Your DeKalb County Tax Consultant and Your Arbitration Case

Posted by Jill Noelle Olandria on Jun 19, 2015 11:30:00 AM

When you have serious concerns about the assessed value of your real property, your first step should be to call or visit the Board of Assessors’ (BOA) office to discuss your concerns. But when you and the county staff appraiser fail to come to an agreement, you may want to hire a DeKalb County tax consultant. You will then have an experienced advocate on your side that will aggressively fight for winning your appeal during the arbitration.

Arbitration as an Appeal Venue

It must be emphasized that arbitration as a venue for appealing a tax assessment should be carefully considered, preferably with the expert advice of a DeKalb County tax consultant. The verdict in arbitration is binding in all cases and the loser pays for its cost.

When you lose the arbitration case, you will find that the cost for the proceedings can further strain your financial resources. You can end up with a greater financial burden instead of enjoying a substantial tax reduction.

Fortunately, you can reduce your chances for losing the case with an experienced DeKalb County tax consultant working on it. You have a tax expert whose knowledge and skills as well as personal and professional networks can be harnessed for your own benefit.

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Arbitration as a Process

Keep in mind, too, that the arbitration process can be a lengthy one. While a DeKalb County tax consultant will attend to the nitty-gritty details of the process, such as the research and paperwork, you have to make certain decisions and even attend the hearing. You will be required to pour in the necessary time, energy and effort into the process, too, since it is your interests at stake.  

The arbitration process can also be complicated, no thanks to the deadlines and documentary evidence required. Your decision to hire the best DeKalb County tax consultant, such as Fair Assessments, will serve you well. You can skip on navigating the ins and outs of the process since the tax consultant is working on it, thus, you can focus on other important matters in your life.  

The arbitration process can be summarized as follows:

  • You will receive an annual assessment notice for your real property.
  • You have 45 days from Notice Date to make a written appeal for Binding Arbitration. Your appeal must either be mailed or hand-delivered; faxed and emailed appeals are not accepted. You and the BOA may agree to an assessed value and, terminate the appeal at any point.
  • You must provide the BOA with a certified appraisal report prepared by a qualified appraiser; the report must be submitted within 45 days of filing your appeal. Ask your DeKalb County tax consultant about qualified appraisers in the area.
  • Your certified appraisal may be accepted or rejected by the BOA. In case of acceptance, the certified appraisal value becomes the final value. In case of rejection, the BOA must certify your appeal to the Clerk of Superior Court within 45 days. This is when arbitration really begins. In case your appeal is neither rejected nor accepted by the BOA within 45 days, your proposed assessed value becomes the final value.

Is the arbitration process too lengthy or complicated for you? Then hire the best DeKalb County tax consultant now!

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