Recently I have been requested to do some tax abatement work. Sending out a quick e-mail to local real estate agents I have been told that many areas are having issues with owners feeling they have been over assessed. Was wondering if anyone had some experience in this area.
What kind of marketing is typically done?
Do you think contacting the assessor is a good idea?
How does your report differ in respects to amount of data given?
Any comment would be appreciated.
Jeff Patterson
I used to work at a Tax Assessor's office - The only case that I had ever heard of anyone winning a case to lower their taxes was one of the other workers in the office when she contested it (through a different county). Needless to say, I have never taken on being that Appraiser that challenges them, nor do I do any sort of court-case work due to the time constraints involved ....
In our area, taxes for older homes are generally lower than they ought to be, so the best thing to do is keep quiet.... for instance, houses on my block vary by up to 1,000 square feet in above ground GLA, with different lot sizes, bathroom counts, etc. but the taxes on this block only vary by about $200 per year and even the smallest house is under-assessed.
Newer construction take the brunt of higher taxation around here. It is quite common to pay double in taxes for a new construction that is comparable in size and amenities to it's neighboring older construction.
Every area is different. Nick has some interesting posts about his local assessor's here and here.
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