Your Property Tax Appeal Questions Answered Here

[Cap'n Ken]

If your appeal was determined by the BOE, you get the 3 year tax freeze.  If the county just lowered you, and you did not take the appeal to the BOE, you dont.

So the proper course of action if the county just lowered you - appeal the new valuation within this 30-day window?

[enduser]

If you appealed, you originally paid a temporary tax bill with an interim automatic 15% reduction pending the ultimate resolution of your appeal.  If, at the conclusion of your appeal, you did not get a 15% reduction over the original assessment, then you owe more taxes, thus the final bill.

If your appeal was determined by the BOE, you get the 3 year tax freeze.  If the county just lowered you, and you did not take the appeal to the BOE, you dont.

Don't want to overstep the bounds of your very valuable neighborly free advice, but did you come across any other cases where the county lowered, were appealed to, and then decided to raise, a valuation, like mine?

[hfranks]

If your appeal was determined by the BOE, you get the 3 year tax freeze.  If the county just lowered you, and you did not take the appeal to the BOE, you dont.

So the proper course of action if the county just lowered you - appeal the new valuation within this 30-day window?

But I wanted to take it to BOE.  I guess I will appeal again.  The suspense is killing me.   

[ODB 3000]

If you appealed, you originally paid a temporary tax bill with an interim automatic 15% reduction pending the ultimate resolution of your appeal.  If, at the conclusion of your appeal, you did not get a 15% reduction over the original assessment, then you owe more taxes, thus the final bill.

If your appeal was determined by the BOE, you get the 3 year tax freeze.  If the county just lowered you, and you did not take the appeal to the BOE, you dont.

Don't want to overstep the bounds of your very valuable neighborly free advice, but did you come across any other cases where the county lowered, were appealed to, and then decided to raise, a valuation, like mine?

No.

[ODB 3000]

If your appeal was determined by the BOE, you get the 3 year tax freeze.  If the county just lowered you, and you did not take the appeal to the BOE, you dont.

So the proper course of action if the county just lowered you - appeal the new valuation within this 30-day window?

Yep.

[SteveD]

If your appeal was determined by the BOE, you get the 3 year tax freeze.  If the county just lowered you, and you did not take the appeal to the BOE, you dont.

So the proper course of action if the county just lowered you - appeal the new valuation within this 30-day window?

Yep.

I received my revised Notice of Assessment today (dated Jan 25).  They have now reduced my property value 18% from what it was back in April.

It's probably pretty close to what the market would support now, but, with the advice above, I guess I will appeal again, since the County simply lowered it without the prior appeal having been determined by the BOE.   Their assessed value now is even lower than what I had suggested back in the fall when I appealed the first time.

[Brandy]

Update from someone who just had my hearing yesterday.  These are things that I didn't know beforehand, but I'll know next time:

• The property assessment, although it is issued mid-year, is for the assessed value on Jan. 1 of that year;
• The 3-person board was comprised of 3 very kind people in their late 60's to late 70's;
• The condition (e.g., good, average, poor) of the house is what their looking for as far as neighborhood comps are concerned.  When I asked the county assessor how he ascertained the condition of the house, he said looking at the outside, looking at any permits pulled for renovations, talking to neighbors.  I think that if he is willing to talk to neighbors, he needs to be willing to knock on my door.  He can come see the DIY "renovations" that were done to see if the condition of the house matches his assessment;
• The board members told us that they wished we had brought in receipts for all the work we'd done on the house during the year (e.g., new furnace, electrical work, etc), and that this would help them backdate the assessment to Jan. 1;
• The BOE was very interested in the fact that a house burned down before Jan. 1 and remained a nasty ugly shell all year.  If you have similar circumstances on your block, don't forget to share that info with them.
• The BOE members were very kind and sympathetic.  I think the assessor was likely a nice guy (and he lives in our neighborhood), while simultaneously "forced" into a role that made him unlikeable.

So, we survived our first appeal, and I would call it a success.  We assessed our house for about 20K less than what the county did, and Board ruled that it was actually 16K less. 

p.s. the Callaway Building where the hearing was has the most efficient heating system I've ever experienced.  In other words, I was burning up.  If you go, wear layers and prepare to take several of them off. 

[angryuser]

So, perhaps dumb question time...

Say the initial appeal was just "approved" for far, far less than the house was valued at when you paid the tax bill. Say, you sent in a payment on a house they had evaluated at $200k. Since you were appealing, that bill was 85% of the normal assessment. Now say they came down by 2/3rds, no hearing needed. Are you now refunded the balance of what you've already paid between old and new assessment? Or is the new value only relevant to next year? If that's the case, what was the point of only having to pay 85% while under appeal?
thanks.

[ODB 3000]

You would be refunded any overpayments once the appeal is deemed final for the tax year at issue.  So, the temporary bill will be recalculated to a final bill once the appeal is over.  If you paid more than the final bill shows you owe, you get a refund.  Otherwise, you will see a final bill asking for more money.

[lorelei]

You would be refunded any overpayments once the appeal is deemed final for the tax year at issue.  So, the temporary bill will be recalculated to a final bill once the appeal is over.  If you paid more than the final bill shows you owe, you get a refund.  Otherwise, you will see a final bill asking for more money.

Thanks. Any idea on when the appeal gets deemed final? As far as I can tell, we don't have to go to a hearing.

[angryuser]

You would be refunded any overpayments once the appeal is deemed final for the tax year at issue.  So, the temporary bill will be recalculated to a final bill once the appeal is over.  If you paid more than the final bill shows you owe, you get a refund.  Otherwise, you will see a final bill asking for more money.

Thank you very much.
:fist pump!:

[Fawkes]

Quick Question for ODB, if you're still watching this thread... I got a hearing notice for tomorrow, I've no intention of going, I only filed for the hearing to get the automatic deferral. Do I need to call them or something to say I'm not coming to the hearing?
Is anyone gonna get irritated that I don't show?

[SteveD]

Will be interested in hearing the answer to that.  Mailing in my second appeal tomorrow, and will likely soon be in the same position.

[Jack]

I didn't go to my hearing, and a week or so later received a notice (by certified mail) that they ruled not to change the valuation.

[ODB 3000]

I didn't go to my hearing, and a week or so later received a notice (by certified mail) that they ruled not to change the valuation.

That is most likely the result of not going to the BOE hearing - 3 year freeze would still apply.