How to Write a Petition for Property Taxes

If you want to write a petition regarding property taxes, there are two areas to attack: Taxing entities like your village, town, city, county or school district; or the local assessor's office, which determines the value of your property that is taxed on a rate set by those entities. You can voice your concerns about tax rates before the city council, or school board passes its budget. The assessment process is similar in that you are notified of the proposed assessment change on your property before its finalized. Either way, be prepared with facts and figures.

Things You'll Need

• Assessment records detailing the size of your home and lot
• Copy of your most recent tax bills and town, city, or school district's budget
• Sale prices of comparable properties (if challenging your assessment)
• Tax rates in comparable communities or school district (if criticizing proposed tax rates)

Instructions

Review the Numbers and State Your Case

1. Obtain and understand the most recent assessment and taxation records on your property from your municipal clerk's office, where applicable, or your county real property tax office. You also want a copy of the town, city or school district's proposed budget, if available, or the most recent approved budget. The spending plan should detail tax rates, include salary figures for every employee, and list major purchase items.

2. Analyze the information and write down your key points. If challenging your assessment, check to see if any of the information on the municipal record is inaccurate, like lot size, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, amenities like a fireplace or swimming pool. On the budgets, look for major increases in employee salaries, large equipment purchases or other spikes that contribute to the tax rate going up. Then get budgets for similar-sized communities or school districts and see if their spending is a lot less.

3. State your problems with the proposed tax rates during a public hearing on the proposed budget, which should take place under state and federal provisions of the Open Meeting and Freedom of Information laws. Be respectful but firm. Your concerns about personally not being able to afford a tax hike will be entered onto the record, but that alone is not enough to sway a board's action. It is more effective to cite unreasonable purchases or pay hikes in the budget, and suggest ways to reduce spending. Submit your key points in writing as well.

4. Present your case to the assessor's office. The grievance process could involve two or more steps--an informal meeting with the assessor, followed by a formal challenge before an assessment review board, according to the International Association of Assessing Officers. You should present your argument in writing in addition to oral arguments.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep in mind that assessments are mostly based on what comparable properties in your community have sold for (market value).They are also based on modifications (improvements or deterioration) of your house itself or the community, such as a large employer leaving town and leaving property vacant, according to the International Association of Assessment Officers. A larger, nicer home in a less desirable community could be assessed for much less than yours.

• Both processes are give and take. A city council or school board may reduce spending somewhat based on public concerns, but maybe not as much as you hoped. The assessor may agree with some of your points and adjust the value of your home somewhere between the figure he started with and the one you presented.

• Challenging your assessment in court after the assessor grievance board's final decision may end up costing you more than what you would have paid in additional taxes if you had not sued.

• There are some costs that municipal boards have no control of, like required state pension contributions. Know which expenditures fit into that category before you voice your displeasure publicly.

• Beware of how a city council or school board responds to salary criticisms. They might not have the ability to change budgeted pay rates in due to previously agreed-upon union contracts, but keep in mind that they are on the same board that agreed to those contracts.

References

• International Association of Assessing Officers