Property tax assessments were sent out in the last couple of weeks. To my surprise (and maybe yours), the appraised rates on property across the area just keeps going up. My office and house actually appraised higher, despite property values falling over the last few years and “For Sale” signs dotting the neighborhood.
Assessors around the state have been using creative math to come up with inflated values. They include high sales and exclude low ones by classifying the lower sales as “distressed.” Basically, they classify any property as distressed if it was bank sold at the time or falls outside their expected range for the area. This removes the lower sales from the calculation and boosts the number they use to figure taxes.
You must act quickly to contest the assessment if you do not think your property is valued incorrectly. A high assessment number can mean the difference in thousands of dollars in taxes. The first step is to go to the Assessor’s office and ask for a reassessment of the rate. If they do not agree to lower the assessment, there is a process to ask for further review that may involve presenting an appraisal of the property and ultimately asking for court review.
I invite you to contact our office if you feel your property was over valued and you want to challenge the assessment. Call 225-293-6200 or visit us at gouner.com.
