§ 138.060 RSMo — Appeals from assessor's valuation, no presumption that valuation is correct, burden of proof in certain counties — erroneous assessments

1. The county board of equalization shall, in a summary way, determine all appeals from the valuation of property made by the assessor, and shall correct and adjust the assessment accordingly. There shall be no presumption that the assessor's valuation is correct. In any county with a charter form of government with a population greater than two hundred eighty thousand inhabitants but less than two hundred eighty-five thousand inhabitants, in any county with a charter form of government with greater than one million inhabitants, in any city not within a county, and in any other county for any property whose assessed valuation increased at least fifteen percent from the previous assessment unless the increase is due to new construction or improvement, the assessor shall have the burden to prove that the assessor's valuation does not exceed the true market value of the subject property. In such county or city, in the event a physical inspection of the subject property is required by subsection 10 of section 137.115 , the assessor shall have the burden to establish the manner in which the physical inspection was performed and shall have the burden to prove that the physical inspection was performed in accordance with section 137.115 . In such county or city, in the event the assessor fails to provide sufficient evidence to establish that the physical inspection was performed in accordance with section 137.115 , the property owner shall prevail on the appeal as a matter of law. At any hearing before the state tax commission or a court of competent jurisdiction of an appeal of assessment from a first class charter county or a city not within a county, the assessor shall not advocate nor present evidence advocating a valuation higher than that value finally determined by the assessor or the value determined by the board of equalization, whichever is higher, for that assessment period.

2. The county clerk shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings and orders of the board, and the assessor shall correct all erroneous assessments, and the clerk shall adjust the tax book according to the orders of such board and the orders of the state tax commission, except that in adding or deducting such percent to each tract or parcel of real estate as required by such board or state tax commission, he shall add or deduct in each case any fractional sum of less than fifty cents, so that the value of any separate tract shall contain no fractions of a dollar.