It's that time of year again! The time of year assessments come from your city and a ton of homeowners storm the gates angrily waving pieces of paper. If you are one of those people there are a few things you need to know.
First of all, start early. If you know ahead of time that you are going to be appealing your tax assessment make your appointment as soon as allowable. Most cities start the appeal process in February - so make sure to check as soon as you have an inkling you will be appealing.
You will first have to meet with your local appeal board - and be prepared for them to turn you down. Most don't even have to give you a reason. So be ready to make an appointment with the State Tax Tribunal to appeal. At the State Tax Tribunal the city assessor will HAVE to give reasons....oh, and the State Tax Tribunal DOES allow you to use foreclosure homes as a comparable, while the local board usually will not.
If you are using recent comparable property sales to make your case, make sure that all of the properties sold no later than DECEMBER 31 OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR. Anything from the current year will not factor in to the assment.
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