemption in January, a resident must have turned 65 or been declared 100 percent disabled this year, said deputy tax assessor Megan Humes, who is the homestead exemption trainer for Brown’s office.

“Those of you who have a birthday year of 1949 need to come to the office,” Humes said.

Homestead exemption is from all ad valorem taxes assessed to property, limited to the first $7,500 of assessed value.