Blog Layout

Representing Yourself In A Property Tax Appeal Is Risky

Beth • May 02, 2022

What Makes a DIY Property Tax Appeal So Complex?

Property tax appeals are something that all property owners should attempt every tax season. The county assessor is only human. Mistakes happen, and you could be eligible for lower property tax payments in the future.

Unfortunately, the property tax appeal process is much more complicated than simply filing your appeal and waiting on results. Thorough reviews, evidence, and (potentially) multiple hearings all go into the tax appeal process.

Attempting these steps with a DIY attitude and zero experience could result in you leaving thousands of dollars on the table.

Here’s some insight into what makes a property tax appeal so complex and why you should always work with a property tax consultant during your argument against high taxes.

FILING YOUR APPEAL MOVES QUICKLY

As we’ve mentioned before, filing your appeal is never as simple as just filing. If you feel that your property taxes are too high, you will want to thoroughly review your latest valuation notice.

This document lets you know what the latest assessed value is for your property. Keep in mind that once you receive this document, you have 45 days to determine that the assessor overvalued your property.

This means that as a first-time DIY appealer, you’ll have to move quickly to identify:

Comparable properties in your area

Knowledge of the 3 approaches to value (sales comparison, income, and cost)

Conditions on your property that could lead to a reduction

Inequitable taxes for your property

Once you’ve gathered your evidence, (which we’ll go into detail on below) and arrived at your opinion of value, it’s finally time to submit your appeal to the correct county office.

YOU MUST PROVE THE ASSESSOR OVER-ASSESSED YOUR PROPERTY

A successful property tax appeal requires sufficient evidence of the county’s overassessment of your property’s value. Supporting evidence is the crux of your appeal argument. Therefore, you want to make sure you’ve covered all of the elements that could result in lower property taxes.

WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE SUPPORTING EVIDENCE?

Damage and deferred maintenance to your property are rarely anything an assessor’s office looks into.

Providing this evidence is extremely effective.

Quotes for repairs that were needed prior to the county’s original assessment

Sales comparables of similar properties in your area that recently sold

You purchased the property recently (within 2 years) and your assessed value is significantly higher than what you paid. The county assessor would have the final sale price of your property but would not have access to all contingencies made during the sale, making it easier for them to mistakenly over-assess your property value.

HOW CAN A PROPERTY TAX CONSULTANT HELP IN THE FIRST STEPS OF AN APPEAL?

Taking the first steps of a property tax appeal can be tedious without prior experience. A property tax consultant will know the ins and outs of your county’s appeal process and help you arrive at an accurate opinion of value well before the 45-day property tax deadline.

We will help you obtain all necessary documents, review your property tax information, and unveil every way you could possibly save money on your next property tax payments.

REVIEWING TAX ASSESSOR EVIDENCE CAN BE TEDIOUS

Upon filing your appeal, your assessor may send you a packet that contains all of the information they used to lead up to their final assessment of your property.

At this point, you’ll have to once again, review your evidence, compare your evidence to the packet you’ve received, and create a rebuttal that proves your case is worthy of a proper tax reduction.

This process takes a lot of time without experience, and a property tax consultant can not only help you save this time but can also provide you with the right rebuttal approach that they’ve witnessed in successful appeals similar to yours in the past.

APPEAL YOUR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAX PROFESSIONALLY WITH CORRECT PROPERTY TAX LLC.

If you are a commercial property owner that knows you paid too much in property taxes this past season, it’s time to prepare for next year’s successful appeal.

The property tax consultants of the Correct Property Tax can help you navigate your appeal and save you lots of time throughout the preparatory steps of the process.

Reach out to us today to schedule your free consultation!

Exploring 2024 Property Tax Assessments: What You Need to Know

By Beth Szweda • 23 Apr, 2024
Maximize Savings and Minimize Stress

Local Taxpayers Seeing Increases

By Beth • 02 Jul, 2020
SOUTH BEND — Neighbors in a Granger-area subdivision near the Toll Road were shocked this spring to open reassessment notices and find the value of their property — and consequently the amount of property taxes they could owe next year — had jumped.

5 Things You Should Know About Appealing Your Property Taxes

By Beth • 10 Apr, 2019
Navigating the appeal process of reducing your property taxes is difficult,; doing it without any knowledge of the process is a nightmare. It may feel like there is a secret door to unlock and no one gave you the key. Information published by the Department of Local Government Finance is quite complex. Tax bills are coming soon; make sure they are correct. Here are some important things to know before you file an appeal.

