Landowners who for conveniences sake sometimes combine lots in order to create one tax account now have an additional option that may save them the headache of redrawing property boundaries.

Umatilla County?Commissioners approved a policy Wednesday to allow owners of multiple properties to combine tax accounts without combining tax lots.

Umatilla Countys assessment and taxation and planning departments presented the commissioners a set of revamped classifications for combining tax accounts and combining tax lots.

The problem, according to Tamra Mabbott, county planning director, has been that legally merging lots in some cases cannot later be undone.

Its important to the landowner to not make a move to forego options in the future, Mabbott said.

County planner Richard Jennings said some landowners may want to combine tax accounts in order to receive one statement, rather than merging one lot with another.

A tax lot and a unit of land are two different things, said Mabbott.

Paul Chalmers, county tax assessor, said creating a new tax account category for property owners will not mean more work for the county. Instead it gives property owners more options.

Commissioner Dennis Doherty worried that increasing ways to combine land or accounts could confuse landowners. 

Chalmers and Mabbott said both the planning department and the assessment and taxation department will speak with landowners individually to make things as clear as possible.