Want to Appeal Your Wisconsin Property Tax Assessment? Learn the Property Tax Appeal Process
The end of December and early January seems to be the time of year when our Wisconsin real estate office begins to receive calls from local property owners who are concerned about their tax assessment and wish to appeal their property valuation amount.
In the past two weeks, we've begun receiving multiple calls about the assessment appeal process at our Madeline Island office. In Wisconsin, property tax bills are usually mailed out in December and the first installment of Wisconsin property taxes is due January 31st. The arrival of those tax bills in property owner mailboxes always seems to make the phone ring at real estate offices across the State.
When your property tax bill arrives and you experience "sticker shock", what should you do first?
Calling a Realtor can serve as valuable preparation for the appeal process. A knowledgeable real estate professional who actually sells property in your area and knows the market is a valuable resource. Remember that tax assessors don't sell properties, licensed real estate agents do. We can assist you in gathering specific data on recent closed sales, comparable properties in your area and properties which are currently on the market. This information may provide you with support for your appeal.
You should download two publications from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, one entitled "Guide for Property Owners" and the other "Property Assessment Appeal Guide for Wisconsin Real Property Owners". Both are downloadable in .PDF format and are easily found on the Web.
The first step in the appeal process is a call to your local property tax assessor to discuss your assessment. Although a meeting with your assessor is not required, it should be of value in learning about how the process works. And specifically, it is an opportunity to gather information about how exactly your property's assessed value was determined. Page nine of the Property Assessment Appeal Guide states, "The assessor should be able to tell you what comparable sales were used to determine the market value of your property".
After speaking with your area assessor, you'll need to decide if you still wish to pursue an appeal of your assessment. Unless you live in a major city or metropolitan area (such as Milwaukee), you'll need to bring your appeal before a Board of Review. This is accomplished by filing a written notice (delivered to the clerk of your area Board of Review) of your intent to file an objection. The objection form may be obtained from your municipal clerk. Be careful to observe deadlines stated in the Wisconsin Department of Revenue publications and obtained from your municipality. You only get one opportunity per year to bring an appeal to your Board of Review. Remember also that you must present all your available evidence at a Board of Review hearing. You won't be allowed to introduce new evidence if you later decide to appeal the Board's decision to a Circuit Court.
You also have the option of appealing a Board of Review finding to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. And Wisconsin law also provides for communities (with the exception of Milwaukee) to be able to file a group appeal. In this process, the owners of at least 5% of the assessed value of all property in a municipality may submit a written petition to the DOR for reassessment of the municipality. A petition for municipal reassessment may be obtained from the Equalization District Supervisor in your area.
For my Madeline Island clients and friends, here is the Assessor information for LaPointe, Wisconsin 54850 (which includes all of Madeline Island):
Jennie Sanders, Tax Assessor
Badgerland Appraisal & Consulting LLC
1117 Therbrook Street
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729-1527
Phone 715-723-0310 or 715-829-9312
Email: sandersjen8@aol.com
The Ashland County (Wisconsin) Treasurer is Tracey Hoglund and the phone number for the Treasurer's office is 715-682-7012. The mailing address for the Ashland County Treasurer's office is:
Ashland County Courthouse
201 West Main Street
Ashland, Wisconsin 54806
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