St. Joseph County Appeal Deadline is Set

By Beth • 24 Jul, 2018
Notices have been sent to property owners for the 2019 assessment. St. Joseph County Assessor mailed assessment notices to property owners.  The mailing of these notices triggers an appeal deadline of August 31, 2018.  It's always best to file an appeal as soon as possible.  By getting your appeal in early, you will decrease the time required to process the appeal.  The assessor's office receives thousands of appeals each year with most arriving in their offices in the last days before the deadline.  You can minimize buearocracy by allowing the assessor to add your appeal to their system early. The first thing to do when you receive your notice is to check it against last years' assessment.  Prior assessments are listed on the form you receive.  Next you should get your Property Record Card online at https://www.stjosephcountyindiana.com/173/Assessor Check all the data on the PRC to make sure it is correct.  However don't assume that just because the assessment is correct that there is no chance for a reduction.  Studies have shown that as many as 60% of assessments are incorrect throughout the U.S. yet fewer than 5% appeal.  Of those who appeal more than half receive a reduction.  If a taxpayer uses a representative to appeal for them, that number goes up to 87% success rate.  Most tax reps do not charge a fee unless you win and offer a free analysis. It's a low risk, high benefit option. check out http://www.correctpropertytax.com/ and timely file your appeal by August 31st

Elkhart County Commercial and Industrial Property Assessments Are Seeing Big Increases

By Beth • 29 Jun, 2018
Elkhart County 2019 Assessment Increase Tax assessment notices are out for 2019 and many taxpayers have seen sharp increases.  Property owners from retail shops to large manufacturing facilities have seen increases of anywhere from 60% to over 200% increases.  All owners, property managers, CFO’s, and Controllers should take a close look at their assessments and investigate reasons for increases.  Any time a taxpayer sees more than a 5% increase in assessed value it is a red flag and should be appealed.  According to Indiana Code if an assessment is increased by more than 5% and that property is appealed, the burden of proof rests with the assessor as to why that assessment has gone up. You must act quickly.  The deadline to file an appeal in Elkhart County Assessor’s Office is July 16th. Taxpayers can get their property records online at Elkhart County Assessor.  You can call your assessor for more information at (574) 535-6700.  There is also helpful information at the Department of Local Government Finance.  If a taxpayer needs more in-depth expert advice contact Correct Property Tax LLC (574) 286-0431. They will handle the appeal with no fee unless they win.  The owner of Correct Property Tax, Beth@CorrectPropertyTax.com , has 30 years experience reducing taxes for national companies and locally owned businesses.

Study Shows Most Homeowners Are Paying Too Much Property Tax

By Beth • 20 Jul, 2017
Homeowners all across Indiana and Illinois are receiving their assessment notices. You may have heard in the local newspaper that some are going up, but some may come down. It's not something we give much thought to, until that bill arrives. And if yours is one of those that went up? We urgently want to know why and if there was some sort of mistake. Problem is, if we wait until the bill arrives - it may be too late.

Property Tax Proposal You Should Know About

By Beth • 28 Feb, 2017
If an appeal was hard fought and won, the assessment should not increase in the following years. Any increase after an appeal is too much.

Homeowner's Appeal Packet

By admin • 08 Feb, 2017
Comprehesive Residential Property Tax Appeal $210 What you get- Completed appeal Form 130 and attachments to back up our proposed assessment Complete and relevent evidence widely accepted by the assessing community Our appeals are done by the highest industry standards and practices, makes them easier for the assessor to process We're local and we're here for you!  Of course if you have a question or issue along the way, please reach out anytime   Start Your Free Analysis  

Correct Property Tax Blog

By admin • 05 Jan, 2017
Keep up on updates in the industry and CorrectPropertyTax.com For updates on industry news and more information about property taxes, feel free to browse through our selection of articles.

Our goal is a fair and accurate property tax for you

By admin • 04 Jan, 2017
CPT is now offering an easy way to appeal your property taxes. We know that during these uncertain times, having a large property tax bill arrive can be overwhelming. There is something you can do. With our free analysis, you can possibly appeal the assessment and save hundreds of dollars. We have worked hard to streamline the process of access to our highly effective strategy for winning appeals. Put our experts to work today to give you the best possible chance of winning your appeal and paying nothing more than your fair share of taxes!
Share by: