Have you discovered that you are paying too much in property taxes? Now that you are going to be filing an appeal, you want to know what your next steps are going to be and what you will need to do in order to prove your case. After all, the DeKalb County tax assessor’s office will not just provide you with a new assessment out of the kindness of its heart. You need to have evidence that shows the first assessment was wrong and that you shouldn’t be paying quite so much in property tax. Of course, you also need to know what type of evidence you should be using to prove your case.
Before you can determine what evidence that you will need, though, you need to figure out the type of information the DeKalb County tax assessor used to arrive at your home’s value in the first place.
Information Typically Used by Assessors
Most of the time, the assessors will not be able to come out to your property individually to provide a tax assessment. There are simply too many properties for this to be feasible. Instead, they make use of a range of different types of data that will help them to arrive at what they believe to be a fair value for your home. Unfortunately, this is not always as accurate as you would hope for a host of reasons.
The DeKalb County tax assessor will look at the overall size of the lot of land that you own. they will also look to see how much square footage the buildings on the property have. This will include the garage, as well as any outbuildings that you might have, such as a shed or a shop in the backyard.
They also look for other structures that might change the value of the property, such as a gazebo or a swimming pool. If you have a basement in a residential property, they will also consider it to add value to the home if it is finished.
Of course, the assessor also makes use of comp properties when they are providing an assessment. These are properties that are very much like yours in terms of the location, the size of the property, the number of rooms, and the condition. The assessors look at the selling price for those homes and use that information when trying to determine the value of your property. This does not mean that they always choose the best or most favorable comps, though.
They also use information and paperwork that is already on file for your home to get much of the information that they need. If there is a problem with that information, or if some of it has been copied down incorrectly, it will cause a problem with your home’s valuation.
As you can see, there are many potential problem points when it comes to assessing the value of your property using these techniques. Fortunately, you have the right to appeal the value placed on the home. In order for that appeal to be successful, though, you need to have evidence that agrees with you.
The Right Evidence
When you are choosing to appeal your taxes from the DeKalb County tax assessors, you need to have evidence ready to submit and show by the date of your hearing. Finding evidence like this might be an entirely new experience to you, and you may not be entirely sure what you should be looking for. Many different types of evidence might help you, but it will depend on your case. Typically, the more evidence you are able to gather the better.
First, you might want to consider getting a professional appraisal from another party. This will cost you some money out of pocket, but it can be a great way to get information that shows where the assessors were wrong about your property.
You can also look at architectural renderings of your home. These might show that you have only one bathroom instead of the two bathrooms that the assessor’s office claims. You can also check land surveys to show just how much land you actually own. You do not want a misplaced decimal point to cause you to pay a lot more in taxes than you actually owe.
If your home suffered any damage since the last time it was appraised, you might want to include reports on the damage, including contractors’ reports. They should show whether the value of the home should move up or down.
Another option is to start looking for comps of your own. Just makes sure that the homes that you are using for the comps were sold during the period when your home was being assessed. If they are outside of that timeframe, they will not count as evidence, since market values can change. You should attempt to find about five comp properties that work to your favor.
How Will You Manage All of This?
When you start to look at all of the things you will need to consider when it comes to filing your appeal and getting all of the evidence you need, it can be overwhelming. It might seem as though you are taking on another job just to get the evidence you need and to make sure it will hold up. It is a lot of work, and it’s work that you don’t have to do. We aren’t suggesting you forget the appeal. Rather, we’re offering our services to provide you with some help.
Fair Assessments, LLC. has decades of experience in property valuation and appealing property taxes. We have the knowledge and the experience that you need, and we can take care of all of the hard work for you. Get in touch through our website or call (404) 618-0355. We are standing by and are ready to look at your case to guide you in the right direction.
