Has anyone ever protested a dramatic hike in their primary residence property tax? If so, what did you take with you to the hearing...it seems a little one sided to me. I have done no renovation, expansion, etc. Thanks in advance
Property Tax Protest Hearing
- Thread starter 86cutlass307
- Start date
- Status
Waste of time, the swine's just revalue the property.
When I bought my house in Fort Worth a few years ago, I took the first step of calling the tax assessor and explaining why the assessment was too high. The employee listened and agreed to adjust the value. It hasn't budged since then.
Since you mentioned the hearing, I assume that they took your call and simply said you will have to go to a hearing. This is what I had expected when I called. I would get a list of "comps" recently sold houses in the same area and getting an actual appraisal done on the house wouldn't hurt. I had all that in hand as a result of the recent purchase. However, the purchase price did seal the deal.
I don't know what county you live in, but there might be a website that tells you acceptable evidence. A quick google search does wonders. http://www.tad.org/ is the Tarrant Appraisal District website that has some good generic FAQs and links to state sites.
Since you mentioned the hearing, I assume that they took your call and simply said you will have to go to a hearing. This is what I had expected when I called. I would get a list of "comps" recently sold houses in the same area and getting an actual appraisal done on the house wouldn't hurt. I had all that in hand as a result of the recent purchase. However, the purchase price did seal the deal.
I don't know what county you live in, but there might be a website that tells you acceptable evidence. A quick google search does wonders. http://www.tad.org/ is the Tarrant Appraisal District website that has some good generic FAQs and links to state sites.
If there's an attraction like a water view you're basically screwed.
I can read my assessment online; they know what I have for flooring, sheetrock, oil heat, floor plan, pretty detailed. If you find errors in yours bring photos.
My town undervalues everyone by about 20% but of course has the mill rate set 20% too high. Keeps the complaining down.
I can read my assessment online; they know what I have for flooring, sheetrock, oil heat, floor plan, pretty detailed. If you find errors in yours bring photos.
My town undervalues everyone by about 20% but of course has the mill rate set 20% too high. Keeps the complaining down.
Property taxes are based upon the value of land, buildings and dwellings (and in some states a few other items thrown in the mix). If you can find recent comparable properties that have sold, you can use that as a basis to get the amount adjusted.
It may be that other properties in the area have gone up in value, so your may have also increased. In a number of states the legislature sets the rollback and levy amounts, so if there has been a change it also may be reflected.
Originally Posted By: Trav
Waste of time, the swine's just revalue the property.
Interesting. I've successfully presented the evidence to have various properties revalued lower 3 times in my life, and the assessment stayed at the lower amount until the next revaluation period.
Perhaps the reason they raise yours is because you refer to the assessors and their staff as "swine".
It may be that other properties in the area have gone up in value, so your may have also increased. In a number of states the legislature sets the rollback and levy amounts, so if there has been a change it also may be reflected.
Originally Posted By: Trav
Waste of time, the swine's just revalue the property.
Interesting. I've successfully presented the evidence to have various properties revalued lower 3 times in my life, and the assessment stayed at the lower amount until the next revaluation period.
Perhaps the reason they raise yours is because you refer to the assessors and their staff as "swine".
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Perhaps the reason they raise yours is because you refer to the assessors and their staff as "swine".
Yes, it would be much better to refer to them as "tasty looking swine." Let them think that you like them.
Perhaps the reason they raise yours is because you refer to the assessors and their staff as "swine".
Yes, it would be much better to refer to them as "tasty looking swine." Let them think that you like them.
Originally Posted By: Trav
Waste of time, the swine's just revalue the property.
Not really. Present comps of surrounding properties and value and tax rate etc. You have a case built and to present. Worked twice for me. It is great folks like you don't who don't bother so they lower my tax/valuation every time.
Waste of time, the swine's just revalue the property.
Not really. Present comps of surrounding properties and value and tax rate etc. You have a case built and to present. Worked twice for me. It is great folks like you don't who don't bother so they lower my tax/valuation every time.
JHZR2
Staff member
OP, did it happen to all properties? If so, what makes you think you're exempt? Our town got hit with a 20% healthcare cost increase this year alone, yours surely did too. Of course dealing with that is bad, so what do you expect?
Good luck with it. We pay a lot of tax, but it's not out of line with equivalent homes. I know others who have protested and been reasonably successful. It's all in making it very evident that you know the market and have done reasonable research. They had an independent appraisal as well as MLS comps on similar homes, and enlisted a lawyer who does it on contingency only if reduced (IIRC it cost them like $300-$500 to do it, on a $10k tax bill).
