With that being said most people do not know they are over paying for their property tax. After inheriting a home from my father’s will it became clear to me that I needed to lower my property tax. I want to share with you some of the tips I found useful in my experience with my property tax appeal.
A great start for this discussion is to stress to you that changing your property taxes is a long and tiresome process that takes your full attention. I find it alarming that only 7% of people actually go through with their property tax appeal. After going through it myself I can see why they stopped. I would have if I did not end up using a lawyer. People seem to forget that this is not something that is just given to you. You have to go through a whole hearing and argue your case. That is why I suggest people to hire a property lawyer. Most research suggests that there is a 75% chance of winning your appeal on your own and an even greater chance when using a lawyer. I know of a law firm that advertises a 98% success rate. I want to express that it is not impossible for you to do it yourself it simply is much more time consuming.
The most essential issue to keep in mind when trying a property tax appeal is to know the current industry value of your house. In my case my father acquired his property in the early 2000’s and I received the estate in his will in 2011. Well to say the minimum the marketplace price of the residence went down drastically considering that he first bought it. I quickly figured out that I needed to receive my personal property tax card from the assessors office. In a hearing the main thing you want to get across is that the information held by the state is outdated and inaccurate. Use an appraisal and the out dated tax card as comparable examples.
Remember: Calling a lawyer is always an easy way to figure out where you stand with your property taxes.
Keep this post in your thoughts to keep yourself educated about ways for you to go about a successful property tax appeal. What I learned from my experience is that this is not a simple process and it takes more than a few phone calls. If you’re like most Americans and cannot afford to spend the time needed for a property tax appeal I would say your best bet is to leave it to a trust worthy property attorney. The savings are more than worth it but the time it takes is unappealing. Take my word for it.
You also want to keep in mind that there is a distinct advantage to hiring a law firm to do all of your property tax appeals. Your property tax laws may vary from state to state. The Interwebs is a great resource for researching all of these different laws. One is able to appeal without the help of an lawyer, but the reason why people do go with a law firm is that there chances of success dramatically increase when they hire someone to represent their case. Some law firms can even claim something like a 98% success rate.