Anyone have any luck against a tax assessor?

I just got a notice in the mail a couple weeks ago that my property assessment was going up. Due to an increase in the value of local homes. And here I thought there was a housing crash???
Any way I went in and talked to her. I was loaded with assessments of homes larger than mine and or with more land that were quite a bit lower than mine. I may as well have talked to the wall as she completely ignored me as she mumbled mmmm hmmm yeah uhuahhh yeah mmmmm oooo and every now and then a nooooo.
I live in an area that is depressed and work is very scarce. Anyone have any luck fighting an increase? She has raised me twice within the last 4 years and raised me about 80%.
I plan on fighting her but she is a definate rock head. Any ideas would be appreaciated.

Most municipalities have a board of tax review or something similar to address concerns like this. Do not go in there without solid proof of disparity.

We have been going through this last few years as our county did a county wide assessment because it wasn't done since 1965. It's complicated issue. First are they assessing at current value or a previous year? The assessed value does not have to actually reflect the actual value. For example before the reassessment all the houses were assessed at 1965 values but the millage was astronomical. assuming the houses were correctly assed at 1965 values then the tax would be "fairly" distributed.

As I understand it the biggest factor in getting it adjusted is to find a similar property in the same area that was sold. If you're not being assessed at current rates that's going to throw a monkey wrench into the works because you'll need to find one that was sold for the year you're being assessed for.

Be sure to check that the records they have are correct. Between two properties we own they were about 1600 sq ft off. the one house was 1100 and they estimated it at 2000.

Well last wednesday I got no where with her. I showed her an exact home. (Same construction and square footage yet with more bedrooms and bathrooms. Also with more land. I subtracted the land from my example and compared it to my house. I was alot higher. All she did was make excuses. I have an appointment for Wednesday (Maybe a mistake) for her to go through my house with me.
To be honest she is one stubborn ********** :mad: She really has a rock head when it comes to negotiating. I hope I don't throw her off my deck :mad:
I have found many undervalued poroperties near me (mainly locals who have had there homes a long time and are keeping a low tax bill while mine goes up and up.
I went here>>> http://www.accuriz.com/index.aspx
Paid my $5.00 for a 24 hr pass and printed out about a hundred examples for her. She ignored them all. I told her we are getting nowhere and what is the next step. She then paid attention and said wooooah how bout I come out and look at your place.

I really hate the fact that you have to cut your neighbors throats by making examples of there homes to keep your property taxed in the real world.

wnyjim wrote: I was alot higher.

How much higher?
you kinda have to be careful because they might find a way to assess you even higher.

We have filed for review of our assessment twice in the last 4 years. This year it was far easier than before. Each town will vary but in Clarence it has all the forms on line. Print them out, fill them in, look online at the GIS data and pick your houses that sold for less then your accessment but of similar age and size. The one I did 4 years ago we hired a real estate accessor and had him file the claim on our behalf (if memory serves me correctly it was several hundred dollars). If you went up 80% over the last few years I would start the process. Sounds like the town of Amherst.

BD

Type in your address here, it's an easy way to find property values in your area.

http://www.zillow.com

As coaledsweat says if you are not satisfied with the tax assessor's re-valuation there should be a board you can go before to state your case. You should have an easy argument if you are able to show homes larger than yours assessed at a lower value. Get some comp home sales in your area at around the time your valuation was done but don't use stressed properties, foreclosures. Its worth the fight because this is what your taxes will be based on for at least a few years.

One woman with all that power. Yikes! Usually there is a review board like others have said. You mean to tell me she has the final say?

You could hire an attorney that specializes in such things....

Or,if you are a stubborn Smart "A"
YOU COULD TRY "MY WAY"

TAX roles are PUBLIC INFORMATION they must be made available to anyone who applies for the information...

THIS IS WHAT YA' GOTTA' DO: FIND THE NAMES ADDRESSES AND ASSESSMENT of each and every ELECTED OFFICIAL, POLICE CHIEF, JUDGE AND THEIR CHILDREN. Should you find discrepancies and disproportionate tax and valuation figures, put it together in a package to your STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL Naturally, because these are public officials you could also CC your Local Federal Prosecutor...They eat this stuff up, love 'em!

It takes courage, BUT I WILL BET THAT YOUR "PUBLIC SERVANTS" ARE FAVORED WITH LOWER TAXES....Then YOU HOLD THE HIGH CARDS...
You might become popular, feared, hated, or worse...but what an adventure!!!

Bob

PS: Be MOST explicit when you get the Ms. Tax Assessors figures...Tell her your helping out a friend, but you can't divulge who it is or, naturally he could do it himself!!! [that'll keep her awake at night ]

My dad was on the Board of Tax Review when I was a kid. A guy came in crying about his tax bill on an old T-Bird, it was like $18 and went up $2. My dad asked him what it was assessed for and he said $800. Then he asked him what it was really worth, the guy left without answering him.
Just make sure your right, before you stir things up.

Just remember, the TAX MAN is always right. You may not question him

As luck would have it my town decided not to raise our assessments this year and backed the assessor off. I guess I wasnt the only one chewing on their ears
So I gues for now I dodged a bullitt. Im sure she will be back maybe next year.
Seems she does alot of the towns around me....Read in the paper where one town wants her to be replaced and she has asked not to be appointed to another town.
Looks like she got everyone up in arms here. Maybe the little guy one this time...For now.

Depends on the area. Some overly inflated areas will lower your property tax bill by 20% if you simply ask with intention to fight it. Think Exton & West Chester in Southeastern PA. You also have a much better chance if you bought a newly constructed home and taxes were assed at initial sales price, most homes that are new generally have lost much of their value. If you own an existing home that was built over 15-20 years ago then your property probably hasn’t even been assed at the "true market value" for a long time.

What is your home assessed at and how much could you reasonably sell it for today?

In my town you can file a grievance, they do it on specific days. I had to have a licensed real estate appraiser come out and appraise my house, and the tax people accepted that and lowered my taxes the following year. Simply complaining does nothing.

Yes, my father had his assement lowered, took 2 tries in 2 years, house is new construction. First year he had 1 liscenced apprasial, Second year he had 2 liscenced apprasials. The man at the court house said the one appraiser was a good person. Might want to talk to the court of apprasials and ask who they reccomend. Go with 2 lisc. apprasials and you can search the county where you live for the neighbors tax base, should be public knowledge, I checked for my father on my computer, based on size and age of the house,take that with you. My father had his apprasial drop $6000 the first try and $52000 on the second time. Right now should be a good time with the property values down the tubes!!! GO IN WITH ALL YOUR PAPERWORK IN ORDER, AND A GOOD, FRIENDLY ATTITUDE!!!