Keep in mind that it is thievery to I appropriately select comps and fudge appraisals to reduce your tax bill.
Good luck.
Good luck with it. We pay a lot of tax, but it's not out of line with equivalent homes. I know others who have protested and been reasonably successful. It's all in making it very evident that you know the market and have done reasonable research. They had an independent appraisal as well as MLS comps on similar homes, and enlisted a lawyer who does it on contingency only if reduced (IIRC it cost them like $300-$500 to do it, on a $10k tax bill).
Keep in mind that it is thievery to I appropriately select comps and fudge appraisals to reduce your tax bill.
Good luck.
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted By: eljefino
If there's an attraction like a water view you're basically screwed.
Not necessarily. One of our relatives lives on a lagoon and has a nice view of Barnegat Bay. Prime area. They successfully took theirs down at a reassessment.
Fortunately our town did a good job of assessment, we refinanced the same year and our appraisal was spot on with the assessment.
If there's an attraction like a water view you're basically screwed.
Not necessarily. One of our relatives lives on a lagoon and has a nice view of Barnegat Bay. Prime area. They successfully took theirs down at a reassessment.
Fortunately our town did a good job of assessment, we refinanced the same year and our appraisal was spot on with the assessment.
i have lived in this city, Wichita KS. since 1948 iam 64 now. when i was 18 if had known what i know now i would have moved to Oklahoma.
Do you get a meeting with an assessor first? We were ready to go to a hearing but the assessor met with us first and basically we negotiated with her, and since we weren't obnoxious, she helped us knock our increase down to something reasonable.
We have a 100 acres and the nice assessor told us that assessment is based on usage, not zoning, so our 20 acres of hobby farm usage saved us some money as it was valued as very poor farm land, which it is.
We have a 100 acres and the nice assessor told us that assessment is based on usage, not zoning, so our 20 acres of hobby farm usage saved us some money as it was valued as very poor farm land, which it is.
Quote:
If there's an attraction like a water view you're basically screwed.
Word.
If there's an attraction like a water view you're basically screwed.
Word.
One of the advantages of living in California is property value can not increase more than 2% for tax purpose because of Proposition 13, if you bought a house 20-30 years ago when the price was low and if it is much more now your tax will be much lower than your neighbors just bought recently.
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
One of the advantages of living in California is property value can not increase more than 2% for tax purpose because of Proposition 13, if you bought a house 20-30 years ago when the price was low and if it is much more now your tax will be much lower than your neighbors just bought recently.
This is true, one of the few good things about California. My family bought the house we live in now in 1968, we pay somewhere around 1400 a year in property tax on a house that could probably sell for 850-950k depending on where the swing is. Our neighbors in a much smaller house pay around $15,000 a year in property tax because they purchased at the total wrong time.
One of the advantages of living in California is property value can not increase more than 2% for tax purpose because of Proposition 13, if you bought a house 20-30 years ago when the price was low and if it is much more now your tax will be much lower than your neighbors just bought recently.
This is true, one of the few good things about California. My family bought the house we live in now in 1968, we pay somewhere around 1400 a year in property tax on a house that could probably sell for 850-950k depending on where the swing is. Our neighbors in a much smaller house pay around $15,000 a year in property tax because they purchased at the total wrong time.
Happened to my parents a year or two ago. For some reason the county (maybe it was the city) arbitrarily decided that my parents owed an extra $8000 or something ridiculous like that.
If you want some details, I can talk to my folks and find out exactly how they (and the neighbors) protested it and won.
If you want some details, I can talk to my folks and find out exactly how they (and the neighbors) protested it and won.
Originally Posted By: 86cutlass307
Has anyone ever protested a dramatic hike in their primary residence property tax? If so, what did you take with you to the hearing...it seems a little one sided to me. I have done no renovation, expansion, etc. Thanks in advance
What is the law in your jurisdiction? Here, there is a legal mandate that taxable value must be brought in parity with assessed value, so property taxes will increase annually at a specific rate until this is achieved. No amount of protest will alter this. Of course, properties will be reappraised in the meantime, so the goalposts will always be a moving target.
Property owners generally are competent to testify to the value of their own property, but in the absence of some special knowledge or experience are generally incompetent to testify to real estate values.
You could have a realtor friend do a drive by appraisal on your property, and if it looks like there is a real disparity between the actual and assessed value, a real appraiser should be engaged.
