How to Appeal a Property Assessment
Paying property taxes is something that every homeowner has to do at some point. Each year, your county charges taxes on the value of your home. The amount that you have to pay is based on the assessed value of your home. If you think that the assessed value is too high, you can appeal the assessment. This could potentially allow you to save money on your property taxes. Each county has a slightly different appeals system, but they are all similar.
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Instructions
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Determine what the time line is for the appeals process. Each county has a different amount of time that you can appeal an assessment. You can find out the deadline by calling the assessor's office and asking. Some counties give you 30 days while others can give you up to 120 days after the assessments go out.
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Contact the assessor's office and ask for a copy of the appraisal report. You need to contact the appraiser in writing through certified mail. This gives you proof that your letter was received in time for the deadline. Then the assessor will send you a copy of your appraisal report.
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Review the appraisal report for obvious errors. One of the reasons that you can appeal an appraisal report is if there are any obvious errors. For example, if you look at the appraisal report and it has the wrong amount of square footage, you could appeal. If you see that the appraisal report includes a house with five bedrooms and you only have three bedrooms in your house, you could appeal this assessment. Appraisal errors are often obvious, which you can spot relatively quickly.
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Look at the assessed value in comparison to comparable properties in your neighborhood. You can get information about the assessed value of your neighbors' homes by inquiring at the assessor's office. You could also hire a real estate agent or an appraiser to get this information for you. When you have data to compare, you can prove that your house is assessed at a value that is too high.
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Ask the appraiser for an informal meeting to fix the problem. If you have found something that is obviously wrong with your appraisal report, you can often talk to the appraiser on an informal basis and get the problem fixed. In some cases, the appraiser may not be willing to meet with you, which would require a formal hearing. You can fill out a form to request a hearing on your property assessment.
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Attend the formal hearing to show your findings. The judge will hear your case and then a decision will be made on the true value of your property. You need to have some type of valid evidence in order to have a hearing.
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