In DeKalb County Georgia, assessment notices get mailed out to property owners every year in late May or early June. Among the other information contained on this notice will be the fair market value of your property, which impacts the amount you'll be asked to pay in taxes.
If you disagree with that value for whatever reason (like if you know that there are some factors of your home that negatively impact the value that an assessor might not), you have 45 days to file an appeal and make your case for a lower value. Doing so is a lengthy process that definitely requires you to keep a few important things in mind.
Fighting For Your Rights in DeKalb County
In DeKalb County, there are two distinct ways to file your assessment appeal - either online using the county's website or by mail by filling out the appropriate form.
Note, however, that these really aren't different versions of the same process. Should you choose to file online, you'll only be able to select a meeting with the Board of Equalization as your appeal method. If you would prefer to take your case directly to a hearing officer or to go through the nonbinding arbitration process, your completed form must be either mailed or hand delivered to the appropriate people.
Should you choose to file by mail, you'll need ot provide a significant amount of information to make the strongest argument possible. In addition to standard contact information along with the parcel ID number that was printed on your annual assessment notice, you'll also need to include any documentation that supports the reason why you're objecting to the value of your property in the first place.
Keep in mind that you really do only have a single chance to get this right - if your argument isn't compelling, the listed value will stand and you'll be forced to contend with whatever property tax bill has been decided. This is ultimately why it's so important to consider enlisting the help of trained professionals like those at Fair Assessments who have navigated this process successfully in the past. We have both experience in the steps and relationships with officials in the county, putting us in an excellent position to get you the results that you're after with a fraction of the effort (not to mention time) that it would take to do so on your own.
If you're eager to get more information about navigating the process of a DeKalb County assessment appeal, or if you'd just like to speak to someone about your own situation in a bit more detail, please don't delay - contact Fair Assessments today.