Has anyone ever protested a dramatic hike in their primary residence property tax? If so, what did you take with you to the hearing...it seems a little one sided to me. I have done no renovation, expansion, etc. Thanks in advance
What is the law in your jurisdiction? Here, there is a legal mandate that taxable value must be brought in parity with assessed value, so property taxes will increase annually at a specific rate until this is achieved. No amount of protest will alter this. Of course, properties will be reappraised in the meantime, so the goalposts will always be a moving target.
Property owners generally are competent to testify to the value of their own property, but in the absence of some special knowledge or experience are generally incompetent to testify to real estate values.
You could have a realtor friend do a drive by appraisal on your property, and if it looks like there is a real disparity between the actual and assessed value, a real appraiser should be engaged.
Hi folks
Originally Posted By: 86cutlass307
Has anyone ever protested a dramatic hike in their primary residence property tax? If so, what did you take with you to the hearing...it seems a little one sided to me. I have done no renovation, expansion, etc. Thanks in advance
Interesting.
A client of mine just had his property value adjusted by the city of Philadelphia.
It went from roughly 20 thousand to 288 thousand.
It's absolutely outrageous.
For years, properties in Philadelphia were severely undervalued by the city. It was a well known fact. And i've told people that Philadelphia is a nice place for retirees. Largely because property tax is teeny weenie.
The current administration is trying to correct that. Which i think is just fine.
But they are apparently "over correcting" the problem. They're going from one extreme to another.
Originally Posted By: 86cutlass307
Has anyone ever protested a dramatic hike in their primary residence property tax? If so, what did you take with you to the hearing...it seems a little one sided to me. I have done no renovation, expansion, etc. Thanks in advance
Interesting.
A client of mine just had his property value adjusted by the city of Philadelphia.
It went from roughly 20 thousand to 288 thousand.
It's absolutely outrageous.
For years, properties in Philadelphia were severely undervalued by the city. It was a well known fact. And i've told people that Philadelphia is a nice place for retirees. Largely because property tax is teeny weenie.
The current administration is trying to correct that. Which i think is just fine.
But they are apparently "over correcting" the problem. They're going from one extreme to another.
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted By: skate1968
Hi folks
Originally Posted By: 86cutlass307
Has anyone ever protested a dramatic hike in their primary residence property tax? If so, what did you take with you to the hearing...it seems a little one sided to me. I have done no renovation, expansion, etc. Thanks in advance
Interesting.
A client of mine just had his property value adjusted by the city of Philadelphia.
It went from roughly 20 thousand to 288 thousand.
It's absolutely outrageous.
For years, properties in Philadelphia were severely undervalued by the city. It was a well known fact. And i've told people that Philadelphia is a nice place for retirees. Largely because property tax is teeny weenie.
The current administration is trying to correct that. Which i think is just fine.
But they are apparently "over correcting" the problem. They're going from one extreme to another.
You're only looking at one side of the equation. What is the tax rate on the assessed amount? Usually when they reassess around here, the valuation may go up but the rate goes down. Our assessment doubled but our taxes stayed the same.
Hi folks
Originally Posted By: 86cutlass307
Has anyone ever protested a dramatic hike in their primary residence property tax? If so, what did you take with you to the hearing...it seems a little one sided to me. I have done no renovation, expansion, etc. Thanks in advance
Interesting.
A client of mine just had his property value adjusted by the city of Philadelphia.
It went from roughly 20 thousand to 288 thousand.
It's absolutely outrageous.
For years, properties in Philadelphia were severely undervalued by the city. It was a well known fact. And i've told people that Philadelphia is a nice place for retirees. Largely because property tax is teeny weenie.
The current administration is trying to correct that. Which i think is just fine.
But they are apparently "over correcting" the problem. They're going from one extreme to another.
You're only looking at one side of the equation. What is the tax rate on the assessed amount? Usually when they reassess around here, the valuation may go up but the rate goes down. Our assessment doubled but our taxes stayed the same.
Hi JHZ,
Actually, being as you live in Jersey you're relatively close to the situation i am describing in philadelphia
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
You're only looking at one side of the equation. What is the tax rate on the assessed amount? Usually when they reassess around here, the valuation may go up but the rate goes down. Our assessment doubled but our taxes stayed the same.
Yes you are correct.
Property tax RATES in philadelphi are the same. Only the property valuations are being updated and adjusted.
Actually, being as you live in Jersey you're relatively close to the situation i am describing in philadelphia
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
You're only looking at one side of the equation. What is the tax rate on the assessed amount? Usually when they reassess around here, the valuation may go up but the rate goes down. Our assessment doubled but our taxes stayed the same.
Yes you are correct.
Property tax RATES in philadelphi are the same. Only the property valuations are being updated and adjusted.
- Status
Similar threads
