So, you received your property tax assessment in the mail and you your first thought is “woah, this can’t be right. My house is not worth that much!” The tax assessments that you receive this spring are probably some of the first assessments that are truly reflecting the property value increase of the crazy housing market we witnessed throughout 2020-2022. Low inventory plus low interest rates meant housing prices increased dramatically.
Though shocking, you should ask yourself “Could I sell my house for that amount today?” If the answer is yes then the value on your property tax assessment is probably correct. But I do advise my clients to take the time to research your property assessments because you might discover it is worth it to appeal it.
You have the right to protest the tax assessment for one or more of the following reasons:
-The assessment is not comparable to others with similar properties
-The property is assessed at more than its actual value
-The property is exempt from taxation
-The assessment is fraudulent
From April 2nd-April 30th you can fill out a protest form to contest your assessment. The most common one I advise my clients to select is “the property is assessed at more than its actual value”. This claims your property is not worth as much as the assessor says it is.
To argue your case well you should do more than just claim what you think your home is worth on the protest form. You will need to provide evidence that will persuade the Board of Review you are right. Any of the following pieces of evidence would work for this:
-A copy of a recent appraisal -A copy of recent sales listing of your property (if this is less than the assessment) -A copy of a recent sales agreement or evidence of a recent sale -A list of three to five sales of properties comparable to yours that indicate your property would not sell for what it is being assessed for. This is the easiest form of evidence to provide and I have a video showing you how to do this. -Pictures or an inspection report that shows deficiencies in your home that may not be obvious from an outside inspection (such as a problematic basement wall or termite damage)
After submitting your protest form you will hear back from the board on their decision, usually no later than May 31sr when the board typically adjourns.
As always if you have any questions feel free to reach out!
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