How Do I Appeal My Property Tax Assessment?

Posted by Daniel Jones on Jan 19, 2012 6:43:00 PM
In some states you have to wait for the tax assessor to send you a value notice before you can appeal. In some states you can appeal even if the assessor doesn't send a value notice but there are only certain times of year when you can do so. In other states you can appeal at any time, unless the assessor is sending a notice that year. Because we focus on the Southeast, and to keep this article relatively short, I will focus on the states.

In Georgia the tax assessors are now required to send every property owner and assessment notice every year. The notice will be sent sometime in the spring or summer of each year. The notice of assessed value will be dated. You will have 45 days after the date of notice to appeal your property. You can use a uniform appeal form that was developed by the state of Georgia, or you can appeal in a letter format. Your letter should provide your contact information, property identification, and what avenue of appeal you choose to take, for example, arbitration. For more information on the options available please contact us.

In South Carolina you can appeal by letter at any time, unless the County has sent you a value notice that year, in which case you have 90 days from the date of the notice to appeal. In the letter provide your name and contact information, information identifying the property that you are appealing, and any information supporting a lower value that you choose to provide.

Most North Carolina counties have appeal forms. Most require that you use their form. When the counties put out new value notices the value notice is often the appeal form as well. Read the notice carefully. You typically have 30 days to appeal the new value. If you're appealing in a non-reappraisal year call the County in January to determine when the deadline is to appeal to the Board of Review. You will need to ask the County to send you a Board of Review application. Complete this and return it before the deadline.

In Alabama you can appeal by letter. Provide your contact information, information that identifies the property that you are appealing, and any information that supports a lower value that you choose to provide. You typically have 30 days from the date of the notice to file your appeal. All supporting information must be provided at the time you appeal.

Florida has an appeal form that is available from the state. Florida assessment notices start coming out in August of every year and all the County values are out, generally, by September. Provide all of the information that the form requires, and most counties require a filing fee. Provide any information that supports a lower value that you choose to.

This concludes our brief look at what to do if you want to appeal your property tax assessment. Every state is a little bit different and it's a good idea to call the County that you're in and ask them how often they revalue and when is the time to appeal. If you need help appealing your property tax assessment contact the experts at Fair Assessments, LLC.
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